Tag: Ozuna

After 7 Years of Breaking Boundaries, Spotify’s Baila Reggaeton Playlist Hits 10 Million Followers

May 14, 2020

Reggaeton first surfaced in Panama in the 1970s and quickly took on a vibrant life of its own. As the genre found footholds in Colombia, Puerto Rico, and the United States, it also welcomed new talents and sounds. In the years to follow, the reggae-dancehall fusion solidified as a prevailing cultural movement with its own language, symbols, and artistic identity. In 2013, Spotify recognized this rapidly growing movement and created the Baila Reggaeton playlist. Now, seven years later, the playlist has skyrocketed—much like the genre itself—and has now reached 10 million followers.

From Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” in the mid-2000s to 2017’s “Mi Gente” by J Balvin, the genre—and the playlist that captured it all—has seen explosive growth and influence throughout the years. Two reggaeton artists (Daddy Yankee and J Balvin) have even become the number-one-streamed artist on Spotify globally following the release of their hits on the playlist.  

But these milestones are only the tip of the reggaeton iceberg. The Baila Reggaeton playlist has ridden the genre’s groove and helped break the new wave of reggaeton artists like Sech, Rauw Alejandro, and Lunay. The top 10 songs streamed on the playlist from January 1, 2014, to now encompass many of the artists who make up the sounds of the genre.    

  1. “Sola (Remix)” — Anuel AA, Daddy Yankee, Farruko, Wisin, Zion & Lennox
  2. “Te Boté – Remix” ­— Bad Bunny, Casper Magico, Darell, Nicky Jam, Nio Garcia, Ozuna
  3. “Me Rehúso” — Danny Ocean
  4. “Escápate Conmigo” ­— Ozuna, Wisin
  5. “La player (Bandolera)” ­— Zion & Lennox
  6. “Otra vez” — J Balvin, Zion & Lennox
  7. “Sin Pijama” — Becky G, Natti Natasha
  8. “Criminal” ­— Natti Natasha, Ozuna
  9. “Vaina Loca” ­— Manuel Turizo, Ozuna
  10. “Ahora Dice” ­— Arcangel, Chris Jeday, J Balvin, Ozuna

The increasing popularity of reggaeton is reflected not only on this playlist, but also heavily across social media platforms, where reggaeton artists thrive and have become cultural influencers, tastemakers, and role models for the new generation of Latin music fans. See what some of your favorites have to say.

What does it feel like to be part of a genre that has now revolutionized the music industry?

Becky G: I feel empowered to be a part of a genre that is revolutionizing the music industry. I have always believed in the power of music and how it can bring others together, so I love seeing how the universal language of music is starting to pick up a little slang from us too. 

J Balvin: It feels amazing. I have spent my entire career trying to push the “Latino Gang” culture forward, so it feels special to see the genre become a truly worldwide movement.

Ivy Queen: I feel great pride to see how a genre that started off in Borinquen’s streets and garages has shaken the world.

Daddy Yankee: I always had the vision that reggaeton would be heard in the entire world. It was already a lifestyle but it took some time to realize that people would grow within this new culture—it was a movement. I was absolutely clear about it, and even if they called me crazy I always envisioned what we are now living through.

Santiago de Chile: la capital del streaming de reggaetón de Spotify

October 16, 2019

Cuando la estrella del reggaetón colombiano J Balvin y el artista puertorriqueño de trap Bad Bunny lanzaron su álbum colaborativo de ocho tracks, OASIS, en junio de este año, cada canción llegó al Top 50 de Chile en el primer día de su lanzamiento. Aunque es potencialmente sorprendente a primera vista, una mirada más cercana muestra que este logro está totalmente en línea con el reggaetón.

Puerto Rico y Panamá pueden ser los lugares de nacimiento del género, y Colombia una potencia actual de producción, pero con más de 400 millones de reproducciones por mes, Santiago de Chile es la capital indiscutible del streaming de reggaetón. En Santiago se toca el doble de canciones de reggaetón que la segunda ciudad de la lista, Ciudad de México (a pesar de que la capital mexicana tiene una población casi el doble del tamaño de su contraparte chilena).

“Lo que estamos viendo con el reggaetón en Chile es un gran testimonio de la potencia absoluta que es América Latina cuando se trata de construir y entregar audiencias para artistas latinos”, dijo Mia Nygren, directora gerente de Spotify en América Latina.

Santiago, Chile: Spotify’s Streaming Capital of Reggaetón

October 16, 2019

When the Colombian reggaetón star J Balvin and Puerto Rican trap artist Bad Bunny dropped their eight-track collaborative album, OASIS, in June this year, every single song  made it into Chile’s Top 50 on the first day of its release. Though potentially surprising at first glance, a closer look shows this chart-topping is right in line for reggaetón.

Puerto Rico and Panama might be the birthplaces of the genre—and Colombia a current production powerhouse—but with over 400 million plays per month, Santiago, Chile is the indisputable capital of reggaetón streaming. Twice as many reggaetón songs are played in Santiago as the second city on the list, Mexico City (even though the Mexican capital has a population nearly double the size of its Chilean counterpart). 

“What we are seeing with reggaetón in Chile is a great testimony to the absolute powerhouse that is Latin America when it comes to building and delivering audiences for Latin artists,” said Mia Nygren, Managing Director for Spotify in Latin America. 

