@Fernando Villeda

Discover new music from artists we think you'll like. Refreshed every Friday.

Felix “Zion” Ortiz and Gabriel “Lennox” Pizarro put a unique twist on reggaetón, mixing smooth harmonies with hard-hitting rhymes. Making their debut in the early '00s, they first turned heads with standout contributions to compilations like 2003's game-changing Mas Flow, and their debut album Motivando a la Yal made them international superstars in 2004. Despite their quick rise, the duo split in 2006, going on to hit solo projects, but they finally reunited in 2010 for Los Verdaderos. Fall under the spell of reggaetón's most romantic duo with this collection of their high-energy hits.

Originally known as one-half of reggaetón duo Arcángel & De La Ghetto, Rafael Castillo went solo in 2008, and he's been enchanting fans with his cool mix of seduction and aggression ever since. “Acércate” drips in pre-coital sweat and gets rowdy over infectious dembow rhythms; electro-trap brilliance sets the mood on “La Ocasión,” where the suave rapper reminisces about past conquests. While “Exitandonos” details explicit private-quarter activities, the confessional “Es Difícil” charmingly reveals his yearning heart.

Panamanian chart-topper Sech cemented his place in the reggaetón pantheon following the runaway success of 2019 torch song “Otro Trago” and its subsequent remix, featuring superstars Ozuna, Anuel AA, Darell and Nicky Jam. Later hits “Goteras”, “Falsas Promesas” and the “Relación” remix with ROSALÍA and Farruko find their X factor in Sech's emotional vulnerability, as cuddly as the teddy bear that graces the artist's record covers. Within a genre known for toughness, Sech brings heart to the hardest of bangers, including “Te Acuerdas” (with Arcángel) and “Sal y Perrea” (with Daddy Yankee and J Balvin).

Reggaetón's skittering riddim hasn't shifted much from its origins, but Farruko shook up the form. Since starting on Myspace while still a teen, Farruko has used his supple, buttery croon to devastating effect on dance floors throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Whether joining forces with Daddy Yankee, riding atop an electronic thump, or adding a spicy kick to smooth island tracks with Sean Paul and Shaggy, Farruko breathes new life and a bit of island breeze into his music, perfect for clubs from San Juan and Kingston to Miami Beach.

Justin Quiles became a hot new voice in Latin music with one of the smoothest reggaetón tracks of 2016, “Si Ella Quisiera”—the song's light tropical verses transition into EDM-inspired hooks the way a warm summer day turns into a cool summer night. With styles like the roots reggae of “Hora Loca” and the trap of “Crecia,” he continues to live up to that first hit's promise. But “Orgullo” builds toward a full, synth-heavy sound, and he holds his own against veterans Zion & Lennox on “No Quiero Amarte,” the grit in his voice rubbing against an airy dance beat.

While reggaetón and Spanish-language trap dominated the Latin-pop stratosphere, Lunay rose above the fray, his gripping urbano hits catapulting him to prominence at lightning speed. At just 18, the Puerto Rican prodigy was predicted to be urbano's next superstar. He caught the attention of Ozuna, Bad Bunny, and Daddy Yankee—the latter two powerhouses lent hit-worthy verses to Lunay’s 2019 breakout single “Soltera (Remix),” a dance-floor banger that racked up a quarter billion views on YouTube. His punchy one-liners and mellifluous flow sound like they were beamed in from the future.