Xavi Earns First No. 1 on Any Billboard Chart with “La Diabla”

Xavi has a devil of a hit on his hands…

The 19-year-old Mexican American singer-songwriter is starting off 2024 in a big way, earning his first No. 1 on a Billboard chart, as his single “La Diabla” tops the Hot Latin Songs chart dated January 6.

XaviThe song rises 4-1 to become the first champ of the year on the multi-metric ranking. 

“Super grateful with everyone and the whole team; we’ve been doing everything with love, giving it our all to keep pushing our music and culture to new heights,” Xavi tells Billboard.

“La Diabla” takes the lead on Hot Latin Songs as the week’s Greatest Gainer in streams and sales.

The song logged 11.1 million official U.S. streams in the tracking week of December 22-28, according to Luminate; that’s a 24% gain from the week prior.

Plus, the sum pushes the track 4-2 on Latin Streaming Songs. Although sales still account for a negligible amount, “La Diabla” jumps 10-4 on Latin Digital Songs Sales with a 43% increase.

With “La Diabla,” Xavi earns his second top 10 on Hot Latin Songs, which blends airplay, digital sales, and streaming activity. The new champ joins “La Víctima” which advances 7-5 with 7.4 million official streams during the same tracking week.

Further, the singer-songwriter also makes progress through two other tracks: “Poco a Poco,” with Dareyes De La Sierra, jumps 26-18 and “Modo DND,” with Tony Aguirre, lifts to its new No. 21 peak.

Thanks to “La Diabla,” released November 30 via Interscope, the record label returns to No. 1 on Hot Latin Songs for its first champ of the year. Karol G and Peso Pluma’s “Qlona” was the label’s last leader, completing a fifth week at No. 1 on the October 14-dated ranking.

On a global scale, “La Diabla” takes Xavi to his highest-charting effort on Billboard Global Excl. U.S., peaking at No. 23. While the track dips 32-33 on Billboard Global 200, “La Víctima” climbs 79-64.

Elsewhere, Xavi stands strong leading the Latin Songwriters chart for a fourth consecutive week, tying with Ivan Cornejo for the fifth-most weeks in charge among regional Mexican soloists.

Both rank behind Peso Pluma’s 20 weeks at No. 1, Eslabon Armado’s Pedro Tovar with a 10-week domination, and DannyLux with six weeks atop.

Becky G Releases New Album “Esquinas”

Becky G is turning a new corner(s)

The 26-year-old Mexican American singer/rapper has released the new album Esquinas via Kemosabe Records/RCA Records.

Becky GBeck G’s new album is a heartfelt exploration of her dual identity as a proud 200 percenter. The title translates to “corners,” symbolizing the meeting point between two cultures.

Celebrating her Mexican and American roots, the Inglewood native weaves a vibrant musical tapestry that spans corridos, rancheras and baladas while showcasing her deep reverence for her heritage.

For instance, “2ndo Chance,” featuring Ivan Cornejo’s haunting vocals, kicks off the album with a dreamy, nostalgic ballad that sets the tone for an introspective journey through her bicultural upbringing. Then there’s the cheeky “Cries in Spanish,” a whimsical duet with fellow Mexican-American DannyLux, that’s set to sad sierreño. The album’s latest single, “Querido Abuelo,” stands as a touching tribute to her late grandfather, a gut-wrenching balada which honors the sacrifices made by our ancestors as children of immigrants. Becky’ Gs vocals are at their most poignant here, manifesting her maturity and emotional depth.

Also starring Yahritza y Su Esencia, Chiquis, Angela and Leonardo Aguilar, Peso Pluma, and Gabito Ballesteros, her third studio album is a testament to her growth as a “genreless” artist, she claims, and her commitment to representing her bloodline proudly.

Stephen Sanchez Named to Billboard’s 21 Under 21 List

Stephen Sanchez is officially making his mark in the music world…

The 20-year-old Latino American singer has been named to Billboard’s 21 Under 21 list for 2023. The annual list features the next generation of superstars.