Spotify Flagship Playlist ¡Viva Latino! Hits 10 Million Followers

July 26, 2019

It’s been growing five times faster than any other playlist in Spotify’s top 1000. It’s propelled numerous Spanish-language songs to the Global Top 100 and Top 50 charts. And now, ¡Viva Latino!, our flagship Latin music playlist, has hit a remarkable 10 million followers. 

Spotify users from all over the world are tuning into ¡Viva Latino! to hear the hits from the hottest Latin artists – whether it’s the latest global anthems by Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Ozuna, or Nicky Jam, the soulful sounds of Karol G, the sultry hits of Becky G, or Rosalia’s reinvention of flamenco, to name just a few. ¡Viva Latino! is loaded with songs that grab your attention, fill your day with music, and secure a place in your heart.

The growth of the third-most-followed playlist reflects the incredible movement within Latin music over the past few years. Since 2014, Latin artists have seen a staggering 250% increase in representation across the Global Top 100. Plus, in the past two years alone on Spotify, we’ve seen an average 33% year-over-year increase in streams of Latin music.  

We’re excited about this 10-million-follower milestone—thanks in large part to you, the listeners and fans. The artists who made the playlist great are thankful and excited too. Check out the video below for best wishes from Daddy Yankee, Anitta, Wisin & Yandel, and more. We are 10,000,000 strong.

If you’re as excited about this milestone as we are, come celebrate with us in Miami at the second ¡Viva Latino! Live concert, featuring Bad Bunny, Nicky Jam, Rosalia, Sebastian Yatra, and Sech. Get tickets on Ticketmaster. 

Discover Hits From Around the World With Spotify’s Global Cultures Initiative

September 28, 2018

Depending on the day, you may have a taste for Mexican, Chinese, or Italian cuisine. At Spotify, we think our playlists should be just as eclectic as our palates.

Top-ranked hits in the U.S. are still overwhelmingly focused on English-language and American-made songs—yet about 1 in 4 Spotify users around the world actively listens to artists from a culture (or country) different from their own. Thanks to our increasingly connected world, discovering the top hits and coolest beats from around the globe is now easier than ever—and relevant in an age where many communities and cultures live in countries far away from their homelands. For example, 15 million Lebanese live in Brazil—more than in Lebanon itself.

Stories like this inspired Rocio Guerrero, Head of Global Cultures at Spotify, to launch Spotify’s Global Cultures initiative, which promotes and advances culturally diverse music, surfacing hits from different countries around the world and spotlighting popular songs that cross cultures.

“We have launched numerous high-profile playlists and programs in the recent past, but Global Cultures is poised to become one of the most important things we are doing as a leader in the field of streaming audio,” says Rocio.

Included in this initiative are several expertly curated playlists, some of which feature top songs, both old and new, from diasporic communities around the world. The first four diasporas to be represented on Spotify are some of the largest by population worldwide—Arab, African, Indian (Desi), and Latino—with more hubs on the way. Currently, the Desi and LatinX hubs can both be found on the “Browse” section of Spotify, with the Arab and African hubs launching in the weeks to come.

“Arab diaspora artists might sound totally different than local Arab artists,” Rocio explains. “Diaspora people have different political views, different hobbies, different mindsets that come out in their music. But they’re still connected to their communities. People are becoming more and more proud of their origins, and I think music might be one of the best ways to help them express that.”

To continue to disseminate cultural music throughout the world, Spotify is also launching Global X, a new playlist full of hot international and multicultural crossovers. Starting today, the playlist will be easy to find and devour under the Pop category on our platform. The playlist speaks to the global nature and allure of music, featuring hits from L.A. to Lagos.

Ozuna, Selena Gomez, DJ Snake and Cardi B on the cover of the Global X playlist

“Why is food from other countries so embedded in our culture and yet music isn’t? Because streaming didn’t exist. But now it’s happening,” says Rocio, who is originally from Spain but now lives in New York. “Global X is the sound of a new era: rhythmic crossover hits from all cultures around the world, all in one place. We’re creating a global brand that’s going to represent hits from all countries around the world.”

A crossover can be “a mix of different genres, a mix of languages, or it could be a song like ‘Despacito Remix’ that crosses over to the rest of the world,” according to Rocio. “Now people listen to ‘Despacito’ whether they are Latino or not,” she says. “We are going to do the same with other cultures. Initially, you will see a lot of pop mainstream crossovers in the playlist, and while the point is to bring to the surface new sounds, cultures, and languages, we need to do so slowly but surely.”

Accompanying the launch of the playlist will be a unique vertical video for the hot new track “Taki Taki,” featuring Selena Gomez, Cardi B, Ozuna, and DJ Snake. “Taki Taki” is a true mix of cultures, with lyrics in a combination of English and Spanish. “It’s a total attention-grabbing, Global X type of song,” Rocio says. “Then once you’re in the playlist, you’ll see Arab songs, African songs, Latin songs, songs from a lot of cultures—which is awesome.”

The playlist will also feature songs like “Come Closer” from WizKid and Drake, which combines African artists with North American artists, as well as “Zooted” by French Montana, who is Moroccan, and Becky G, who is Mexican-American. Each of these diverse artists writes music that is unique to their background, contributing to a multicultural array set to inspire listeners around the world.

“My team, which represents diasporas, is very connected to their roots,” says Rocio. “It’s interesting how cultures continue generation after generation through things like music.”

Earworm-worthy K-pop, bhangra beats, electro meets Arabic … Music is a global connector, whether among generations spread across continents or throughout diverse modern communities. The Global X playlist and Global Cultures Hubs will help music lovers everywhere in their discovery.

Travel around the world with the Global X Playlist: