Antes de retirarse después de una carrera histórica de 32 años, el pionero del reggaeton, Daddy Yankee, realizará tres shows con entradas agotadas esta semana en el Estadio Nacional en Santiago, Chile. Para honrar sus inconmensurables contribuciones, Spotify le entregará a Daddy Yankee su propia estatua durante su visita a la capital del streaming de reggaetón.
La escultura acompañará al “Big Boss” en el Estadio Nacional durante sus presentaciones, y luego será instalada en la estación de metro Escuela Militar para que los fanáticos puedan ser parte de su legendaria despedida.
Since its launch in 2020, RADAR has served as Spotify’s marquee program for emerging artists around the world, helping to support and propel artists onto the global music stage. And now, RADAR Global is back with our latest featured artist, the up-and-coming reggaeton star Quevedo.
Hailing from Gran Canaria, Spain, the 21-year-old singer burst onto the scene in 2020 with his single “En Reformas.” His sound—a mix of hip-hop and Latin rhythms inspired by his upbringing in the Canary Islands—resonated with fans across the world, and he has since reached over 9.7M monthly listeners on Spotify. His single “Cayó la noche (Remix)” was a breakthrough hit, transforming Quevedo from an underground artist into the spotlight – reaching #1 on Spotify’s Daily Top Songs Spain Chart. Quevedo has also popped up on numerous Spotify charts, reaching #19 on Viral 50 — Global and #2 on Viral 50 — Spain.
“Quevedo’s growth has been breathtaking to watch in this very short period of time, and we love how it stems from a wonderful mix of talent, intuition, and breadth of musical influences,” said Melanie Parejo, Head of Music, Southern Europe at Spotify. “We’re thrilled that Quevedo is part of the new slate of RADAR artists and truly proud that he has been chosen to be in our RADAR Global artist program.”
Quevedo’s momentum has only continued in 2022; he’s racked up millions of streams with his singles “Respuesta Cero” and “Nonstop” and collaborated with the Argentinian hitmaker Duki on “Si Quieren Frontear.” But Quevedo really took the next step in his career this past May when he landed a spot on the remix of “2step” by Ed Sheeran.
Now, we’re thrilled to continue our support of Quevedo with his newly minted role as a featured global RADAR artist. Not only will he be featured on the RADAR Global playlist, but also in a short mini-documentary in partnership with Spotify. The mini-doc, which takes place in his hometown, gives fans a glimpse into his roots and musical journey. As a RADAR artist, Quevedo worked with Spotify on a custom photoshoot in the Canary Islands, establishing a new set of bespoke images that will be used throughout the duration of the campaign, across marketing materials, including a Times Square billboard in New York City. Quevedo will also receive promotion around key music releases, a feature in Spotify’s RADAR recurring Rolling Stone Series, and an opportunity to participate in Fans First opportunities including ticket presales and merchandise offers throughout the duration of the partnership.
“I couldn’t be happier to be the new Spotify RADAR artist,” Quevedo told For the Record. “It means so much to be able to share my music with new fans all over the world and I want to thank everyone who made this possible. From Gran Canaria to the world.”
Quevedo has accomplished a lot in a relatively short period of time, but stay tuned because he’s just getting started. And to discover more about the next wave of artists primed for stardom around the world, be sure to keep an eye on Spotify’s RADAR Globalprogram in the future.
Check out the latest music from Quevedo and start streaming his latest single, “Nonstop,” below.
Since 2018, Chile’s capital, Santiago, has led the world when it comes to reggaetón streams on Spotify. And in 2019, this inspired us to call it the “streaming capital of reggaetón.” Fast-forward to 2022, and Santiago is still on top.
Recently, however, there’s been one big difference: While reggaetón was historically produced outside Chile, there’s now a wave of local Chilean artists gaining prominence inside its borders and beyond.
“Since we launched the Reggaetón Chileno playlist in 2019, we saw that Chile was a market with a lot of potential for the development of an urban scene. With so many millions of fans of the genre, it makes sense a new scene of young artists would develop,”Rodrigo Decono, Spotify’s Music Editorial Manager for the Southern Cone of South America, told For the Record.“Today we see that the talent was always there—Spotify just needed to support it. Above all, the Chilean audience itself needed to accept them, just as it did with artists from Puerto Rico, Colombia, and the rest of Latin America.”
The data backs this up. Almost 40% of Chile’s Top 50 music chart is composed of local artists. As a result, the total streams of Spotify’s Reggaetón Chileno playlist grew by 2,600% over the past year.
