Two weeks ago, FloyyMenor and Cris MJ made history as the first Chileans to enter the top 10 of Advertising signThe Hot Latin Songs chart since “Tu Sabes Bien” by La Ley and Ednita Nazario 25 years ago. The only other Chilean artist to reach similar heights was Myriam Hernández with 1998's “Huele a Peligro,” which peaked at No. 5. This week, the up-and-coming pair reached No. 1, ending their months-long reign Chavi with “La Diabla”. .”
The song making waves is “Only Gata,” a sly reggaetón number about online flirting. According to Luminate, the viral track recorded 11.11 million official streams in the US, a 33% increase from the previous week. This gave them a No. 34 debut on the Streaming Songs chart and gave them a second week at the top of the Latin Streaming Songs chart. “Gata Only” also sits at No. 48 on the Hot 100. Last week it was at No. 74.
But how did two relatively unknown Chilean artists manage to not only break through the world music scene but also take the top spot on the Hot Latin Songs chart? The success story starts with some strategic planning, innovative marketing and a dose of peace of mind.
Initially, FloyyMenor was a mysterious figure floating around the internet and had some local hits. His identity was obscured, and the art on his early YouTube releases consisted of car images, never revealing his face. “You had to go to the nightclubs to see him,” she says Andrian Mainou, director of Latin/US artist marketing at UnitedMasters.
The Latin team at UnitedMasters have been following the Chilean music scene, having signed Nicko G two years ago and were fans of Paloma Mami and Polimá Westcast. When Latin A&R leads the company, Gerardo Mejia — a music veteran with 30 years of experience and a former rapper/singer originally from Ecuador — began exploring the country's music scene in the summer of 2023, met FloyyMenor live and was captivated by the young artist's unique appeal and enthusiastic audience response.
“This kid was collecting spaces [with audiences] singing verse after verse,” Mejía recalls. At the time, FloyyMenor's big local hit was “pa la europa”, while “Gata Only” was just a song people knew from his live shows and online teasers. Eager to sign the promising talent, Mejía had to wait until Floyy turned 18 in December.
After the signing, UnitedMasters released “Gata Only” in December — and the song started gaining traction within the first week and a half of its release. Not long after, Cris MJ — a Chilean act who had gained recognition from Karol G's remix of “Una Noche en Medellín” featured on Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota season) — reached out to Floyy, expressing his love for the song and his desire to be a part of it.
As Mejía recalls: “When I returned to Chile in January, [Floyy] he called me and said, “Cris MJ loves the song.” I said, “Good. We will do the remix.' He said, “No. He likes the song so much he wants it to be the original.' I was like, “Brother, if Cris MJ calls you, then come with their groups and go record.” We shot the prototype and waited maybe two weeks before releasing it [on Feb. 2] with Cris MJ and the rest is history.”
In a conversation with Advertising sign, Mejía and Mainou provided an in-depth look at the strategic rise of “Gata Only” to the top of the Hot Latin Songs chart. Watch the full interview below.
The achievement in itself of being the first Chilean to enter the top 10 of the Hot Latin Songs chart in 25 years is already pretty impressive, and then to top the chart at No. 1. How does that happen?
Andrian Mainou: It was a very interesting and fun build. [After we officially released it], we saw social development and started working with a journalism group in Chile. It was unlikely that we would see the movement on TikTok and that we had to lean into it. So I activated the first phase of influencers with Kono Sur [marketing y diseño]. We pressed [the song] in Chile, Argentina and Ecuador, and we were able to see a lot of reactions on YouTube from those countries. Once we saw that, we had Floyy go to Argentina and do some shows while we were pushing the press and [involving] influences. For an artist coming out of Chile, Argentina's push is a pretty cool look. it is a very important country to connect to. For Floyy, it was pretty easy. He loves Argentinian culture. He entered on a Monday, did a show on the same Tuesday and on Thursday was No. 1 on Spotify Argentina.
[Publicist] Chris Nova then he joins the team [and he] was able to paint the narrative with the press on social media, streaming and [seeing] the bigger perspective. At this point, we are activating a second phase of influencers in Mexico, who have helped us generate more buzz. [Mexico is] the third country in its top demographic right now.
Activation of influencers. Please explain.
Mainos: We looked at lip-synching fueled social media content. Next we looked at the dance challenges. This is where we can start to connect with other countries and grow globally. We went from lip-synching to the dance challenge [because] We knew it was easier for people in other countries to tap into.
We saw some fans [pages] proceeding to it. It was the key to leveraging it and creating new ones [dance challenges]. We were like, “Let's take advantage of that and work with them.” We partnered with fan accounts on TikTok, saying, “Yeah, let's work together. Put this on [song] up.” At the end of the day, he's satisfied that they're pushing organically.
Once we got to Mexico, it was a no-brainer to start activating DJs for the song. We did it all over Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Miami, targeting different demographics. We were able to get data on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube. This puts us on this new level, and the song started to be translated in the US, and it was crazy in the US
FloyyMenor is a relatively unknown artist. What is your thought process when trying to break an unknown act in the US?
Mainos: This is an independent artist, so I don't have a lot of money. How can we take advantage of what we do? I connected with the digital team to give me Mexico influences [whose] The second largest demographic is in the U.S. With that mindset, I can pay for the Mexico influencer fee. Then he caught the growth of the US. [Mexican influencers] have a very strong presence in US Latino culture. This can cover almost every major Latin influencer in the US doing the song without us having to pay. We've seen the song grow to nearly 20 million streams on Apple, and of that a large portion came from the US. That's what led me to this current new position where I'm starting to push specifically the U.S. The song is already here, and we know its [playing] in the nightclubs, people doing remixes and DSPs support. Has taken [on] almost every cover [of official playlists on] DSP and social support. We have seen artists [using] the sound [on social media]from Kenia Os to Shadi and Malu Trevejo…as well as Trapeton, Trap House Latino, etc.
Why do you think 'Gata Only' resonates with the masses?
Mejia: The lyrics talk about TikTok, about likes, about following. I think he hit on something that resonates with kids. To top it off, it's such a great tune. And having Cris MJ never hurts.
Mainos: The sound is very special. I've become a huge fan of the Chilean sound since “Ultra Solo” [by Polimá Westcoast and Paloma Mami] a few years ago, and from working with Nicko G. I think the production is very Chilean, [combined] with very good vocals and great proportions.
What makes UnitedMasters different from other management companies and agencies?
Mejia: At UnitedMasters, our mission is to be a tool for artists and take them where they want to go. We work with independent artists and that has some challenges around it. Not everyone has admins, or friends who can make music videos for them. not everyone has a studio in which to record music. Sitting down with Floyy, we were able to not only get to know him but also get him to see the bigger picture. We told him, “This is what we can do with you if you trust us, if you listen to us. This is where we can take you.” It's sitting down with the artists, understanding their needs and being able to make a plan around that, creating a schedule.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/pro/floyymenor-cris-mj-gata-only-how-hit-song-global/
