@Angelina Romero

Created with FreeYourMusic.com where you can transfer playlists to Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and others

Created with FreeYourMusic.com where you can transfer playlists to Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and others

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

Latin music isn’t just a genre but a multifaceted culture that knows no boundaries, and the 2010s reflect how its wide-ranging styles branch out globally. The decade began with the electro-cumbia craze going strong, led by Bomba Estéreo’s tropical dance movement. In Chile, Javiera Mena’s unapologetic synth stabs sparked a disco-pop reverie across the southern continent. Meanwhile, Carla Morrison’s wounded pop and Natalia Lafourcade’s bolero brilliance elevated the romanticism of the singer-songwriter even higher. And lest anyone forget, the Mexican cumbia virtuosity of Los Ángeles Azules and Maná’s stadium pop-rock kept those well-established genres thriving. But the biggest success story of the decade was reggaetón’s second awakening, fronted by the likes of J Balvin, Ozuna and Maluma, who catapulted the genre to worldwide prominence. The urbano movement—the trap, hip-hop and new reggaetón now synonymous with Latin pop—disrupted the music industry with “Despacito”, which changed the entire game when it became the most streamed-song in internet history.

Hip-hop wouldn’t have been possible without Latinos in New York City. Decades removed from those strong beginnings, Latin America has its own long-standing rap music traditions to consider—with legends like Control Machete or Illya Kuryaki & The Valderramas honored by newer players on the trap and reggaetón front like Alemán from Mexico and Cazzu out of Argentina. With influences that are local, regional, and international, this is the New Latin America. Our editors regularly update this playlist—if you hear something you like, add it to your library.

The banda star's rapid ascent was fortified by Mexican regional music pioneers like Los Tucanes de Tijuana. No group, though, has dominated the norteño scene longer than Banda El Recodo de Cruz Lizarraga, whose tuba-led onslaught and realist lyrics foretold Ortíz's own violent narcocorridos. His romantic side, meanwhile, connects directly to lachrymose mariachi deity Vicente Fernández.

Corridos emerged in the north of Mexico in the early 1800s and have since become a key component in the DNA of Mexican music, with a popularity that knows no borders. Like other Latin folk-ballad styles, they combine unforgettable melodies with real-life narratives—vivid storytelling that spans tragic love affairs and epic tales of characters who forged their destiny in and outside of the law. Here, we’ve handpicked a selection of corridos that have left a mark throughout the decades. This playlist is updated frequently; if you hear something you like, add it to your library.