What characterizes the Chilean urban genre is that it portrays the realities and struggles that the artists face in their lives. Spotify has helped these artists bring their music to a wider audience—not only to fans domestically, but to listeners in Mexico, Argentina, and the United States who also love the Chilean sound.
When Bad Bunny released his debut album, x100PRE, on Christmas Eve 2018, there was little way the Puerto Rican reggaeton artist could have known what the next few years would bring. But alongside the publishing of his next two albums—the second, Oasis, a collaboration with J Balvin,and the third, 2020’s YHLQMDLG—his fame rose worldwide. His next pair of albums, Las Que No Iban a Salir and El Último Tour del Mundo, also both released in 2020, propelled him to the top spot as the most-streamed artist on Spotify with more than 8.3 billion streams.
In 2021 he did it again, grabbing the title of most-streamed artist for the second year in a row. Over the course of the year, he had accumulated 9.1 billion streams without even releasing a new album. Plus, in the two years combined, his music was streamed for over 63 billion minutes. Since 2015, Bad Bunny has been streamed over 35 billion times across more than 344 million listeners.
Today, Bad Bunny is releasing the highly anticipated album Un Verano Sin Ti, “a summer without you,” just in time for summer. As always, fans can expect collaborations—this time with RauwAlejandro, ChenchoCorleone, Jhayco, TonyDize, BombaEstereo, The Marias, and Buscabulla.
“The vibe in this album is so it can be your summer playlist,” Bad Bunny told For the Record. “I personally see it like that album you play when you go on vacation to an island and you’re on the beach all day. Then you go back to your vacation resort and put it on while you’re getting ready to go for a late dinner with your friends. And on your way to that dinner you ask the driver to play the album again.”
To celebrate the release, Bad Bunny teamed up with Spotify to create Los Elementos Del Verano, an original film that brings the summertime sights and sounds of his beloved Puerto Rico to the world. In the short original film, Bad Bunny shares his favorite things about his home and how it has influenced his music, and Un Verano Sin Ti in particular.
“The album is very versatile, very Bad Bunny,” he shared. “But the versatility is different from the others; this one has different sounds—reggaeton, dembow, reggae influence, afro beats—and all of them relate to the Caribbean beats. They all feel happy and you want to dance to them.”
To mark this new album, Bad Bunny collaborated with Spotify to give users in the free tier around the world* on-demand access to listen to the 23 tracks as many times and in the order they wish to enjoy it for one week. Fans can also catch Bad Bunny on billboards in Times Square, Downtown Los Angeles, Toronto, Mexico City, Bogotá, and Buenos Aires.
Don’t wait—get in the summer groove with Un Verano Sin Ti now.
*181 markets worldwide, not including Japan and South Korea
Cuando Bad Bunny lanzó su álbum debut, x100PRE, en la víspera de Navidad de 2018, difícilmente el artista de reggaeton puertorriqueño podría imaginar lo que traerían los próximos años. Pero junto con sus siguientes dos álbumes, el segundo, Oasis, una colaboración con J Balvin y, y el tercero, YHLQMDLG de 2020, su fama aumentó en todo el mundo. Sus siguientes dos álbumes, Las Que No Iban a Salir y El Último Tour del Mundo, también lanzados en 2020, lo impulsaron al primer puesto como el artista más escuchado en Spotify con más de 8.300 millones de streams.
En 2021 lo volvió a hacer, consiguiendo el título de artista más escuchado por segundo año consecutivo. En el transcurso del año, acumuló 9.100 millones de streams sin siquiera lanzar un nuevo álbum. En los dos años combinados, su música se escuchó durante más de 63 mil millones de minutos. Desde 2015, Bad Bunny se ha escuchado más de 35 mil millones de veces por más de 344 millones de oyentes.
Hoy, Bad Bunny lanzaUn Verano Sin Ti, el esperado álbum justo a tiempo para la temporada. Como siempre, los fanáticos pueden esperar colaboraciones, esta vez con Rauw Alejandro, Chencho Corleone, Jhayco, Tony Dize, Bomba Estéreo, The Marías y Buscabulla.
‘La vibra en este álbum es la de tu playlist para el verano”, Bad Bunny dijo a For The Record. “Personalmente lo veo como ese disco que pones cuando te vas de vacaciones a una isla y estás todo el día en la playa. Luego regresas a tu hotel y lo pones mientras te preparas para ir a cenar con tus amigos. Y de camino a esa cena le pides al conductor que vuelva a poner el disco”.
Para celebrar el lanzamiento, Bad Bunny se asoció con Spotify para crear Los Elementos Del Verano, un filme original que trae al mundo las vistas y los sonidos del verano de su amado Puerto Rico. En un cortometraje original, Bad Bunny comparte sus cosas favoritas sobre su hogar y cómo ha influido en su música y en Un Verano Sin Ti en particular.
El álbum es muy versátil, muy Bad Bunny”, compartió. “Pero la versatilidad es diferente a los demás, este tiene diferentes sonidos, reggaeton, dembow, influencia del reggae, ritmos afro, y todos se relacionan con los ritmos caribeños y te hace querer bailar”.
Con motivo de este nuevo álbum, Bad Bunny colaboró con Spotify para brindar a los usuarios del servicio gratuito de todo el mundo* acceso bajo demanda para escuchar las 23 pistas las veces que quieran y en el orden en que deseen disfrutarlas durante una semana. Los fanáticos también pueden ver a Bad Bunny en vallas publicitarias en Times Square, el centro de Los Ángeles, Toronto, Ciudad de México, Bogotá y Buenos Aires.
No esperes, entra en la vibra del verano con Un Verano Sin Ti ahora.
*181 mercados en todo el mundo, sin incluir a Japón y Corea del Sur
It’s no surprise that MANSIÓN REGGAETÓN has amassed a huge following as our flagship playlist for the reggaeton genre. After all, last year listeners clocked 3.6 billion hours of reggaeton on Spotify. That equals 412,000 years’ worth of streaming!
Since its launch two years ago, the playlist has become the go-to destination for the genre’s most-talked-about artists. It’s also Spotify’s most-streamed editorial playlist in Latin America, and MANSIÓN REGGAETÓN continues to carve out a growing fanbase around the world.
However, not every listener is an expert in the genre’s bold sounds. That’s why we’re challenging reggaetoneros to test their genre knowledge. Are you as bad as Bad Bunny or more of a bad beginner? Let’s find out.
No es ninguna sorpresa queMANSIÓN REGGAETÓN haya cautivado a tantos seguidores como nuestra playlist emblemática para el género de reggaetón en Latinoamérica. Después de todo, los auditores marcaron 3,6 miles de millones de horas de reproducción de reggaetón en Spotify. ¡Eso es equivalente a 412.000 años de streaming!
Desde su lanzamiento hace dos años, la playlist se ha vuelto el destino preferido para los artistas más comentados del género. También es laplaylist más reproducida de Spotify en Latinoamérica, y MANSIÓN REGGAETÓN continúa conquistando una creciente base de fans en todo el mundo.
Sin embargo, no todos los auditores son expertos en los audaces sonidos del género. Por eso estamos desafiando a los reggaetoneros a probar su conocimiento en el género. ¿Eres “malo” comoBad Bunny o en realidad eres “malo” respondiendo? Descubrámoslo
Few genres have taken the world by storm in recent years quite like reggaeton. The beat is said to have originated in San Juan, Puerto Rico, but it soon became a staple in music throughout Latin America, influencing countless musicians who have become icons of the genre.
Starting today, LOUD, a new Spotify Original podcast, explores the full tapestry of reggaeton music—from its origins in San Juan to the successes of cultural hits like Daddy Yankee’s“Gasolina” to its prominence in cities like Santiago, Chile, and Medellín, Colombia.
And who better to tell this story but Puerto Rican singer, rapper, and songwriter Ivy Queen?
Follow along over the course of 10 chapters and across five countries as host Ivy Queen weaves a story featuring special guests and Latinx music icons such asNicky Jam,Zion y Lennox, Sech,andMaluma. They speak about their stories within the history of the genre, one that has generated massive hits, global artists, and the futuristic sound defining the 21st century.
For the Record spoke to creative producer Julio A. Pabón about the series, which was three years in the making.
You’ve been reporting on this topic for years. What prompted the idea for this podcast?
I’ve always wanted to make the definitive audio documentary on reggaeton. There are so many stories, rumors, half-truths, and exaggerated facts out there that I knew someone had to set the record straight and tell as close to a definitive oral history as possible. At the time, our team helped with podcast development, so I took the opportunity to develop the series as an audio-exclusive offering.
The podcast is broken down into three parts. How and why did you pick the themes for these chapters? How do they come together to tell the overarching story?
The three parts are essentially created by watershed moments in reggaeton’s history that most people would describe as “genre defining.” Without giving too much away, the release of Daddy Yankee’ssong “Gasolina” was an example of one of those moments.
We followed a chronological approach to telling this story, starting with the roots of reggaeton in the Black communities of Panama. As with most documentary storytelling, the themes revealed themselves as we moved forward and did more research from there.
The podcast features the voices of so many influential artists and creators. Did anyone have thoughts or stories that surprised you?