Stephen SanchezSanchez, who has logged 460.2 million streams, evoked classic romance with his waltzing, 1950s-indebted hit, “Until I Found You,” which soundtracked hundreds of thousands of TikToks featuring wedding and couple celebrations.

The 2021 single crossed over from viral success to radio hit last year, reaching No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.

And while the Mercury/Republic Records crooner has released several versions of “Until I Found You,” he has also shared some new, retro-leaning tunes ahead of his fall tour.

“There has been a really healthy growth and certainly lots of adjustment,” says Sanchez, “but I’ve been having a hell of a good time along the way.”

But Sanchez isn’t the only Latino artist to make the list.

Angela Aguilar, born to Regional Mexican music royalty, has become a star in her own right.

The 19-year-old Mexican American singer, who has logged 322.8 million streams, scored her third top 10 entry on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart in March with her collaboration with Yuridia, “Qué Agonía.

After spending the past few years on the road with her family for their top-grossing Jaripeo Sin Fronteras show, Aguilar will embark on a solo tour titled Piensa En Mí this summer.

DannyLux has also made the cut…

In April, the 19-year-old Latino American artist made his Coachella debut, performing his signature sad sierreño anthems in front of a significant crowd. It was a full-circle moment for the singer-songwriter, who grew up in the Coachella Valley area. He says he’s most proud of bringing his family along with him, “and for them to experience all of this as well,” but his impact extends well beyond his circle: DannyLux is helping usher in a new global era for Mexican music, which led to a record deal last year with Warner Music Latina in partnership with his independent label, VPS Music.

Ivan Cornejo secured his first Billboard chart entry with his 2021 debut album, Alma Vacía, at the age of 17, landing at No. 2 on Regional Mexican Albums. That same year, the project’s “Está Dañada” became the second regional Mexican song to ever enter the Billboard Hot 100. The singer-songwriter has since maintained momentum, with his sierreño tunes — mostly backed by melancholic requintos and emotional vocals — helping Cornejo score his first No. 1 on Regional Mexican Albums with his second set, Dañado.

The Linda Lindas, featuring the half-Latina sisters Lucia de la Garza and Mila de la Garza and Latina guitarist/singer Bela Salazar, rose to acclaim in 2021 with a live performance of the band’s song “Racist, Sexist Boy,” performed live at the Los Angeles Public Library. The four-piece punk group settled in last year with its debut album, Growing Up, released on Epitaph. The act subsequently toured the project at festivals, as well as on North American and international treks, during which Lucia de la Garza says she “really got the idea of how widespread the reach of the internet and streaming platforms are.”

Since debuting with his Into the Unknown EP in 2020, Riovaz has released music at a steady pace, with uptempo dance hits like “Prom Night” and “I Feel Fantastic” being among fan favorites. Most recently, the New Jersey native boosted his catalog with his February EP, Disturb the Norm — his first project to arrive since signing to Darkroom Records, in partnership with Geffen, last summer.

To come up with the list, Billboard editors and reporters weighed a variety of factors in determining the 2023 21 Under 21 list, including, but not limited to, impact on consumer behavior, measured by metrics such as album and track sales, streaming volume (listed here as each artist’s on-demand official U.S. career streams, according to Luminate), social media impressions and radio/TV audiences reached; career trajectory; and overall impact in the industry, specifically during the past 12 months. Unless otherwise noted, Luminate is the source for sales/streaming data.

Here’s the complete look at the Latino/a artists named to this year’s 21 Under 21 list:

Ángela Aguilar
Age:
 19
Label: Machín Récords
Publisher: SESAC
Management: Pepe Aguilar
Total Streams: 322.8 million
Born to regional Mexican music royalty — her father is Pepe Aguilar and her grandfather is Antonio Aguilar — the artist has become a star in her own right. In March, her collaboration with Yuridia, “Qué Agonía,” scored the ranchera singer-songwriter her third top 10 entry on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart. After spending the past few years on the road with her family for their top-grossing Jaripeo Sin Fronteras show, the 19-year-old will embark on a solo tour titled Piensa En Mí this summer. Inspired by Pepe’s career, she says, “It’s nice to have someone that you admire at home, someone who can direct me in the right direction because everything that I’m going through, he has already gone through.” 

