Cris MJ's love for reggaetón was instilled in him by his parents. “I didn't watch cartoons growing up, I watched reggaeton music videos,” he says Advertising sign — admitting that when he was eight years old, he would impersonate urban artists in his school talent shows.
Inspired by old-school reggaeton acts such as Daddy Yankee, Jory and Ñengo Flow, as well as American Trap artists Travis Scott, Drake and Lil Baby, the up-and-coming Chilean artist decided to teach himself how to make music.
His first creations were music videos recorded on his iPhone and songs he uploaded to DistroKid—“It was hard for a reggaetón artist to find support here,” he explains, especially in his hometown of La Serena (located on the coast of Chile ). However, he intended to make a name for himself by uploading Spanish covers of some of his favorite English rap and trap songs on social media.
At one point in his career, Cris — who has spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart with his FloyyMenor-assisted “Gata Only” — became depressed and nearly quit music. He explains that he did not believe in his work because of negative comments he heard on the streets.
But his leap of faith came in 2020 when he moved to the capital city of Santiago and released his first official single called 'Como Tú Ninguna', a catchy urban-mambo that put him on the map locally. “I like to do all styles of music, but overall with futuristic beats or beats that I can feel to,” he says.
The song that finally opened all the doors for him, however, arrived in 2022: “Una Noche en Medellín” — a hard hit perreo which highlights Colombia's vibrant nightlife. After it went viral on TikTok, it landed on the radar of Karol G, who later started the remix, invited fellow Colombian Ryan Castro to join in, and even included it on it. Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota season) album.
The powerful collaboration — which Karol & Cris first performed together in Viña del Mar in 2023 — earned the Chilean actress her first entry on the Hot 100 when it debuted at No. 68 last year in August.
Cris MJ “Una Noche En Medellín”
Courtesy photo
Now, after his debut albums Welcome to my world (2022) and Partyson (2023), Cris continues to herald Chile's reggaetón movement with 'Gata Only'. Similar to “Medellín,” the infectious reggaetón track — about chasing an attractive girl — rocketed up the charts after generating virality on social media.
No. 1 on Hot Latin Songs for seven weeks marks the first time a Chilean artist has entered the top 10 since La Ley and Ednita Nazario's “Tu Sabes Bien” reached No. 8 in 1999. Before that, it was Myriam Hernández's 'Huele a Peligro', which reached No.5 in 1998.
“For us, this is very important. It is a pride for all Latinos to be on this chart,” said Cris Advertising sign in a previous interview. “In fact, before we released the song, I knew it was going to be a worldwide hit. I am proud because it not only helps my career, but also that of my colleagues.”
Cris is currently making the rounds with his latest track “Si No Es Contigo”. Below, learn more about this month's Latin Artist on the Rise.
Name: Christopher Andrés Álvarez García
Age: 22
Featured Song: “One Night in Medellin”
What's next?: After an extensive tour in Mexico, the Chilean artist heads to Europe, where he will spend almost two months on tour. He also plans to release new music, including a collaboration with Junior H and Bryant Myers.
Biggest achievement: Cris MJ says his biggest career achievement so far has been being able to buy his car and own a house in Santiago. In addition to creating history for the Advertising sign on the charts, is also nominated for the 2024 Heat Latin Music Awards (Premios Heat).
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/latin/latin-artist-rise-cris-mj-1235695183/