Through the releases of Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito (Remix)” (featuring Justin Bieber) and Liam Payne and J Balvin’s “Familiar,” the world of popular music has been exposed to some well-known Latin artists.
Latin music is quite an extensive category of music, as there are many types, including salsa, reggaetón, dancehall, cumbia and merengue. If you are looking to diversify your music selection, here are some Latin hits to add to your playlist.
1. “X (EQUIS)”
Nicky Jam and J Balvin released”X (EQUIS),” a mixture of reggaetón and dancehall, on March 2, and according to Genius, it hit 100 million views within one week of being released. If that doesn’t convince you it’s worth your time, I don’t know how to help you.
2. “Clandestino”
The lyrics for the collaboration between Shakira and Maluma, both of whom are from Colombia, were written by the two pop artists, as well as Edgar Barrera, and is the fourth collaboration for the artists. The song is considered an “urban latin, reggae-infused jam,” according to Genius. “Clandestino” was released on June 8.
3. “Como Antes”
Puerto Rican artist Yandel’s fourth album, “Update,” includes the reggaetón hit, which features Wisin. Sony Music Latin released “Como Antes” on Sept. 8.
4. “Oye Mujer”
Raymix, a Mexican artist known for his electro-cumbia songs, and Juanes, who is originally from Colombia, are featured in this up-beat bop. The collaboration, which was also produced by Raymix, was released on April 25.
5. “El Clavo”
Although the song originated from a casual jam session in the studio, it was not formally released until March 16. “El Clavo” was produced by Barrera and features Prince Royce, who is famous for his other songs within the bachata genre.
6. “Mi Gente”
The song features Balvin and Willy William and is the first collaboration between the artist and producer. According to Balvin, the main goal of “Mi Gente” is to unite people and “eliminate the barriers of color, race, continents, genres or languages” that might exist.
7. “Dura”
Yankee’s reggaetón song, “Dura,” was released on Jan. 18. The rapper, who is originally from Puerto Rico, is known as the “king of reggaetón” and is well-known for “Gasolina.”
8. “Safari”
Balvin’s song, which features Pharrell Williams, BIA and Sky, appears on his album “Energía.” The song was produced by Williams and was released two years ago almost exactly.
9. “Darte Un Beso”
Rocye’s bachata song was released a few years ago, back in 2013. “Darte un Beso” is just one of 14 tracks on the artist’s album, “Soy el Mismo,” and it received three nominations at the 2014 Latin Grammy Awards, including record of the year, song of the year and “best tropical song.
10. “El Anillo”
The song by Jennifer Lopez was released on April 26 and is the third single that the artist has released in Spanish. “El Anillo” was written by Barrera, Andrés Castro, Oscarcito and DalePlay.
11. “Calypso”
According to Billboard, Fonsi and Stefflon Don’s “Calypso” gained 1.7 million U.S. streams and 5,000 downloads on the week of June 21. The song was released on June 14, one week earlier.
12. “Perro Fiel”
The collaboration between Shakira and Jam appears on “El Dorado,” Shakira’s 11th album. “Perro Fiel,” which was released in May of last year, was written by Shakira, Nick Caminero, Christhian Mena and Juan Medina.
13. “Positivo”
If you watched the 2018 World Cup on Telemundo, then you probably know “Positivo,” which was the theme song of the network’s annual football tournament. Balvin and Michael Brun’s song was released on April 30.
Regardless of the songs you may normally have on your playlist, you will definitely find something new to add out of the 13 hits listed above. And, more than likely, you may just find yourself obsessed with Latin music as a whole.