DannyLux
Age: 19
Label: VPS Music via Warner Latina
Publisher: Warner Chappell Music
Management: Jose Luis Aguilar
Total Streams: 217 million
In April, DannyLux made his Coachella debut, performing his signature sad sierreño anthems in front of a significant crowd. It was a full-circle moment for the singer-songwriter, who grew up in the Coachella Valley area. He says he’s most proud of bringing his family along with him, “and for them to experience all of this as well,” but his impact extends well beyond his circle: DannyLux is helping usher in a new global era for Mexican music, which led to a record deal last year with Warner Music Latina in partnership with his independent label, VPS Music. “I feel like there is a lot of pressure,” he says. “You have to stay consistent because it’s so easy to just fall off.” 

Ivan Cornejo
Age: 18
Label: n/a
Publisher: n/a
Management: Pamela Cornejo
Total Streams: 1.1 billion
Ivan Cornejo was 17 years old when he secured his first Billboard chart entry with his 2021 debut album, Alma Vacía, landing at No. 2 on Regional Mexican Albums. That same year, the project’s “Está Dañada” became the second regional Mexican song to ever enter the Billboard Hot 100. The singer-songwriter has since maintained momentum, with his sierreño tunes — mostly backed by melancholic requintos and emotional vocals — helping Cornejo score his first No. 1 on Regional Mexican Albums with his second set, Dañado. (A deluxe edition arrived last December.) “The most exciting part about being a young artist is the influence my music can have on other upcoming artists,” he says, which can best be reflected in his feature on the Yahritza Y Su Esencia “Inseparables” that dropped last fall. 

The Linda Lindas
Age Bela Salazar, 18; Lucia de la Garza, 16; Eloise Wong, 15; Mila de la Garza, 12
Label Epitaph Records
Publisher Warner Chappell Music
Management Fly South Music Group
Total Streams 12.8 million
Riding an initial viral wave in 2021 spurred by a live performance of its song “Racist, Sexist Boy” at the Los Angeles Public Library, the four-piece punk group settled in last year with its debut album, Growing Up, released on Epitaph. The act subsequently toured the project at festivals, as well as on North American and international treks, during which Lucia de la Garza says she “really got the idea of how widespread the reach of the internet and streaming platforms are.” In April, the band returned with single “Too Many Things” and a Coachella performance, which it will follow by opening for Paramore and playing at Lollapalooza Chicago in August. 

Riovaz
Age 19
Label Darkroom Records/Geffen
Publisher n/a
Management Jacob Byrnes, Argenis Hernandez
Total Streams 215.6 million
Since debuting with his Into the Unknown EP in 2020, Riovaz has released music at a steady pace, with uptempo dance hits like “Prom Night” and “I Feel Fantastic” being among fan favorites. Most recently, the New Jersey native boosted his catalog with his February EP, Disturb the Norm — his first project to arrive since signing to Darkroom Records, in partnership with Geffen, last summer. “A lot of people are focusing only on streams and followers, which to me doesn’t make me fall in love and remember an artist,” says Riovaz. “Success, to me, is to be remembered for your contributions to the music industry and the scene you’ve built around yourself as an artist … Community has always been a big part of my career in the early days, so taking that from the internet into real life is still such a crazy thing to me.”

