Colombia's Karol G is a best-selling, chart-topping, award-winning vocalist known for her soulful mix of reggaeton, pop, and dance-oriented R&B. Her many collaborative singles appearances with other urbano stars including Nicky Jam, Anuel AA, Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Maluma, and Pitbull, regularly placed inside the Top 100, while their accompanying videos garnered hundreds of millions of views. Though she issued her first single at 16 in 2007, she struggled for the next decade establishing herself in reggaeton because it was a male-dominated genre. It took ten years, more than a billion YouTube views, and hundreds of millions of music streams before she could release her debut LP, Unstoppable, in 2017. Two years later, her profile rose to the level of a bona fide star thanks to chart-topping singles such as "Tusa" with Nicki Minaj, "China" with Anuel AA, Daddy Yankee, Ozuna, and J Balvin, and "Ocean," the title track from her number 22 sophomore long-player. In 2020 Karol G was a nearly constant presence on the charts with many collaborations -- including "Enjoy Yourself" with Pop Smoke and "Follow" with Anuel AA -- and solo singles such as "Ay, Dios Mío!" and "Bichota." In March 2021, she issued her third long-player, the chart-topping KG0516. Her fourth set, 2023's Mañana Será Bonito, took her to even greater heights, winning multiple Grammys into 2024.

Born Carolina Giraldo Rivera in Medellin, Colombia in 1991, Karol G was interested in music from a young age, influenced by her father, a working musician. After high school, she studied music at University of Antioquia. Her first break came in 2010 when she competed on Colombia's version of The X Factor, El Factor X. Two years later, her profile was raised even higher after duetting with Colombian reggaeton singer Reykon on the single "301." In 2013, Karol G released her first solo single, "Amor de Dos," featuring Nicky Jam. Several more well-received singles followed including "Ricos Besos," "Manyana," and "Ya No Te Creo." In 2016, she delivered the Daniel Echavarria-produced single "Casi Nada." The following year, "Ahora Me Llama," a collaborative single with Bad Bunny, became a hit. It was featured on her debut full-length, Unstoppable, which was released in October 2017, and peaked at number two on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart.

She returned in early 2018 with the saucy single "Mi Cama." Another single, "Punto G," followed in 2019 and took home the year's award for Best Song at the Premio ASCAP ceremony and was nominated for three Billboard Latin Music Awards. In April 2020, Karol G and Anuel AA released the collaborative single and video "Follow." Recorded while the pair quarantined in Miami, the video rang up 20 million views in its first four days. Another song, "Ay, Dios Mío!," arrived in July 2020 and reached number five on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart, while its video garnered more than 400 million views. She also collaborated with the Jonas Brothers track "X." It debuted during the closing credits of the group's documentary film Happiness Continues. Karol G and the Jonas Brothers filmed the music video on their individual iPhones, then combined the footage to offer an innovative approach to music making videos during the pandemic.

Later that year, she joined Pop Smoke to collaborate on his Top 40 hit "Enjoy Yourself." Her single, "Ay, Dios Mío!" charted in more than a dozen countries though not in the U.S. Its music video, however, registered more than 400 million views. She collaborated with Ozuna and Myke Towers on the number three "Carmelo," and in December released the anthemic "Bichota." It too peaked, at number three on the Hot Latin Songs chart, while its video registered nearly 700 million views.

On February 2, 2021 just 16 days before her 30th birthday on Valentine's Day, Karol G released "Location" featuring Anuel AA and J Balvin. Its video rang up more than 130 million views during its first month of release, while it reached number five at Latin Songs. Her third album, the Grammy-nominated KG0516 (titled for the date she signed her first record deal) was released in late March. The 16-track set was co-produced with Ovy on the Drums. While it included her Latin Grammy-nominated "Tusa" with Nicki Minaj, as well as most of the singles from the previous year, much of the recording included new music comprised of six solo performances and ten collaborations with artists including Mariah Angeliq ("El Makinon"), Ozuna ("Odisea"), Nathy Peluso ("Gato Malo"), Yandar & Yostin ("Sola Es Mejor"), and Ludacris and Emilee ("Beautiful Boy"). With KG0516, Karol G became the first female Latin artist to deliver a Spanish-language album that simultaneously entered the Global streaming and Top Latin Albums industry charts at number one. The video for "El Makinon" registered 28 million views in three days.

