Best of 2023: 20 Latin Artists that Dominated Music this Year
Latin artists including Bad Bunny, Shakira, and Karol G dominated music this year and broke records
Photo: SpotifyYeoman 1st Class Donna Lou Morgan/PUBG Mobile
Music in 2023 saw Latin artists we know and love be recognized for their decades-long contributions to Latin sound and culture as well as up-and-coming artists who have introduced their takes on beloved genres from reggaeton, corridos, electronic music, and latin rock. With all the new albums that dropped and dream collaborations made, we also witnessed nostalgia reign in music this year with numerous comebacks to music, farewell tours, and honorary awards given to those who have had huge roles in Latin music including RBD, Daddy Yankee, and Ivy Queen. The influence and magnitude of Latin music is evident this year more than ever with the amount of record-breaking singles and No. 1 albums in 2023 alone. Everything we saw from Latin artists only makes us more excited for what is to come in 2024. From Ivy Queen being recognized for paving the way for women in reggaeton to Peso Pluma’s endless hits making waves year round, these are the 20 Latin artists that defined music in 2023.
Peso Pluma
Jalisco-born corrido singer Peso Pluma’s talent and ability to create hits knew no bounds in 2023. The regional Mexican artist known for his corridos tumbados, made strides this year when he broke Bad Bunny’s Record on the Hot Latin Songs Chart with 25 titles up. Not to mention that his album Génesis, landed at the No. 1 spot on the Top Latin Albums & Regional Mexican Albums charts—his first No. 1. In addition to the massive success of his hit single with Eslabon Armado, “Ella Baila Sola”, he became the first Mexican artist ever to perform at the MTV Video Music Awards when he performed his song “Lady Gaga” which featured a violin-laden opening. He was also recently named as Youtube’s most-viewed artist of 2023, garnering 8.5 billion views this year.
Eslabon Armado
Adding to all the rage on corridos tumbados and other regional Mexican music that has risen in popularity, Eslabon Armado made themselves known in 2023 hit after hit. The band released their collaboration with Peso Pluma “Ella Baila Sola” in March which has since skyrocketed, now having reached 1 billion streams on Spotify. “Ella Baila Sola” is the first regional Mexican song to achieve this, setting a new standard for the heights that regional Mexican music can reach. The group additionally released their sixth album Desvelado which features their hit single as well as their song “Quédate Conmigo” with Grupo Frontera.
Grupo Frontera
Originally from Texas, Regional Mexican group Grupo Frontera has also made a name for themselves this year. The group released their debut album this year entitled El Comienzo which features hits “No Se Va”, “En Altavoz”, and “El Amor de Su Vida” to name a few. Grupo Frontera achieved their first top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for “Un x100to”, a collaboration with Bad Bunny that blends the Latin trap with norteño-cumbia. Their hits like “Bebe Dame” featuring Fuerza Regida have soared in streams and their popularity has contributed to the breakthrough of the Regional Mexican genre this year. They also took home their first Billboard Latin Music Award when they won Hot Latin Songs Artist of the Year, Duo or Group.
RBD
The beloved 2000s Mexican pop band RBD made strides with a long-awaited comeback following 15 years since their last concert. The “Soy Rebelde” tour garnered a lot of buzz on social media and nostalgia with older and newer fans coming together for the return of the beloved musical group with five of the original members—Anahí, Dulce Maria, Maite Perroni, Christian Chavez , and Christopher von Uckerman. The “Rebelde” band made their way through the United States and Latin America making their tour one of the highest-grossing Latin tours of 2023 with 353,000 tickets sold.
Natalia Lafourcade
The “Hasta la Raiz” singer Natalia Lafourcade continued to show the world her artistry and profound lyricism this year. Her 2022 album, De Todas las Flores, was critically-acclaimed leading to her Latin Grammy nomination and win for Best Singer-Songwriter Album and Record of the Year for her single of the same name. De Todas las Flores—her first original album in seven years—also won Album of the Year at the Rolling Stone en Español Awards and is up for the Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album.
