1. From Puerto Rico to Colombia
Colombia might not be the obvious place to go when you need to kick a drug habit. But Nicky Jam, one of the biggest names in Reggaeton, landed in Medellin when his luck was down. Colombians have always been great music lovers and consumers, whether aficionados of the best salsa coming out of New York or Reggaeton from Puerto Rico. In 2008, needing any gig he could get, a flailing Nicky Jam went to Medellin knowing that his songs still resonated there. He was overwhelmed by Colombian's hospitality. “They’ll stop doing whatever they’re doing to make you happy,” he says. “Sí, señor. No, señor. There’s no excuses.” The humility of his adopted city in turn humbled him. He shed both ego and weight, dropping more than 100 pounds and began to get his career back on track. If Colombia gave Jam the attentive following, the Puerto Rican gave Colombia's Reggaeton artists legitimacy. In Nicky Jam’s resurgence, he brought Colombian Reggaeton talent back up with him, with the help of Colombian manager extraordinaire Juan Medina (Nicky Jam, Manuel Turizo, Valentino) an organized indigenous record industry industry plus, so they say, local radio stations who decided to invest in local Medellin talent, such as a certain J Balvin.
2. A distinct Colombian Sound
The style of Colombian reggaeton is also central to its worldwide appeal. Colombian music has always had a lot of romance, melody and poetry about it and Colombian Reggaeton has embraced this, moving it away from its gangster origins. Colombian Reggaeton is more romantic and catchier, only an artist like Manuel Turizo’s could dedicate a Reggaeton song to “una lady como tu” which has over a billion views online. Furthermore, artists such as J Balvin have included a range of sounds, from acoustic guitar to electronic dance music in his latest reggaeton albums, instead of the hard-hitting Puerto Rican format. This softening of the perreo has led to a more dancehall, salsa and pop infused style which has attracted collaborations, and subsequently appealed to a wider audience, as discussed above. This accessibility in terms of style and sound means that artists such as Maluma are now frequently heard on British radio stations. Indeed, J Balvin notes that at his concerts in Europe, even if people don't understand what he is saying in a particular song, they can still feel and enjoy the good vibes. He added that the new Colombian style is made for the whole family to listen to and enjoy together and has cut out the vulgarities that were often found in your old style reggaeton.
3. Strong radio stations and labels
Colombia boasts a booming reggaeton industry and produces more than just artists themselves. Songwriters and producers, such as Infinity Music and Saga White Black, based in the reggaeton capital of Medellin, are industry leaders. Furthermore, Colombian radio stations such as Rumba Estereo and Tropicana are renowned in the genre and often operate as the first stop in the promotion and sharing of their homegrown music to listeners around the world. Codiscos, the label which helped revive Nicky Jam’s career in Colombia, offer an example of how a well-run publicity campaign combined with the people of Medellin’s passion for the genre can help promote reggaeton worldwide.
All these factors have played a part in the success of Colombian reggaeton, which is breaking records and entering mainstream music around the world. The carefully designed lyrics and sounds matched with upbeat Colombian personas have proven to be a complete success. Only time will tell if it will continue to grow, but in the words of J Balvin it’s sure that Colombian reggaeton is “Desde Colombia y para el mundo”.
4. Social Media
Reggaeton artists now reach large audiences on social media via platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. The Colombianos have amassed millions of followers, whom they keep updated via this medium, where they frequently post their latest hits, more often than not on Instagram. Between the three of them, Karol G, Maluma and J Balvin have garnered a total following of 100 million followers. Through social media, fans get a glimpse into their personal lives, new music and a chance to buy tickets to concerts all over the world. Thanks to this new medium there is a constant and ever-increasing global presence of Colombian music and culture, that would not have been possible 10 years ago.