Karol G's success continued in 2022, first with the Becky G collaboration "Mamiii," and then with her own track "Provenza," both of which hit number one on multiple charts. Further collaborations with Maldy ("Gatúbela"), Romeo Santos ("X Si Volvemos"), and Ovy on the Drums ("Cairo") preceded her fourth LP, Mañana Será Bonito, which arrived in February 2023. It went on to win Album of the Year at that year's Latin Grammys, and was followed later in the year by club-friendly mixtape Mañana Será Bonito: Bichota Season. A year after its release, Mañana Será Bonito took home the Grammy for Best Música Urbana Album. ~ Matt Collar

Anuel AA is a Puerto Rican MC whose thoroughly urban music seamlessly melds reggaeton and trap. He is one of the Boricua rappers who spearheaded the Latin trap movement. His uncompromising lyrics heavily detail sex ("Sola"), drugs ("Ayer"), and murder ("Nunca Sapo"). While his songs (and those of other Latin trap stars) are too risqué to be played on the radio, he quickly gained millions of followers through posting videos online and an intensely active social media presence -- mostly while in prison. According to many, Anuel AA is the true king of Latin trap since many other genre stars rose to prominence during his absence. His first three post-incarceration studio albums -- 2020's Emmanuel and 2021's Los Dioses (with Ozuna), and Las Leyendas Nunca Mueren -- all hit number one on the Top Latin Albums chart. 2022's LLMN2 debuted at number two and placed four tracks on the Latin singles charts. His 2023 collaboration with Mambo Kingz and DJ Luian, "Mejor Que Yo," was also a Top 20 Latin hit The single "Tacos Gucci" appeared in 2024.

Born Emmanuel Santiago Gazmey, his father, José Gazmey, was the vice-president of the A&R department of Sony Music Entertainment's Puerto Rican division. After Anuel AA began posting songs online in 2010, they racked up thousands of hits from around the world. With assistance from Ñengo Flow, Ozuna, Arcángel, and others, his gritty, bouncy sound and aggressive lyric attack gained popularity via millions of views for his early singles and remixes, and came to the attention of Rick Ross, who signed him to the Latin division of Maybach Music Group. Anuel AA released a well-received mixtape in February 2016.

He was arrested on charges of gun possession when various firearms and ammunition were discovered in the trunk of a car in which he was a passenger, resulting in the #FreeAnuel hashtag campaign among his international fan base. Nevertheless, his management continued uploading songs from his vault while he was incarcerated. He even managed to record new material behind bars. "Yesterday 2" featured collaborations from J Balvin, Nicky Jam, and Cosculluela. Anuel AA continued recording while inside; however, he often sang through phones during calls. His videos resonated with fans and racked up over 500 million views. Numerous songs featuring his voice appeared with some regularity. Ozuna labeled him a guest on "Bebé," the hit single from his successful 2017 album Odisea -- which spent 32 consecutive weeks comfortably atop Billboard's Top Latin Albums. Released in December 2016, a remix of Anuel AA's own "Sola" had noteworthy guests such as Daddy Yankee and Wisin participating. Other singles sporting Anuel verses included Arcángel's "Rojo," Farruko's "Liberace," and Ñengo Flow's "47." Some earned RIAA Latin certifications. Anuel AA received a platinum certification for the single "Ayer," produced by DJ Nelson.

Anuel AA, who spent no less than 90 days in solitary confinement, surprised the music world by releasing the full-length album Real Hasta La Muerte to streaming and digital platforms in 2018. It debuted at number 51 on the Billboard 200 and claimed the top spot on Top Latin Albums, taking Odisea down a peg. The Ozuna-assisted party anthem "Brindemos" appeared at number 48 on Hot Latin Songs before an actual video was released. After being awarded the Billboard Latin Music Award for New Artist of the Year in 2019, Anuel AA issued a barrage of tracks off his 2020 album Emmanuel, including the Karol G collaborations "Secreto" and "China," the latter of which also included Daddy Yankee. New tracks continued to leak out into 2020, and in May of that year Anuel AA appeared alongside Nicki Minaj on a remix of Black Jonas Point's song "La Bebe." Other collaborators on the full-length included Travis Barker (on a Spanish cover of Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry"), Karol G, Tego Calderon, Bad Bunny, Farruko, Lil Wayne, Zion, and more. The 22-track Emmanuel entered the Top 200 at number eight and was eventually certified six times platinum (Latin).

