Ivy Queen debuts new song ‘Toma’ at the Billboard Latin Women in Music Awards

Ivy Queen closed out the inaugural Billboard Mujeres Latinas en la Música, or Billboard Latin Women in Music Awards in English, by debuting her new single, ‘Toma’, which got everyone in the room dancing.

Before getting on the stage, Ivy Queen shared co-hosting duties with Telemundo’s Jacqueline Bracamontes for the awards show, with a number of legendary Latinas taking the stage to receive honorary awards.

“The queen is here”

Ivy Queen, born Martha Ivelisse Pesante Rodríguez, arrived on stage wearing a glimmering oversized hoodie, before unveiling a golden ensemble consisting of a gold corset, short shorts, gold stiletto thigh-high boots, and a golden beaded headpiece draped over her hair while holding a matching gold microphone.

“The queen is here,” the audio of the track began, before Ivy Queen jumped into the song, a defiant homage to the genre of reggaeton.

“Esto es a que arde, puede que te quede en coma,” she rapped in the song’s opening verse, meaning roughly, “This will burn, and put you in a coma.”

“Toma reggaetón pa’ que sientan la presión,” Ivy Queen sang in the chorus, which in English means “take reggaeton to feel the pressure.”

The song also featured shout-outs to Ivy Queen’s fellow Puerto Rican reggaeton stars Tego Calderón and Bad Bunny, whose song ‘Safaera’ she mentions in the song.

Ivy Queen previously received the Icon Award at the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Award in recognition of her 30-year-long career and work in reggaeton music.

Who received awards at the 2023 Billboard Latin Women in Music Awards?

Shakira took home the Woman of the Year Award, presented to her by fellow Colombian singer J Balvin, where she gave a touching speech.

“It’s been a year where I’ve realized we women are stronger than we think, braver than we believed, more independent than we were taught to be,” she began.

“The most important lessons I learned [were] from other women, and for them I wrote what I wrote and I sang what I sang,” she added.

Mexican singer Ana Gabriel received the Living Legend Award, while Emilia was honored with the Rising Star Award. Maria Becerra was given the Visionary Award, Evaluna, the Tradition and Future Award, and Goyo received the Agent of Change Award.

Thalía received the Global Powerhouse Award and gave a powerful speech.

“The word we’ve heard the most tonight is ‘empowered’ women. Well, for me, the word empowered falls short,” she began. “I believe that we are all born with power. I believe we are strong, and no one is going to empower us.”