Shakira
Colombian singer and icon Shakira received numerous accolades and broke records despite not releasing an album this year. At the MTV Video Awards, she became the first South American artist to receive the MTV Video Vanguard Award and became Billboard’s first “Latin Woman of the Year”. She also rose to the top of the charts when she earned the most No. 1s on Billboard’s Latin Airplay, Billboard reported. Her No.1 singles in 2023 are collabs that include “Copa Vacía” with Manuel Turizo, “Monotonia,” with Ozuna, “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” with Bizarrap—a record breaker— and “TQG,” with Karol G. To close off 2023, Shakira was honored with a bronze sculpture of her larger-than-life persona in her hometown of Barranquilla, Colombia—the honor symbolizing her success and legacy in Latin America and all over the world.
Mon Laferte
Chilean-Mexican singer-songwriter Mon Laferte dropped her ninth studio album Autopoiética, an ode to a term coined by Chilean biologist Humberto Maturan that refers to creating or recreating the self. In support of her new album—a mix of reverb cumbia, reggaeton and electronic music—Mon Laferte recently announced a 2024 tour which includes shows in Los Angeles, Mexico City, and her hometown, Viña del Mar.
Kali Uchis
Colombian-American singer Kali Uchis dropped her latest album “Red Moon in Venus” this year which ended up at the No. 4 spot on the Billboard 200 as well as No. 2 on R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart. In support of her recent album, she went on tour and performed at major music festivals including Lollapalooza, Coachella, and Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival—created by rapper and previous collaborator, Tyler the Creator (“See You Again”, “After the Storm”). She ended the year off with a track featuring Bichota Karol G “Labios Mordidos.” In January 2024 fans can expect her second Spanish album Orquídeas that includes features from Latin artists like Rauw Alejandro and Peso Pluma.
Karol G
Colombian singer Karol G had quite the year filled with trailblazing moment. She released her fourth album Mañana será bonito which garnered 32 million streams in a single day on Spotify. The album also debuted #1 on the Billboard 200— the first Latina in history to reach that spot with an all-Spanish-language album—as well as reaching No.1 on the Top Latin Albums chart. Karol G’s “Mañana Sera Bonito” tour was historic, making her the first Latin-American artist to sell out two consecutive nights at the Rose Bowl Stadium. It also became the highest-grossing US tour by a Latina, grossing $138.4 million. She was also the first Latina artist to headline Lollapalooza. On top of so many firsts and accolades, Karol G took home Album of the Year at the 2023 Latin Grammys as well as winning Best Urban Fusion/Performance for her collaboration with Shakira TQG.
Ivy Queen
Ivy Queen, La Reina de Reggaeton, was given her flowers this year after over two decades of revolutionizing the predominantly male genre. The “Yo Quiero Bailar” rapper received the Icon Award at the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards, recognizing her contributions and legacy in Latin music. Ivy Queen also had her own NPR Tiny Desk Concert during Latinx Heritage Month performing renditions of her biggest hits to the sound of violins and cellos. In an interview with USA TODAY, she said: “All the recognition serves me as motivation and it’s a fuel. It moves me. It’s a blessing to be alive and continue to keep doing what I do, and representing the ladies.”
Becky G
Mexican American singer and actress Becky G started the year off strong when she was awarded the Impact Award at Billboard Women in Music. Along with her Mi Casa, Tu Casa U.S. tour—her first headlining tour—and being the first Latina to receive a ceremonial key to Inglewood, she released her third album, “Esquinas”, a Regional Mexican album. In addition to these new releases and touring, she took home three awards for “Mamiii”—a collaboration with Karol G—at the Latin American Music Awards as well as another for Best Collaboration (Regional Mexican) for her single “Ya acabó” with Marca MP.
Anitta
The “Envolver” singer performed a medley at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards including tracks from her upcoming funk album as well as taking home the award for Best Latin Video for “Funk Rave” following last year’s historic win when she became the first Brazilian to win a VMA. Anitta also made history when she received a Best New Artist Grammy nomination becoming the first Brazilian woman in 57 years to earn the nomination. She recently released a single with Mexican singer Peso Pluma, entitled “Bellakeo”.