In January 2021, Anuel AA released Los Dioses, a collaborative album with Ozuna. It became his third set to top Billboard's Latin Albums chart. Later in the year, "Location" (with Karol G) and "Los de Siempre" (with Chris Jedi) appeared. In November, he issued Las Leyendas Nunca Mueren. It debuted at number one on the Hot Latin Albums chart and began its run on the Top 200 at number 29. He followed it with a completely sold-out, eight-month tour.

In March 2022, the reggaetonero was back. He issued the single "Si Tu Me Busca," in collaboration with rapper/girlfriend Yailin la Mas Viral. It peaked at number 12 on Latin Digital Songs and charted in eight countries. May's "¿Qué Nos Pasó?" hit in over a dozen. In June, he and Yailin la Mas Viral surprised fans with a wedding announcement.

July's "La Llevo Al Cielo" (ft. Ñengo Flow) charted in more than 20 countries including the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Anuel AA followed with the video single "Malo," with collaborative help from Randy and Zion. It registered more than 14 million views during its first week. In early July, he canceled his long-planned U.S. tour in order to "recharge his batteries" and finish his fourth album.

LLNM2 appeared in December 2022. Originally purposed as an EP titled Me Fui de Gira, the completed project comprised a whopping 33 tracks and was a sequel to the previous year's Las Leyendas Nunca Mueren. The collaboration-rich set offered more than 15 guests -- David Guetta, DaBaby, and Bryant Myers among them -- entered Top Latin Albums chart at number two. Four of its tracks likewise made appearances on the Hot Latin Songs list including "La Máquina," with Jowell & Randy, De la Ghetto, and Yailin La Mas Viral, as well as "Sufro," with Kodak Black and Nengo Flow. The full-length also placed at 30 in the all-genre Top 200. In 2023, he scored more Top 20 Latin hits joining forces with Mambo Kingz and DJ Luian for both "Más Rica Que Ayer" and "Mejor Que Yo." The team also released "Baby" with Quavo. Anuel made guest appearances on singles by acts including Nio Garcia and Marshmello, and released solo songs such as "Glock, Glock, Glock." In 2024, he appeared on Jennifer Lopez's "Rebound," and released the track "Tacos Gucci." ~ Paul Simpson & Thom Jurek

Award-winning Colombian urbano singer J Balvin is a chart-topping recording artist whose polished urban singles ("Yo Te Lo Dije" and "Mi Gente") and multi-platinum-selling albums -- including 2012's La Familia, 2018's Vibras, and 2019's full-length collaboration with Bad Bunny, Oasis -- have made him a top-tier Latin pop crossover act. Along with his albums, Balvin is also known for his dozens of collaborations, chiefly 2011's "Sin Compromiso" (featuring Jowell & Randy), 2015's "Ay Vamos" (with Nicky Jam and French Montana), and 2017's "Sensualidad" (with Prince Royce, DJ Luian, Mambo Kingz, and Bad Bunny), plus his spot on Rosalía's chart-topping "Con Altura" in 2019. In 2020, he scored another Top Ten hit with his album Colores, and followed with more tracks, including "Location" with Karol G and Anuel AA, and the song "Ma' G." The Grammy-nominated JOSE appeared in 2021. Balvin's success has made him one of the most recognizable members of the second generation of reggaeton artists and a trendsetter for new and high fashion.

Born José Álvaro Osorio Balvin in Medellín, Colombia, he became interested in music at a young age while listening to rap, champeta, bachata, and reggae on the radio. He was also a big fan of music videos; it was from these that he began to develop his dance moves and cultivate his own style. Balvin signed to EMI Colombia in 2009 and released his first single, "Ella Me Cautivó," which charted at 35 on the U.S. tropical chart. This was followed by the release of the full-length Real in 2010. Balvin contributed four tunes to the soundtrack of the Tim Bulot film El Negocio. All of them charted, including "En Lo Oscuro," which hit the top spot in his native country.

Balvin was a featured vocalist on the Colombian version of Robin Thicke's smash single "Blurred Lines," which was issued in October 2013, just prior to his own second album, La Familia. All four singles from the set charted in Colombia's Top Ten, and "Yo Te Lo Dije" hit number two on the rhythm chart and number nine on the Latin pop chart in the U.S. The B Sides collection appeared in September 2014, featuring two more radio chart-topping singles in "6 AM" and "Ay Vamos." The latter won a Latin Grammy for Best Urban Song.

Balvin's 2015 single "Ginza," the official pre-release for his next album, entered the Hot Latin Songs chart at number one, topped several others, and was certified platinum. His collaborations were as notable as his own work that year. He and Julión Álvarez were featured on Juan Gabriel's single "La Frontera." His "Latino Remix" of Justin Bieber's smash "Sorry" scored big for both artists at Latin pop radio and in digital streaming and downloads.

