Mexico's RBD is selling out stadiums across the United States. Colombia's Shakira is ruling the charts. And Puerto Rico's Ricky Martin is going on a joint tour with Enrique Iglesias. Latine pop music is bouncing back. It’s not that it ever went away, but a new wave of artists are redefining the genre and pushing it into the future, much like RBD, Shakira, and Martin did in the past.
Latine pop is a long-time staple in the Spanish-language music scene. The genre thrived in the 1980s thanks to the breakthroughs of Gloria Estefan and Luis Miguel, and it dominated throughout the ‘90s with the success of Martin, Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Thalia, and Paulina Rubio. These artists melded music trends in the U.S. with the sounds of their Latin American roots. Though Latine pop is still prevalent today because of artists like Becky G, Sebastián Yatra, and Camilo, it's largely taken a back seat to genres like reggaeton, Latine trap, and now, regional Mexican music.
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As part of the next wave of Latine pop artists, Mexican singer Mariangela says the 2020 quarantine during the Covid-19 pandemic helped reawaken the genre. "A lot of us artists who are coming out with music found courage to explore and be authentic, and I think that's what a lot of genres, including pop, were lacking and what we are now slowly bringing back," she tells Refinery29 Somos. "Now everyone has their own signature sound in the genre, and I think that pop needed that fresh air."
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"Now everyone has their own signature sound in the genre, and I think that pop needed that fresh air."
Mariangela
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Born in Monterrey, Mexico, but raised in San Antonio, Texas, Mariangela’s music reflects her bicultural influences, which include Julieta Venegas, Soda Stereo's Gustavo Cerati, Alejandro Sanz, New Order, and Lana Del Rey. Her songs, like "Luz Azul" and "Soñarte,” embody pop-rock punch en español. Mariangela received cosigns from two of her idols, Carla Morrison and Kany García, when she opened for their concerts in Texas.
"Both situations have been a full circle moment in my career and life," she says. "The first cover song I ever published on social media was a song from Carla and it went viral. Fast forward two years later, I opened for her and it was a dream come true. I used to pray about moments like these."
Just like Mariangela, singer-songwriter Gale has received major cosigns. The Puerto Rican artist started out penning songs for other pop stars like Christina Aguilera, Anitta, Cardi B, and Shakira. She especially bonded with Shakira while they were writing "Copa Vacía" together. When Gale revealed her intentions to put out her own music, Shakira gave her words of encouragement: "She told me to always follow and trust my intuition. I will always treasure this advice with my heart, especially because she’s one of my biggest inspirations in music."
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On her debut album, Lo Que No Te Dije, Gale blends together the music of Daddy Yankee, Avril Lavigne, and Britney Spears — artists she grew up on who influenced her sound. "Problemas" is angst-driven romp. "La Mitad" blends synth-pop with reggaetón beats. And in the dreamy "Nubes," she celebrates female masturbation. Gale also speaks out against men who send unsolicited nude photos of themselves in the punk-infused "D Pic."
"I always feel a bit scared when writing songs with that kind of message, but that’s when I know I’m on the right path because pushing our own boundaries is how we learn and grow," she says. "I couldn't hold myself back from writing these songs with these topics. It felt honest and true to myself."
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"I always feel a bit scared when writing songs with that kind of message, but that’s when I know I’m on the right path because pushing our own boundaries is how we learn and grow."
GALE
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Also hailing from Puerto Rico and pushing Latine pop forward is Nohemy. The Orlando-based artist cites reggaetonero Jhayco and the music she grew up with — such as RBD, Rihanna, and Justin Bieber — as her inspirations. Nohemy coproduced her breakthrough Nohaus, which is an amalgamation of house music with pop, reggaeton, and trap influences. That innovative Latine sound comes through the most in her heartbreaking banger "Perdón."
"The sounds in ‘Nohaus’ are each definition of who I am," she says. "EDM showcases the fun and quirky side of me. Urbano goes back to my roots and upbringing, and pop sheds a light on the soundtrack of my life. I have always seen myself as a pop star."
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But the future of Latine pop music doesn’t only rely on combining different genres, as Letón Pé is showing another side to music from the Caribbean as well. The Dominican artist is bringing back the showgirl aspect of Latine pop as a singer and fierce dancer with a musical theater background. She masterfully interprets the messages of her songs like the euphoric "Ando Animal" and the frenetic "Rojo Rubí (Rompiendo La Cadera)" through her performances. Earlier this month, she released her Rojo Rubí EP, which blends dembow-driven beats with elements of house and electronica music.
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"I have always seen myself as a pop star."
NOHEMY
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"Rojo Rubí comes from the necessity of infusing and representing my roots and merging them with everything else that has characterized my influences in pop," she says. "[I feel] like a warrior [representing the Dominican Republic]. It's not an easy task, but it's worth it, especially when people see us on stage."
In Argentina, singer Emilia is following in the footsteps of the country’s pop stars like Tini and Lali. Last year, she got the green light from Beyoncé's Parkwood Entertainment to release "La Chain," which interpolated the Destiny's Child classic "Independent Women." "That was so crazy!" she recalls. "That was a very big moment for my career." For her upcoming second album, Emilia has continued to explore sounds from the 2000s. Inspired by Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You Out of My Head,” she embraces house music in the sultry "GTA.mp3."
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"[I feel] like a warrior [representing the Dominican Republic]. It's not an easy task, but it's worth it, especially when people see us on stage."
Letón Pé
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"There's eyes on Argentina," she says. "What is happening with the Argentine artists is very major. There's more of us out there getting international recognition. I'm happy for my peers and myself because I know we worked very hard for this."
Then there's artist Yadam who is using Latine pop as a form of self-expression. The Venezuelan singer-songwriter was able to leave his country, as it faced an economic collapse, after winning a flight to France from a singing contest. Yadam has since relocated there, which has shaped his music — now a mix of Latin American soul with European influences. He worked with Aguilera’s and Adele's producer Samuel Dixon on the flamenco-infused "Otras Mujeres." Throughout his Belamor album, he sings about a romance between men as a proudly gay artist.
"I'm trying to bring an updated sound to the Latin scene with a theme that very few male artists have talked about, which is homosexuality," he says. "I'm also incredibly proud of how I've managed to reintroduce sincere emotion into the game."
As the children of Latine pop, these artists are queering the genre, both by blending in musical styles that are native to their homelands or are dominating the airwaves and by writing lyrics that center experiences that were previously taboo, like female sexual pleasure or queer romance.
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"I'm trying to bring an updated sound to the Latin scene with a theme that very few male artists have talked about, which is homosexuality."
Yadam
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Over in Mexico City, Blue Rojo grew up listening to Kabah, Belanova, and Belinda. With his debut album, Solitario, Blue Rojo explored the pain and heartache of having unrequited feelings for a straight man. He delved further into the story in "La Foto X El WhatsApp," which put a reggaetón spin on Belanova's electro-pop hit "Por Ti." Blue Rojo continues to break ground for Mexico and queer artists with his contribution to the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack last year.
"If I look at the past, I know it's been hard, but now I’m just being myself and at peace with it," he says. "I just write freely and if someone can relate, then that’s beautiful."