Young Miko
Another up-and-coming artist we saw this year is Puerto Rican rapper Young Miko. After releasing her debut EP, Trap Kitty, the openly gay artist has taken the world by storm with her bold style and unapologetically queer lyrics. In support of her EP, Young Miko went on tour across parts of the United States, Spain, and Latin America. She dropped a number of singles this year including Tempo (ft. Marshmello) and Lisa, as well as being featured in Bad Bunny’s latest album nadie sabe lo que va a pasar in the track “Fina”.
Ice Spice
No one can deny the presence of Ice Spice in 2023. The rapper of Dominican and Nigerian descent made waves this year from the start when she dropped her debut EP Like..? in January which featured some of her most known tracks such as “Princess Diana” and “Bikini Bottom”. Her hit collaboration with English hyper pop singer PinkPantheress “Boy’s a Liar” landed at the No. 14 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. She has also been nominated for Best New Artist in the upcoming 2024 Grammy Awards and won Best New Artist this year at the MTV VMAs. She is the only Latinx artist nominated in one of the four major Grammy categories for 2024.
Joaquina
A newer face to the music industry this past year is none other than 19-year-old Venezuelan singer-songwriter, Joaquina. She received critical acclaim and nominations in 2023 for her debut EP, los mejores años (notas de diario)—a 14-track album of ethereal pop latino with a blend of English and Spanish singing. Joaquina won the Latin Grammy for Best New Artist this year and was nominated for Best Singer-Songwriter Album becoming the youngest artist to receive this nomination.
Bad Bunny
Puerto Rican reggaetonero Bad Bunny made history several times in 2023. From the start when he was named the first Spanish-language artist to headline Coachella to when he opened the Grammy Awards with a performance of “El Apagon”, el Conejo Malo has been a nonstop force this year. On top of performing at the Grammys, he also took home his third Grammy Award for Best Música Urbana Album for his quintessential album, Un Verano Sin Ti. That album alone brought much critical acclaim and accolades to the rapper, being the first Spanish-language album to be nominated for the Album of the Year Award since the Grammys first launched as well as becoming Spotify’s most-streamed album of 2023 and of all time 15 billion streams. His latest album, Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana, is also holding its own having debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 Albums chart and becoming the most-streamed album in a single day so far in 2023 on Spotify.
Rauw Alejandro
The “Todo de Ti” rapper, Rauw Alejandro dropped his fourth studio album Playa Saturno, the sequel to his previous album Saturno. The album includes “Baby Hello”, a collaboration with DJ Bizarrap, “Ponte Nasty” with Jowell & Randy, and “Diluvio”. The album reached No. 29 on the Billboard 200 and No. 4 on Top Latin Albums. His Saturno World Tour made waves with 47 shows across Latin America, the United States and parts of Europe.
Daddy Yankee
2023 marks an important year for reggaeton legend, Daddy Yankee. The Puerto Rican reggaetonero officially retired at 46 years old following a long and successful career as one of the pioneers of reggaeton and one of the voices responsible for its globalization with his hit “Gasolina”. Yankee went on his farewell tour following his last record Legendaddy which culminated in his concert “La Meta” in Puerto Rico. The sensation that is “Gasolina” was also added to the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress this year, the first reggaeton song to be added. This historic moment makes the legend’s last year in music that much more meaningful.
Bizarrap
Argentine DJ Bizarrap was on everyone’s radar in 2023. While not completely new to the industry—having been nominated for Producer of the Year at the 2021 Latin Grammys—Bizarrap’s presence exploded with his popular collaborations with big name Latin artists such as Peso Pluma, Arcangel, and Rauw Alejandro. His biggest hit came with his collab Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53 that currently has 668 million views on Youtube. The tracks went on to break numerous records including being the fastest Latin track to reach 100 million views on Youtube and for most streamed Latin track on Spotify in 24 hours with over 14 million streams. The single also went on to win Best Pop Song and Song of the Year at the Latin Grammys while Bizarrap himself earned New Artist of the Year at the Latin American Music Awards.
Tego Calderón
Reggaeton pioneer Tego Calderón made a comeback this year with his single “Recetas” which was nominated and won Best Reggaeton Performance at the Latin Grammys. The “Pa’ Que Retozen” singer’s latest music and Latin Grammy win mark a long-awaited return after eight years following his last El Que Sabe, Sabe which won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Urban Music Album.