So many things, and I grew up on reggaeton! I had a great experience learning about the origins of certain rivalries between MCs, Jamaican immigration to Panama, and the true meanings of certain colloquialisms, just to name a few. The one that probably will stand out most is that Daddy Yankee was a baseball prospect before getting shot in the leg and deciding to take music seriously. What would the genre be without him? And yet it almost didn’t happen.
What were the main challenges in putting together a podcast of this scope?
Access was our biggest challenge. The genre is now in its thirties, so there are some people who are no longer with us and others who changed careers and never looked back.
What conversations about reggaeton are you hoping this podcast can spark?
I want this podcast to spark conversations about race, sex, and the politics of the culture. In the end, it’s an inspirational tale of how a marginalized community created a genre of music with universal appeal. The idea behind LOUD is to spark that inspiration many times over. This isn’t exclusive to reggaeton though—we want to explore K-pop, Afrobeat, and Brazilian funk in future seasons.
Panamanian artist Bozais making waves far beyond his geographical roots, and as the latest artist to join Spotify’s RADAR roster in the United States, his rise may very well continue.
The singer-songwriter is the newest RADAR artist in the U.S., but he’s no stranger to the program, which spotlights emerging talent from around the globe. In 2020, Boza was chosen as the first March RADAR artist of the month for the Central America and Caribbean region. Listeners quickly gravitated toward his music, and his success in the program is what led him to be picked as a 2021 RADAR artist for the U.S. region. Boza’s tracks can be found on over 80 Spotify playlists and he has nearly 12 million monthly listeners. Fans particularly love his song “Hecha Pa’ Mi,” which has racked up more than 330 million streams. On his debut album, Mas Negro Que Rojo, listeners will find sounds that follow a mix of dancehall, reggaetón, R&B, and more.
“Over the last two years we have witnessed Boza develop one of the strongest fan bases in all of Central America, which has quickly scaled throughout the rest of Latin America and Europe,” shares Jose Nova, a Spotify Senior Editor for Latin America. “Boza consistently provides his fans with unique storytelling through his lyrics that have deep connections with audiences around the world.”
Through RADAR, Boza will be featured on the RADAR playlist and will record music for our Spotify Singles program, and Spotify will provide a full suite of on- and off-platform marketing and promotional support. Spotify also worked with the artist to release a mini documentary, out today. Taking place in his hometown of Panama City in the La Meri neighborhood, the film gives viewers an intimate look at Boza and his journey from the streets to the stage.
For the Record caught up with Boza to ask a few questions about his first album release, his musical style, and how he’s using Spotify to reach fans all over the world.
The last year has been quite busy for you, with your first full album release and the popularity of the song “Hecha Pa’ Mi.” What has it been like to see your career take off?
Seeing my career take off with “Hecha Pa’ Mi” marks a before and after. To really see a track like this hit the whole world is what every artist dreams of. Seeing that they write to me from countries where they don’t even speak Spanish is so exciting.
Your music includes elements of the Panamanian style “canela.” How would you describe this sound to new listeners?
Canela is a little bit of Panama in my music. It is “The Hood” (El Barrio) and represents my friends, my experiences, and my life experiences in words.
What artists have inspired you the most, in terms of their sound and lyrics?
I really like Bad Bunny. I also like Kafu Banton from Panama—he is one that I always listen to, and I like his way of composing. El Roockie was also an influence. I also like all kinds of music such as salsa, merengue, Haitian, and rock and roll. I learn, gain knowledge, and take elements from everything that I listen to.
You’ve been working with Spotify’s RADAR program since 2020, when you were named RADAR artist of the month for Central America & the Caribbean. Now you’re expanding as a U.S. RADAR artist. What has this experience been like?
This is another dream that I didn’t think would come so soon. It is very important to connect and see this happening in my country and in Central America, but as an artist, to come to the United States and see that my music is sneaking in everywhere, it’s wonderful. This is going to help me to grow that dream!
Your music has found international popularity in countries like Spain and Italy. Do you think working with Spotify and the RADAR program has helped introduce your music to other areas of the world, outside of Latin American?
The data available to artists on the platform allows me to know how many people are streaming my music in real time, how the number of listeners change over time, where they live, and to also be able to know which of my songs are liked the most. It’s incredible.
You can’t imagine my, and all my team’s, excitement when we saw we were number three in Spain. We were jumping with joy, because really when we entered the top 200 it was already an achievement, then at 100, and then at 50 we said, “Wow, the dream came true.” But when we got to number three, it is one of those moments that you thank God and reflect on all the effort and sacrifice, because it is not easy. It is almost impossible to have a number three in Spain with so many good artists there. In Italy, we asked ourselves, “How did it reach number seven when the song is in Spanish?” That is where one learns that music has no borders.