Stephen Sanchez
Age: 20
Label: Mercury Records/Republic Records
Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group
Management: LoyalT Management
Total Streams: 460.2 million
Plenty of aspiring artists write love songs in their bedrooms intended for their crushes. But few have evoked classic romance quite like Sanchez did with his waltzing, 1950s-indebted hit, “Until I Found You,” which soundtracked hundreds of thousands of TikToks featuring wedding and couple celebrations. The 2021 single crossed over from viral success to radio hit last year, reaching No. 23 on the Hot 100 and topping the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. And while the Mercury/Republic Records crooner has released several versions of “Until I Found You,” he has also shared some new, retro-leaning tunes ahead of his fall tour. “There has been a really healthy growth and certainly lots of adjustment,” says Sanchez, “but I’ve been having a hell of a good time along the way.”

Peso Pluma & Eslabon Armado’s “Ella Baila Sola” Becomes First-Ever No. 1 Regional Mexican Song on Billboard’s Streaming Songs Chart

Life is but a stream for Peso Pluma

The 23-year-old Mexican singer, wrapper and songwriter’s Eslabon Armado-collaboration “Ella Baila Sola” rises to No. 1 on Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart dated May 13.

Eslabon Armado x Peso PlumaIt’s the first regional Mexican song to top Streaming Songs in the tally’s 10-year history.

In the April 28-May 4 tracking week, “Ella Baila Sola” earned 34.6 million official U.S. streams, a 2% increase, according to Luminate.

The song is the first No. 1 on Streaming Songs for both acts.

For Peso Pluma, it’s his first in his premiere appearance on the ranking, while Eslabon Armado had charted once before with the No. 43-peaking “Jugaste y Sufri,” featuring DannyLux, in October 2021.

“Ella Baila Sola” marks the first Streaming Songs ruler either predominantly or completely in Spanish since Bad Bunny and Chencho Corleone’sMe Porto Bonito” crowned the survey for two weeks – July 30, 2022, and August 6, 2022.

Peso Pluma boasts two tunes in Streaming Songs’ top 10, with “Ella Baila Sola” joined by his Yng Lvcas collaboration “La Bebe” at No. 5 (21.6 million streams).

Concurrently, “Ella Baila Sola” reigns on Hot Latin Songs for a fifth week and remains at No. 4 on the all-format Billboard Hot 100.

The song’s parent album, Eslabon Armado’s Desvelado, also debuts at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 with 44,000 equivalent album units earned.

DannyLux Named to New Class of Fender Next

DannyLux’s got (Fender) next

The 19-year-old Latino musician has been announced as a member of the new class of Fender Next, an artist development program designed to elevate rising musicians that are pushing guitar forward in music.

DannyLux,Born Daniel Balderrama, DannyLux was born and raised in Palm Springs, California. His love of music began at 6 years of age when his father brought home a guitar that had seen better days.

Daniel’s goal: to write powerful music that will calm you and make you feel better. To inspire people and help them in their time of need, is worth more to him than any amount of money.

But DannyLux isn’t the only Latin act making the grade.

Yahritza Y Su Esencia have been announced as part of the new class of Fender Next.

“When I play my guitar, I am able to dream out loud,” Yahritza says about being part of this program. “I drift into a space that is just me, my guitar and my thoughts and it is a big part of how I roll these ideas out, when writing music.”

Mexico’s Bratty is also part of the new class. He’s a bedroom pop / garage / surf rock project of guitarist and singer-songwriter

This year marks its fifth installment, with previous artist alumni being Sam FenderPhoebe Bridgers, Wet Leg and others.

The 25 artists have been chosen from across North America, Australia, Europe, Asia and Latin America.

This year’s honorees include:

Dayglow (US)
Cafune (US)
Jean Dawson (US)
Bartees Strange  (US)
Adi Oasis (US)
Momma  (US)
Wallice  (US)
Yahritza y Su Esencia  (US)
DannyLux  (US)
Devon Gilfillian  (US)
49 Winchester  (US)
Cecilia Castleman  (US)
Luna Li (CA)
Bratty (MX)
Samm Henshaw (UK)
The Mysterines (UK)
Ruti (UK)
Deyaz (UK)
Tommy Lefroy (UK)
Grentperez (AU)
Ruel (AU)
BREIMEN (JP)
Chili Beans. (JP)
Sunset Rollercoaster (TW)
Wen Zhaojie (CN)

 

Artists involved in Fender Next receive a welcome pack which includes a guitar from the Player Series, loaded with a commemorative gold pick guard, a Custom Fender Road Case and guitar strap, a Mustang Micro, a pedal from Fender’s Hammertone TM series (which will be selected to match to each artists unique sound), as well as PreSonus HD9: Professional Monitoring Headphones.

