As Hispanic Heritage Month kicks off, we’re exploring the evolution of the contemporary Latin music world. Born of a centuries-deep conversation between African rhythms, indigenous traditions and European melodies, Latin music in 2026 oscillates between its roots and reinvention; enjoying enormous popularity on the world’s stage while also being in a state of creative and socio-political flux. Today, “Latin” is less of a genre category and more of a global frequency: richness lies in its multiplicity, with many countries shaping Latin genres and sub-genres.
The massive surge in popularity of Latin music today is in large part thanks to the stratospheric ascent of Bad Bunny. From his 2025 residency in Puerto Rico to his chart-topping album ‘DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS’ — which won Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards — the chart-topping vocalist has brought millions of new listeners to the Hispanic genres explored in his sound; from reggaetón, dembow and corridos to classic styles like salsa, plena, bomba, bachata and merengue. Across Latin America, a new generation is following a similar creative direction: looking to the rhythms, genres and artists that shaped their cultures, and making those sounds their own.
For this edition of Sounds of Latin Culture, we’re diving into the worlds of Latin alternative and urbano. Many of the young innovators in these spaces come from Mexico and Puerto Rico; with Peso Pluma, Macario Martínez, RØZ and Clave Especial from the former, and Chuwi, Hades66, Omar Courtz, and Eladio Carrión from the latter, among others. There are also breaking artists from Colombia (Kapo, Beéle), Argentina (Milo J, CA7RIEL), Cuba (Bebeshito, Rey Tony), Ecuador (Jombriel), Chile (Young Cister), Dominican Republic (Letón Pe), Venezuela (Joaquina) and Spain (Judeline, rusowsky).
All together, they represent the next generation of Latin Alternative and Urbano artists — so dive into this fresh collection of new tracks and know them now before they take over, Bad Bunny style.
LISTEN TO THE SOUNDS OF LATIN CULTURE PLAYLIST ON SOUNDCLOUD
RØZ, Peso Pluma, “Apaga la luz”
RØZ blend their interests in ‘80s-inspired synth jams with reggaetón, trap and regional Mexican music. After uploading their music to SoundCloud in 2022, their style of electronic urbano caught the ear of Peso Pluma. In this 2025 collaboration, Peso Pluma bypasses his tough corridos sound, giving a softer vocal performance over electronic beats.
Omar Courtz, Eladio Carrión, “MOONLIGHT”
Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Omar Courtz represents urbano with his mix of homegrown reggaetón, salsa, and American R&B influences. On this track with Eladio Carrión, they push that Latin vocabulary toward a melodic R&B sound, presenting a fluid form of urbano.
Neton Vega, “Qué Motor”
California-born, Sinaloa-raised Netón Vega grew up between his family’s música mexicana and the hip-hop he discovered as a teen. After writing corridos for Peso Pluma, Tito Double P and others, he launched himself as a solo artist. On this 2025 track, he brings his Mexican identity into reggaetón and urbano production.
LATIN MAFIA, “Yo siempre contesto”
Mexican brother trio LATIN MAFIA released their debut album, ‘TODOS LOS DÍAS TODO EL DÍA,’ in 2024. Since then, they’ve become a leading act in Mexico’s new alternative scene, with a fusion of R&B, reggaetón, Latin trap, pop and electronic they credit to influences like Rauw Alejandro and Rosalía.
Clave Especial, “TU TU TU”
This Californian música mexicana group grew up surrounded by their migrant farmwork community’s love for corridos, norteño and banda. Duly, their approach brings Mexican and American styles together. This 2025 track — written around a romantic, melodic hook — helped drive their popularity in Mexico.
Kapo, “OHNANA”
Colombian singer-songwriter Kapo’s Afro-Latin sound was shaped by years in Panama singing for dancehall artist Mr. Saik, and traveling Jamaica to connect with Caribbean sounds. This track, his global breakthrough, taps into a new Colombia fascination for connecting Afrobeats, dancehall, champeta and Latin urbano.
El Malilla, Blessd, Hades66, “Mami Tú (Remix)”
El Malilla discovered reggaetón through neighborhood parties and 2000s acts like Daddy Yankee and Tego Calderón. Now, he’s a leading figure in the reggaetón Mexa movement in Mexico City, incorporating Mexican barrio slang, experiences and identity into the Puerto Rican-rooted genre. On this remix, he recruits Colombia’s Blessd and Puerto Rico’s Hades66.
Bebeshito, “Sin Pena”
Rather than wholesale importing reggaetón, reparto developed in Cuba during the mid-2000s by combining urbano and reggaetón with timba, rumba, guaguancó and Cuban clave, alongside the slang and stories of barrio life. This April 2026 track by Bebeshito captures the street culture spirit of reparto.
Beéle, W Sound, Ovy, “La Plena”
Colombian vocalist Beéle brings his Caribbean roots into a contemporary blend of Afrobeats, urbano and pop. This 2025 track, part of a collaborative series with producer Ovy On The Drums, swept the Argentine charts, establishing Beéle an exciting new name in Latin American music.
Milo J, Trueno, “Gil”
Milo J and Trueno come from Argentina’s Latin trap and hip-hop scenes. Together, they merge Milo J’s fascination with bringing bandoneón, bombo, murga and Argentine folklore with contemporary production styles that speak to rap fans. On this track, they feature Uruguayan collective Agarrate Catalina.
CA7RIEL, Paco Amoroso, “Ay Ay Ay”
Buenos Aires-raised CA7RIEL and Paco Amoroso used to be in a funky progressive rock band; now, they’re core artists in Argentina’s trap scene. Their varied musical tastes come together in their March 2026 album ‘FREE SPIRITS,’ which blends funk, soul, jazz, hip-hop, calypso — and a feature from Anderson .Paak.
Young Cister, “QLOO*”
Young Cister is building Chile’s urbano scene from the ground up. After moving from cumbia to hip-hop, he developed a melodic sound that incorporates trap, reggaetón, R&B and pop. On this 2025 track, he uses the Jamaican Coolie Dance Riddim to reach new listeners.
Chuwi, “Tikiri”
The Puerto Rican sibling band modernizes bomba, plena and salsa with jazz, synths and urbano influences, treating Puerto Rican folklore as a living language rather than nostalgia. This track — a salsa fusion with an urbano flow — caught Bad Bunny’s ear, leading to an invite to feature on his track “WELTiTA.”
Letón Pé, “¡Suéltalo!”
Santa Domingo’s Letón Pé calls her Dominican sound “electropical;” combining electronics with tropical and pop motifs. On her February 2026 debut album, ‘GOLOSA,’ she expands that to include dembow, Latin house, R&B and what she playfully calls “bachata perfumada.”
Macario Martínez, “sueña lindo, corazón”
Singer-songwriter Macario Martínez blends traditional Mexican genres (son jarocho, huapango) with dream-pop and indie rock influences. After he went viral online in 2025, with a video of him sharing his music while working as a street sweeper, he quickly became one of Mexico’s most talked-about emerging artists.
Mariangela, “Cuando Una Mujer”
Mexico-born, Texas-based singer-songwriter Mariangela draws from regional Mexican folklore and genres to craft indie-folk songs inspired by 1970s rock music. On this track, she uses accordion and trumpet to write a cumbia norteña (Mexican cumbia) track.
Jombriel, Javier Neira, Jøtta, “La Tri”
Written as a homage to Ecuador’s 2026 World Cup team — expanding beyond football into themes of Ecuadorian pride — this track sees urbano vocalist Jombriel work with long-time producer Jøtta’s beats, showcasing the former’s blend of dancehall, reggaetón and perreo.
RaiNao, El Laberinto del Coco, “mariposas en el estómago”
Puerto Rican singer-songwriter RaiNao works with 14-piece ensemble El Laberinto del Coco on this track, which merges Afro-Puerto Rican boomba with jazz, R&B, funk and Afro-Caribbean sounds. It’s taken from her May 2026 album, ‘Marcriá.’
Judeline, rusowsky, “Heavenly”
Judeline’s Spanish-Venezuelan heritage shapes her music. With her Spanish vocal characteristics, she brings an Andalusian energy to her tracks, blending pop, R&B, electronic music, trap and reggaetón. On this track from her 2024 debut album ‘Bodhiria,’ she works with Madrid-based producer rusowsky.
Joaquina, “capricho”
Born in Caracas and raised in Miami, Joaquina is a Latin Grammy-winning singer-songwriter whose 2025 debut album, ‘al romper la burbuja,’ blends Spanish rock and Latin pop with sonic motifs and Venezuelan folklore.
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