$711"1,Elkii7'.

MUSIC 401

ARTIST:

ALBUM: Natalie Cole en Espanol

LABEL. Verve/Universal

RELEASE DATE: June 25

MANAGER: Barbara Rose Entertainment

PUBLISHING: N/A

BOOKING AGENT Morris Endeavor

CHART HISTORY: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (2010), No. 195 Billboard 200, No. 12 Holiday , 37,000; Still Unforgettable (2008), No. 19 Billboard 200, 130,000 AUDIEN Nathaniel Rathbun, aka Au- TWITTER. @natmcole dien, just turned 21, but he's already got some of the most powerful figures in dance LATIN music behind him. The young DJ/producer is the marquee signing of Primary Wave Music's new EDM-focused management division, which Cole Crosses launched with the hiring of industry veteran Hash Gureli (former VP of A&R for J Re- cords/RCA) last June. Audien Over originals "Wayfarer" and the very hooky "Leaving You" were signed by venerable Natalie Cole echoes her father's trance labels (run by Above & Beyond) and pioneering recordings with her Armada (run by ), respectively. Thanks first Spanish -language to AM Only agent Alan Gary, Audien spent last year By Judy Cantor -Navas opening for DJs like Porter Robinson, Felix Cartel and

Yes-or in this case, si-Natalie Cole's first album in tel, a favorite hangout. "Hearing my dad sing in Span- her accent. While her father's American pronunciation Spanish includes a duet with her late father. And like ish was a revelation," she adds, recalling watching him had its own clunky charm, Cole's kittenish vocals have "Unforgettable," the song that won a Grammy Award perform as a child on her first trip to Mexico. an almost native flair. in 1992 and foreshadowed today's holographic per- Cole says she first had the idea for her own Spanish - "Natalie completely embraced this on a creative lev- formance trend, the black -tie rumba "Acercate Mas" language album about so years ago. She pitched it to el," Verve GM Robert Smith says, noting that the labels ("Come Closer to Me") will pluck at heartstrings and Capitol Records, which had put out Cole Espanol as well will heavily promote the album through mainstream transport fans of Nat "King" Cole-in this case to ]sos as her own early albums, but "the timing wasn't right." and Hispanic media. "It's going to have a great word- , culminating with a Havana, where he learned to sound out the lyrics for She met with Emilio Estefan, but says they couldn't of-mouth quality." New Year's Eve gig warming up for Tiesto at Revel in Cole Espanol, the first of his three Spanish recordings. agree on the concept. She later brought it up with Da- He adds that Natalie Cole en Espanol fits Verve's fo- Atlantic City, N.J. This year, Natalie Cole en Espanol, out June 25 on Verve/ vid Foster, who had produced her Unforgettable album. cus on "adult music": "This isn't going to be sold to a he's graduated to headliner, Universal, features some of the same numbers cov- After Foster became chairman of Verve Music Group in teen pop Latino audience any more than it will be sold with a small club tour and festival main -stage sets. In ered on those historic albums, and other romantic 2011, he signed Cole, and she headed to Miami to work to a non -Latino teen pop audience." addition to being a "total nerd evergreens familiar to international audiences. Andrea with Perez last year. After some European dates, Cole will perform songs in the studio, a perfectionist," Bocelli joins Cole on "Besame Mucho." Produced by Recording in Spanish is no longer a novelty, and as from the new album in August with a full orchestra at according to Primary Wave senior director of market- Latin hitmaker Rudy Perez, the set also includes con- proved by Bocelli, B Volo and others, it can be part of the Hollywood Bowl. Also on the bill will be Chucho ing/artist development Seth temporary classics: Juan Luis Guerra's enduring '9os a smart A&R strategy. But Cole still had to bring new Valdes, whose father, the late Bebo Valdes, worked on Faber, the kid has his head on hit "Bachata Rosa"-featuring the superstar Domini- life to iconic songs, and follow her father's act, one that the arrangements for Cole Espanol and coached the el- straight too. "His attitude and drive are equally fantastic. As can artist-and "Oye Como Va." remains cherished in the Spanish-speaking world. der Cole's vocals in Havana. he's starting to earn income "This is not a tribute to my father as much as it is a "Rudy said, 'Don't lose Natalie. Do your R&B inflec- Cole, who has released more than 20 studio albums, you see him reinvesting in tribute to Latin music because of my father," Cole says tions, be yourself,"' recalls Cole, who has only a limited revealed her battles with substance abuse and her himself: -Kern Mason over lunch at the Polo Lounge in the Beverly Hills Ho - understanding of Spanish. She seems most proud of health problems in two memoirs, one of which became a TV biopic. At 63, looking fit and quite tropical in a white linen halter and long printed skirt, she declares "This is not a tribute to my father as herself ready to "broaden her horizons." "I don't think it's that unusual to merge into [the much as it is a tribute to Latin music Latin] world," she says. "The fortunate part is that I have fans in Latin America, and so I have a base to because of my father." -Natalie Cole start from."0

Charese Fruge, alternative Vampire Weekend,"Diane Twenty One Pilots,"Holding KXTE Las Vegas. Young." It's so different from On to You." Besides a giant Macklemore & Ryan Lewis what they usually do, but so chorus and melody? It's just featuring Mary Lambert, much more complex. There a great song that gets stuck "Same Love." The message are so many genres and so in my head all the time. These is so interesting you just many influences in this single guys are amazing live-OK, a want to stop and listen. Add that make me feel like the little weird, but amazing. They the catchy melody, the brave song is timeless. It's in power remind me of a pop version of lyrics and the big fat hook rotation in my car, and it's a Linkin Park, and that is every by Mary, and these guys hit song that could easily cross powerful combination. another one out of the park. over to top 40.

0 BILLBOARD I JUNE 1,2013