Those involved will be boosted through Fender’s marketing and social content on TikTok and Instagram, as well as being included on official Fender playlists on music streaming services.

To check out more from this year’s artists, check out the Fender Next playlist on Spotify.

Bad Bunny to Become Coachella’s First-Ever Latin Headlining Act

Bad Bunny is set to make history yet again

The 2023 Coachella Music and Arts Festival lineup has been announced, with the 28-year-old Puerto Rican superstar revealed as one of the headlining acts.

Bad BunnyIn doing so, Bad Bunny – the ultra-hot reggaeton superstar who had the highest-grossing tour of 2022 in North America and internationally – becomes the first Latin act to ever headline the festival.

Coachella is set to take place in Indio, Calif., on two consecutive weekends, from April 14-16 and then again from April 21-23.

Bad Bunny will play Friday on April 14 and 21.

But Bad Bunny isn’t the only Latinx act set to perform…

Becky G will return to Coachella to perform her own set after being Karol G’s special guest last year, where they sang their anthem “MAMIII” in front of a roaring crowd.

Spanish star Rosalía will take the stage on Saturday, April 15 and Saturday, April 22.

Others set to perform include the iconic Argentine rock band Los Fabulosos Cadillacs are confirmed, as well as emerging artists DannyLux and Conexión Divina as the face of a new generation of Mexican music. Kali Uchis and Eladio Carrión are also set to perform.

This year’s lineup doesn’t compare to the number of Latin artists featured last year, which was more than 20 representing a wide-ranging and robust slate of Spanish-language artists. Then, Coachella had doubled the Latin acts on its 2022 roster from 2020, the most ever featured at an edition of the event.

https://twitter.com/coachella/status/1612903085625741312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1612903085625741312%7Ctwgr%5Ec23633d59494e24f062df5b418dc2c0d23f54c67%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fdeadline.com%2F2023%2F01%2Fcoachella-2023-lineup-bad-bunny-1235216380%2F

Here’s when the Spanish-language acts are playing at this year’s festival:

Friday, April 14 & 21
Bad Bunny
Becky G
DannyLux
¿Téo? 

Saturday April 15 & 22
Rosalía
Eladio Carrión
Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
The Linda Lindas 

Sunday April 16 & 23
Kali Uchis
Los Bitchos
Conexión Divina

Christina Aguilera to Host Intimate ‘Premiere Party’ at Billboard Latin Music Week

Christina Aguilera is throwing a premiere party

The 41-year-old half-Ecuadorian American singer will take part in this year’s Billboard Latin Music Week, taking place September 26-October 1 at the Faena Forum in Miami.

Christina AguileraDuring the conference, Xtina will be hosting the “Premiere Party with Christina Aguilera,” where she’ll be debut never-before-heard music and answer fan questions in an intimate setting.

But Aguilera isn’t the only new addition to the lineup…

Justin Quiles will take part in an engaging panel about connecting people with music through technology, while Wisin y Yandel will join Nicky Jam for a compelling conversation during The Nicky Jam Rockstar Show Live from Billboard Latin Music Week.

The artists join a star-studded lineup that already includes: Bizarrap, Blessd, Camilo, Chayanne, Cris Chil, Dannylux, Dimelo Flow, Eladio Carrion, Elena Rose, Foreign Teck, Grupo Firme, The Children of Jenni Rivera, Kuinvi, Kunno, Lili Zetina, Luis R Conriquez, Eslabón Armado, Ivy Queen, Maluma, Mariah Angeliq, Ovy On The Drums, Subelo Neo, Tini, Tokischa, Ugly Primo and The King of Bachata Romeo Santos.

