This is the reason why Latin music is triumphing even in the United States: this is revealed by a study

Just a few years ago, MP3, BlackBerrys and other predecessors of current smartphones were dominated by pop, hip hop or anglo -American dance songs. Although Latin artists like Jennifer López, Shakira Ricky Martin They were already known internationally, they seemed to be rather exceptions to the norm, recording versions in English to be able to make their way in the global industry more easily.

That time has been left behind. Today, Latin music has not only conquered new spaces: it is also marking trend in Anglo -Saxon markets.

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But how has a culture, a language and a style spent that for decades was marginalized, to become a central part of the mainstreameven in the Anglo country with the most influential music industry in the world? This is the question that guides the study Spanish music, an unstoppable phenomenon in the United Statespublished by the researcher Lourdes Moreno Cazalla (University of Nebrija), also Head of Audio Hurry Strategy.

The report analyzes how Latin music in the US reflects symbolic disputes between power, cultural assimilation and identity resistance. As the Latin population grows – the Hispanic community in the country already exceeds the 65 million people– So do its cultural and musical impact.

In figures, growth has been remarkable: in 2023, Latin music generated record revenue of 1.4 billion dollars according to the US record industry association (RIAA), an increase of 16% compared to the previous year, representing 7.9% of the total income from music recorded in the USA. In the first half of 2024, income reached 685 million, with an increase of 7% interannual.

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This phenomenon is not accidental. The study processed more than 33,000 songs of lists such as Billboard, Spotify, Apple Music, Tiktok and YouTube, identifying patterns and trends between 2020 and 2024. It also includes interviews with key industry figures, such as Leila CoboContent Director of Billboard Latin / Spanish or Juan VarelaCEO in a hurry USA USA and LOS40 USA.

How do you explain the explosion of Latin music in the United States?

According to the analysis and data that the study throws, the rise of Latin music in the United States cannot be understood only by Demographic growth of the Hispanic population; The boom responds to a deeper cultural change. For years, Latin artists faced Linguistic, social and racial barriers To be recognized. The “Latin explosion” of the 90s was the first step, but the real change came with a new generation of artists who not only sing in Spanish, but also dominate the Charts International

Latin music has won prominence on all platformsespecially in YouTube (where it represents 17% of the lista content), and has frequently sneaked into the Billboard Hot 100with artists such as Bad Bunny, Karol G, pen weight or bizarrap in front. In addition, genres such as reggaetonhe Mexican Regional or the Latin trap They have adapted to global audiences without losing their identity.

The study investigates how The idea of ​​”the Latin” has expanded more and more. It is no longer defined only by the language, but by an aesthetic, a sound and a shared attitude. Spanglish, mergers with hip hop or electronics, and the diversity of styles reflect a new way of inhabiting Latin. Current icons like Bad Bunny, Karol G, Maluma or J Balvin run because figures like Shakira, Jlo or Ricky Martin one day walked.

Cars and challenges of Latin music

The growth of Latin music also entails tensions. The study indicates that the industry tends to assimilate Latin as long as it does not challenge the dominant standards. Even so, Spanish is consolidated as a language of cultural creation and public expression: “Music allows forms of critical appropriation of space, where Spanish does not appear subordinate, but as part of a community,” says the report.

“One of the most important challenges is consolidate a more cultural and patrimonial perspective of Latin music and claim its artistic wealth. With that appreciation, and although media like Billboard have incorporated Latin artists in their rankings, coverage in generalist media is still unequal. Cases like him of the Jimmy Fallon program, Where Bad Bunny has had an outstanding presence, they represent symbolic advances in the conquest of Anglo -Saxon mainstream, ”explains the researcher and author of the report, Lourdes Moreno Cazalla.

The triumph and explosion of female artists In Latin music it is one of the conductive threads to get this end. “From a western perspective, genres such as reggaeton and Latin urban music have been criticized for their lyrics, often perceived as violent, sexual, macho or discriminatory. But it cannot be ignored that they are heard by millions of young people. Here women artists have a crucial factor for transformation, such as Shakira, Anitta, Rosalía, Karol G and Becky G They are claiming their space and redefining the Latin scene, ”says Moreno.

The challenges for the expansion of Latin music also have to do, of course, with one of the most decisive music consumption today: The platforms. “While digital platforms have opened new distribution chances, they have also created forms of visibility conditioned by Opaque algorithms. While certain contents are enhanced, they make many others in the shadow of the algorithm and it is difficult to discover these artists or songs, ”explains the researcher.

However, it should be noted that for women within Latin music, added challenges that have even to do with a lack of representation in the Chartsas Billboard already pointed out in 2022, one of the key years in the success of Spanish in the lists.

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“There is a persistent gap in Latin music where the presence of women in tops and awards, although it has grown, and men are still a majority. Something that does not happen in others such as pop and Anglo, for example, a predominance of women like Beyoncé, Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan and Taylor Swiftexplains Moreno. “In the study centered on the United States, interesting trends are appreciated, as in Spotify. It is the case of Kali Uchiswhich in March 2021 reached #4 with “Telepathy”, and in December it reached 1,000 million streams and became the second Latin song of a female solo artist in achieving a similar milestone in the history of Spotify. The first, Karol gis the artist who manages to maintain a more constant presence with his collaborations and global successes over the five years analyzed, from January 2020 with “Tusa” until November 2024, with “+57” debuting in #3, ”he says.

How does the future of Latin music present?

The report identifies three key stages in the last five years: a consolidation phase (2020-2021), a period of domination (2022-2023) with Bad Bunny, Karol G and new phenomena such as Bizarrap, Quevedo and Weight Featherand a diverse expansion in 2024, marked by The boom of the Mexican regional and new voices, where we could cite RUBED FORCE, XAVI OR NETON VEGA. Spanish has become the leading language of global pop.

“The current model of the music industry makes it personalize in the artists and focus on songs. Thus the axis or engine that triggers all processes would be the releases. Perhaps when focusing the study on the tops it puts a greater focus on the novelties, although what is most heard on platforms is the catalog. According to the report of Lumine from 2024 to 73.3%. Latin music, together with country, are the two most growth genres in the United States”, Says Moreno.“ From these two factors that focus on novelties and the weight of certain artists, surely that in 2025 this figure will increase, thanks to the launch of I had to throw more photos of Bad Bunny, which has broken into platforms and media, ”he adds.

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“(The future of Latin music) is hugenot only because of the growth of the Latin community, but because Latin music are already mainstream and do not connect people and audiences by both age, gender or origin elements, but because they gain way and Connection element between Hispanic and many American cultures that have roots and common elements. That is why a good part of Latin music is no longer only Hispanic, but of all those who feel their feeling, rhythms or stories as their own and common, ”explains Juan Varela, CEO in a hurry medium and director of Los40 USA.

One of the doubts present in the lives of the Latin community is how Trump’s mandate and the rise of a hostile migration speech will affect the mandate in different dimensions of your daily reality. Maybe a question here is also, how could it affect the expansion of music in Spanish in the country?

“I would not dare to make great predictions, but in a global scenario marked by political, economic, religious or sports divisions, Music becomes a binding and emotional reaffirmation factor. Most people listen to music individually, through personalized headphones and lists, and cultural and social spaces remain vital to enjoy live music, one of the most intense and emotional ways to experience and reaffirm both personal and collective identity, ”says Moreno.“ As an example, the Coachella 2025 festival. Although the presence of Latin artists in this edition has been less Excellent reception. This was demonstrated by the Sets of Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso, Junior H, with the surprise appearance of weight weight, who took the opportunity to launch a message to the public: “We need to be more united than ever, or the El Malilla show.