What advice do you have for fellow emerging artists?
The best advice I can give you is to be prepared, and to 100% create your own style and your own music. Learn every day from everything you can in studios, in meetings—listen and know that your future depends on many things but the main one is that it depends on yourself.
Check out the latest music from Boza below and keep an eye out for his new track, “En La Luna,” coming out June 25.
The catchy sounds of reggaetón have seen unprecedented growth in recent years, and the genre’s popularity now expands far beyond its birthplace of Puerto Rico. Those who demand proof need look no further than Spotify’s number-one-streamed artist of 2020, rapperBad Bunny, who racked up more than 8.3 billion streams last year.
The beats of reggaetón have made waves around the world, but the genre still holds a particular place in the hearts of listeners in Latin America. Mansión Reggaetón, Spotify’s flagship playlist for the genre, is now the most-streamed Spotify editorial playlist in the region. Since its creation two years ago, the playlist has amassed over 3.6 million followers.
The playlist is a one-stop destination for the most-talked-about artists of the genre. Listeners will find music from big stars like KAROL GandMyke Towers, as well as newcomers like Maria Becerra and Boza. Mansión Reggaetón is notably popular with a younger audience—more than 40% of its streams come from listeners between the ages of 18 and 24 years old.
In celebration of the playlist’s success, Spotify unveiled a new visual design. The vibrant artwork aptly represents reggaetón’s bold sounds and includes the tagline “from the STREET to the TOP,” representing how the top hits in the genre find their home in the playlist.
The beats of reggaetón have become a true representation and cultural symbol of Latin America, and the Mansión Reggaetón playlist is helping to expand the genre’s footprint to listeners around the globe. While Mexico is the country that currently streams reggaetón the most, the U.S. ranks second, and Spain follows. In the last two years, India has seen a 95% growth of reggaetón streams, and countries like Egypt and Bahrain have also experienced listening spikes in the genre.
In 2020 alone, listeners clocked 3.6 billion hours of reggaetón on Spotify. That translates to 412,000 years’ worth of listening. This year, fans—whether they’re in Santiago de Chile or Cairo—show no signs of slowing down.
Listen to the Mansión Reggaetón playlist below to get started on your reggaetón journey.
Los sonidos pegadizos del reggaetón han experimentado un crecimiento sin precedentes en los últimos años, y la popularidad del género ahora se expande mucho más allá de su lugar de nacimiento: Puerto Rico. Aquellos que necesiten pruebas, no deben buscar más allá del artista número uno en streaming de Spotify en 2020, el raperoBad Bunny, quien acumuló más de8.300 millones de streams el año pasado.
El reggaetón ha causado sensación en todo el mundo, y ocupa un lugar particular en el corazón de los oyentes de América Latina.Mansión Reggaetón, la playlist insignia de Spotify para el género, es ahora la playlist editorial de Spotify más escuchada en la región. Desde su creación hace dos años, la playlist ha acumulado más de 3.6 millones de seguidores.
Mansión Reggaetón es un destino único para los artistas más comentados del género. Los oyentes encontrarán música de grandes estrellas comoKAROL Gy Myke Towers, así como de recién llegados comoMaria BecerrayBoza. Mansión Reggaetón es notablemente popular entre una audiencia más joven: más del 40% de sus streams provienen de oyentes entre las edades de 18 y 24 años.
Para celebrar el éxito de la playlist, Spotify presentó una nueva identidad visual. La gráfica vibrante representa acertadamente los sonidos atrevidos del reggaetón e incluye el lema, “de la CALLE a la CIMA”, que representa cómo los principales éxitos del género encuentran su hogar en la playlist.
Los ritmos del reggaetón se han convertido en una verdadera representación y símbolo cultural de América Latina, y la playlist Mansión Reggaetón está ayudando a expandir la huella del género a los oyentes de todo el mundo. Si bien México es el país que más escucha actualmente reggaetón, Estados Unidos ocupa el segundo lugar, seguido por España. A su vez, en los últimos dos años, India ha experimentado un crecimiento del 95% en los streams de reggaetón, y países como Egipto y Bahrein también han experimentado picos de escucha en el género.
Solo en 2020, se escucharon 3.600 millones de horas de reggaetón en Spotify, ¡que se traducen en más de 412.000 años de escucha! Este año, los fanáticos, ya sea en Santiago de Chile o en El Cairo, no muestran signos de desaceleración.
Escucha la playlist deMansión Reggaetón para comenzar tu viaje por el reggaetón.
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, RauwAlejandro, 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.
“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.
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