More participants will be announced in the weeks leading up to the 2022 Latin Music Week.

Registration is now open here.

Yahritza y Su Esencia Among the Latinx Acts Named to Billboard’s 21 Under 21 List

Yahritza Martinez has proven she is one to watch…

The 15-year-old Mexican American singer and her brothers, who make up the act Yahritza y Su Esencia, have been named to Billboard’s 21 Under 21 list, Billboard’s annual celebration of some of the most exciting and successful young artists in the music industry including Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish and more.

Last month, Yahritza became the youngest Latin performer to enter the Billboard Hot 100 chart with “Soy El Unico.”

To date, Yahritza and her brothers have notched 52.9 million streams.

But Yahritza y Su Esencia aren’t the only Latinx act to make this year’s list.

Eslabon Armado, consisting of Brian Tovar, Pedro Tovar, Ulises Gonzalez and Damian Fidel Pacheco, have released four consecutive chart-topping albums over the past two years — all of which hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Albums chart.

The band took a longer-than-usual break before releasing its latest album, Nostalgia, on May 5. During that time, the group added new members Gonzalez and Pacheco.

“Releasing back-to-back albums was good for our career, but we decided to take a break writing new music so that we could come back stronger,” the Mexican-American sierreño group says. “Our biggest challenge as young artists is staying relevant and creating music that connects with our fans.”

Ángela Aguilar is being heralded for logging 240.1 million streams in her young career.

The 18-year-old Mexican American singer, the daughter of Pepe Aguilar, says she “had been working with my parents’ record label all my life,” having signed to Machín Récords herself in 2012.

Nearly a decade later, in 2020, she scored her first No. 1 on Billboard’Regional Mexican Airplay chart with the Christian Nodal-assisted single “Dime Cómo Quieres.”

Aguilar says the biggest benefit of being a young artist is “the ability to DM someone about a collaboration.”

Earlier this year, she scored her second No. 1 on the chart with “Ahí Donde Me Ven.”

The Latin Grammy nominee is eager to explore acting, like her father has, and says some of his best career advice includes being “respectful of your craft and the public — to keep your roots well-embedded in your heart.”

Tiago PZK has notched 7.1 million streams.

The 20-year-old Argentine singer and rapper was only 6 years old when he discovered his passion for music, thanks to Daddy Yankee’s 2007 song “Impacto (Remix)” (featuring Fergie).

Tiago PZK (who also cites Justin Bieber as inspiration) has since created his own fusion of R&B, reggaetón and alternative rock, best heard on his five Billboard Global 200 hits: “Además de Mi,” “No Me Conocen,” “Entre Nosotros,” “Salimo de Noche” and “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 48.

In 2021, the artist born Tiago Uriel Pacheco signed a worldwide publishing agreement with Sony Music Publishing U.S. Latin and, this year, a record deal with Warner Music Latina (through a partnership with indie Grand Move Records). Looking ahead, he says he’s most excited to tour: “It will make me travel the world and strengthen me mentally.”

DannyLux has garnered 4.8 million streams.

The 18-year-old Chicano alt-rocker is a self-taught musician who hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Songwriters chart at just 17 years old thanks to his work on Eslabon Armado’s “Jugaste y Sufrí” (off the band’s third album, Corta Venas).

The sierreño artist has since signed a record deal with Warner Music Latina (in partnership with his indie label, VSP Music) and released his ultra-melancholic album, Perdido Sin Ti. He’s already working on new music because, as he says, consistency is key. “Since I’m young, I have so much time to grow up to be the best artist I can be,” he says, citing Bad Bunny’s career as an inspiration because “he never gave up.”

The Linda Lindas, comprised of Mila de la Garza, Eloise Wong, Lucia de la Garza and Bela Salazar, have logged 6.9 million streams.

The all-girl group broke out onto the scene with their viral hit “Racist, Sexist Boy,” which they performed live from the L.A. Public Library.