In 2016, Balvin won the Premios Lo Nuestro Artist of the Year Award and was a featured guest on both Sofia Carson's charting debut single, "Love Is the Name," and on Alejandro Sanz's "Cuando Seas Grande" -- from a performance at La Voz -- along with Gloria Trevi and Los Tigres del Norte. In May he released the single "Bobo"; it topped the Latin songs chart. "Safari," featuring Pharrell Williams, BIA, and Sky, appeared in June, followed by the full-length Energia. The album, produced by Sky and featuring contributions from Bull Nene, Daddy Yankee, Fuego, Yandel, and Juanes, hit the top spot on several Latin album charts. The following year, he scored a hit with a remix of his track "Mi Gente" that featured Beyoncé. The song became his first U.S. Top Ten single.

Balvin kicked off 2018 with a handful of collaborative singles: "Machika" with Jeon and Anitta, "X" with Nicky Jam, and Cardi B's "I Like It" with Bad Bunny. After leading the 2018 Billboard Latin Music Awards finalists' list with nominations in 12 categories, Balvin released his fifth long-player, the 14-track Vibras, that May. Working again with producer Alejandro Ramírez (aka Sky Rompiendo el Bajo), who has been his musical partner since La Familia, the set moved reggaeton in new directions and sounds as it played host to a slew of guests including Carla Morrison, Wisin y Yandel, Zion y Lennox, L.A.-based flamenco singer Rosalía, Brazilian pop star Anitta, and Aruban singer Jeon. Vibras debuted at number 15 in the Top 200 -- the highest-charting debut for any Latin album -- and number one at both the Top Latin Albums and Latin Album Sales the week of release. Sales earned Balvin platinum status in the United States and multi-platinum status in Mexico and Colombia. In addition, the recording placed at either number one or two on various global streaming outlets. Riding the success of the album, Balvin threw himself into touring and working with other artists.

During the first half of 2019, he made several more Hot 100 appearances: He collaborated with Benny Blanco, Tainy, and Selena Gomez on "I Can't Get Enough," and with Ozuna, Daddy Yankee, Farruko, and Anuel AA on the smash "Baila Baila Baila." In early May, Balvin and El Guincho appeared on Rosalía's Top Ten hit "Con Altura"; its video racked up 1.5 billion views. Later that month, he was featured on DJ Khaled's "You Stay," alongside Meek Mill, Lil Baby, and Jeremih. In June, the album Oasis by Balvin and fellow urbano prince Bad Bunny was released without advance notice. Saturated in dembow and trap beats and crafted specifically as a soundtrack for summertime, it entered at number one on the Latin Rhythm charts two weeks after release and debuted at number nine on the Top 200. The album's first single, "Que Pretendes," entered the Hot 100 as well. The set peaked at number one on the Top Latin albums chart and at nine on the Top 200. It was chosen by publications ranging from the New York Times to Rolling Stone and Billboard as one of the top Latin titles of the year. Oasis was certified double platinum (Latin) by the RIAA. In all, between collaborations and his own titles as a leader, Balvin appeared on and/or recorded 22 singles in 2019.

In February 2020, Balvin delivered the charting single "Morado," followed in March by the release of his fifth album, Colores, a concept offering wherein each of its ten songs corresponds to a different color with accompanying videos directed by Colin Tilley. The album cover featured psychedelic imagery from Japanese artist Takashi Murakami. Produced by Sky Rompiendo, the set was preceded by the Rojo EP that contained two of the record's tracks in "Blanco" and "Morado." The following year, he cracked the Top Ten of the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart with "Location" featuring Karol G and Anuel AA. After a string of singles -- including collaborations with Skrillex, Khalid, and María Becerra -- Balvin issued his sixth album, the Grammy-nominated JOSE. With a looser approach to concept, the 24-track LP provided breezy reggaeton staples, extensive collaborative work, and some refreshing new styles. Balvin stayed busy in 2022 with a flurry of high-profile singles, including "Niño Soñador," "Sigue," and "Forever My Love," the latter two of which saw him team up with Ed Sheeran. He also contributed the solo track "Toretto" to the soundtrack of 2023's Fast X. More standalone tracks arrived in 2023, including "Dientes" (with Usher and DJ Khaled) and the romantic reggaeton number "Amigos." ~ Thom Jurek