5. Spotify and YouTube
Two of the most listened to playlists on Spotify are Bailia Reggaeton and Viva Latino, which each have a following of over 10 million subscribers. This year, Spotify announced that on average, 33% of tracks in these playlists are composed of Colombians. Furthermore, they have recorded that the amount of people listening to reggaeton has soared by 112% since 2017. In comparison, Pop saw an increase of just 14%. Like social media, Spotify now allows worldwide access to music which further heightens the artists’ global presence. Indeed, 90% of listeners of Colombian music now come from Mexico, the US and Spain. Colombian reggaeton artists also have a significant presence on YouTube, with three Colombians appearing in the top twenty most viewed videos of all time, (Balvin, Maluma & Shakira). This growing popularity has fuelled tours and concerts all over the world, not just in Latin America. Furthermore, Balvin once again demonstrated his adaptability by performing his reggaeton beats, with an electronic remix, at Tomorrowland 2019, one of the world's biggest EDM (Electronic Dance Music) festivals in Belgium.
6. Awards
In the 2018 Latin Grammys, Colombian J Balvin won the best urban music album and Karol G won best new artist. In 2019, Shakira won best female album at the Latin Billboard awards, while Maluma also won two awards at Los Premios Joventud. Colombians also dominate the Los40 awards for Best Latin Artist, which from 2007 to 2018, apart from a three-year hiccup, featured a Colombian winner, such as Shakira, Juanes, J Balvin, Maluma and Morat. This public recognition put Colombian music on the map. No longer only known by South Americans, they have become international names as a result of the awards they have won.
7. Fashion Icons
Maluma recently partnered with Dolce and Gabbana, and J Balvin has worked on projects with Guess and Tag Heuer. Both artists wear designer clothes and effectively advertise them on their social channels. There is much to suggest that fashion plays a part in the success of these artists. As high-end fashion houses invest large amounts into projects, headed by these artists, they also promote their music. From adverts to catwalks, reggaeton is now also the music of the rich, no longer the preserve of San Juan, Puerto Rico, where it originated. The world of fashion has been introduced to Colombian reggaeton and has embraced it, with it being the music of choice at the recent New York fashion week. This is just one example of how Colombian reggaeton has filtered into various areas of life and into a range of very different social settings, reaching different listeners regardless of their class or physical environment.
8. Women
Shakira’s delve into reggaeton infused beats and Karol G, reggaeton’s “Best New Artist” have also paved the way for future reggaetoneros. Gone are the days where the genre was dominated by male artists and likewise, reggaeton now caters for a new audience and generation which sees both boys and girls singing along to the le latest tunes. This inclusion of female singers and listeners hasn’t happened quietly, as evidenced by Shakira performing at the 2010 World Cup, the most watched event on the planet. Furthermore, Karol G also now writes her songs about men and has lyrics exploring the female experience instead of simply a male point of view, typical of old style reggaeton. Not only has this shift been popular, but it has led to many well-established artists, such as Bad Bunny and Daddy Yankee, asking to work with her and producing collaborations which have entered the top 10. This male-female combination was almost unheard of a decade ago and indicates how women in reggaeton are much more than backing singers and dancers nowadays.
9. Collaborations
One of the biggest factors in the global rise in reggaeton is the regular collaborations between Spanish and English-speaking artists. This has created a new genre of hybrid reggaeton and a new audience. From J Balvin headlining Coachella with Beyoncé, to Maluma collaborating with Madonna, reggaeton has grasped the world and the chances are when it comes on the radio most people will be able to sing along. What’s more, this new generation of artists’ ability to sing in both English and Spanish is opening the genre to a whole new global market. For the first time, it is the popular American artists who are looking to work with the Colombian reggaetoneros, not the other way around. In his recent interview, Balvin proudly claimed that it took forty-four years to get someone to invite a Latin artist, such as himself, to perform on the hit American television show Saturday Night Live.
Manuel Turizo performs a unique intimate set in London at the LUKAS Gala Ceremony on Wed 6 Nov at The Bloomsbury Ballroom. Tickets from £30 to £280 (includes red carpet entrnce, 3 course meal and best view of ceremony and performance) here