Eslabon Armado Releases New Album “Nostalgia”

Eslabon Armado is waxin’ nostalgic…

The California-based Regional Mexican brother duo has released its new album Nostalgia, the band’s fifth studio album in only two years.

Eslabon ArmadoAcross the album’s 14 tracks about love, hardships and heartache, Eslabon Armado stays true to its sierreño essence while not shying away from incorporating other instrumental elements like the piano and ukelele.

Luces Rojas” in particular stands out for how the members play with reggaeton undertones and lyricism.

Collaborations on the set include Junior H, Fuerza Regida, DannyLux, Ivan Cornejo and newcomers Sarah Silva and Erre.

Eslabon Armado is nominated for two 2022 Billboard Music Awards.

 

DannyLux Among Shazam’s Five “Artists to Watch” in 2022

It could be a banner year for DannyLux

At the beginning of each year, Shazam uses its data to predict five artists to watch, and this year the song-identifying app used a combination of its “uniquely predictive data and algorithms,” as well as some selections from its parent company Apple Music’s global editorial team, to pick five “artists to watch” in 2022, including the Mexican-American singer.

DannyLuxDannyLux, whose real name is Daniel Balderrama, is well-known by fans of trio-turned-duo Eslabon Armado. The rising singer is featured on “Jugaste y Sufrí,” which holds the honor of being this year’s most Shazamed Regional Mexican track.

Although it was released at the end of 2020, TikTok embraced the song, helping to rocket songwriter DannyLux to new levels of acclaim.

He’s part of a wave of young artists reinventing corridos for a new generation and only stands to reach more listeners in the coming year.

 

Here are the five selections, and Shazam’s accompanying explanations:

Ayra Starr
Ayra Starr’s rise this year was largely mounted on her breakout track “Bloody Samaritan,” which had its first Shazam in Lagos. It was released as the lead single of the Nigerian singer-songwriter’s debut album 19 & Dangerous, but took on a life of its own as listeners were drawn in by an alluring violin melody that drops into contagious Afropop magic. An undeniable jam, “Bloody Samaritan” was the most Shazamed song by a local female artist in Nigeria this year—an impressive accomplishment considering it came out only in July.

DannyLux
Fans of trio-turned-duo Eslabon Armado probably need no introduction to DannyLux. The rising Mexican American singer is featured on “Jugaste y Sufrí,” which holds the honor of being this year’s most Shazamed regional mexicano track. Though it was released at the end of 2020, TikTok embraced it, helping to rocket songwriter DannyLux to new levels of acclaim. He’s part of a wave of young artists reinventing corridos for a new generation and only stands to reach more listeners in the coming year.

Lyn Lapid
Singer-songwriter Lyn Lapid is no stranger to viral success—her song “Producer Man” helped jump-start her career in 2020. With “In My Mind,” a mellow but soulful anthem for the quiet kids, she struck gold again. It became her most Shazamed song, charting in six countries, including Brazil, Indonesia, and the US. Though this one strikes a slightly different chord from her breakout, it only further highlights the many tools Lapid has in her arsenal, ready to be deployed as she takes on the new year.

Sad Night Dynamite
Mixing up a hypnotic blend of electronica, hip-hop, and Britpop, duo Sad Night Dynamite has a style that’s hard to define but captures the ear no less. Their eponymous debut mixtape, from February, ping-ponged between genres, but it was their latest single “Demon” that seemed to especially resonate. “Demon,” which features South African musician Moonchild Sanelly, is industrial and ominous, earning a spot on the FIFA 22 soundtrack. It also brought the pair their biggest Shazam success, with their all-time daily Shazams peaking soon after its release.

STAYC
In April, K-pop girl group STAYC released an effervescent ball of bubblegum pop titled “ASAP.” And every day since then, the single has remained on the South Korean Shazam chart. Pulled from the group’s second single album STAYDOM, “ASAP” has powered their rise as they continue to hone their Technicolor melodies and natural pop proficiency.

Check out a playlist with even more predictions here.