The popular “Making the Hit, Live” panel returned to the 2025 Billboard Latin Music Week on Tuesday (Oct. 21). This year, Spanish superstar Pablo Alborán and mega producer Julio Reyes Copello participated to show attendees how they create music together during the Billboard-exclusive panel moderated by Billboard Español’s Sigal Ratner-Arias.
“This is like entering the barrio and leaving the door open, but we take on the challenge with courage,” Reyes said about creating a song with a live audience at 10 a.m.
Following a short Q&A, the two artists, joined on stage by emerging singer Riza, got to work. Together, Alborán and Riza beautifully harmonized over a dreamy, Middle Eastern rhythm that Reyes was creating, and later brainstormed heartfelt lyrics about missing and longing for someone.
“From Julio, I learned not to settle and at the same time to constantly seek emotion in everything I do in the studio,” Alborán expressed. “I rarely feel understood. He understands your roots, where you come from, and he does it in a different way … it’s a luxury to be around him.”
Reyes added: “We share the same vision of beauty. I think we have the best version of everything in our heads, and there’s one person who far surpasses all those versions. Pablo is an artist from another planet—that’s what brought us together, and that’s what we share emotionally.”
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Spanning 36 years, Latin Music Week is the single largest gathering of Latin artists and industry executives in the world. This year’s event — which also features Carlos Vives, Carín León, Daddy Yankee, Ivy Queen, Gloria Estefan, Kapo, Laura Pausini, Netón Vega, Ozuna, Pablo Alborán, and Xavi, among others — hosts panels, marquee conversations, roundtables, networking and activations, in addition to its celebrated Billboard En Vivo showcases.
Latin Music Week also coincides with the 2025 Billboard Latin Music Awards, set to air Thursday, Oct. 23, on Telemundo and Peacock, where Bad Bunny will be honored as Top Latin Artist of the 21st Century.
