On June 20, the official first day of summer, Karol G released her first merengue single, “Ai Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” (which translates to “if I had met you before).
Co-produced by Edgar Barrera, Sky Rompiendo and Karol, the new bop is alive, feel good and upbeat. Beyond its love lyrics—about crushing on a man who has been arrested—the song embodies Dominican culture.
“I worked on part of 'Mañana Sera Bonito' there and when I need to disconnect from the world and connect with myself I also go there,” she wrote in an Instagram post about her love and respect for the Caribbean island . “Its culture, its music, its colors, the hospitality, the energy… everything is very authentic and special there. Its people have embraced me in a way that fills my heart and inspires me all the time.”
The Colombian artist isn't the only reggaetón star dipping into the tropical genre. In 2022, Bad Bunny surprised fans with “Después de la Playa”, a fast mambo and merengue fusion that was part of Un Verano Sin Ti album. That same year, Rosalía released “Despechá,” a heartbroken merenda that had everyone on their feet.
Bad Bunny opened the 2023 Grammy Awards with “Después” alongside a live band, with an amused Taylor Swift seen shinning her shoulders and swaying her hips in the audience. Meanwhile, “Despechá” recently surpassed one billion streams on Spotify, making Rosalía the first solo Spanish artist to reach the milestone.
Below, check out the reggaetón acts who have dropped their own merengue tunes, presented in alphabetical order.
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Bad Bunny, “Después de la Playa”
A complete party track for post-beach plans, “Después de la Playa” is one of the most experimental tracks on Bad Bunny's 2022 album Un Verano Sin Ti. The historic set debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and all 23 tracks entered the top 25 Advertising signHot Latin Songs chart. “Después de la Playa” debuted at No. 3.
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Fariana & Oro Solido, “El Caballito”
After dipping her toes into the dembow genre, Fariana continues to tap into the culture of the Dominican Republic — this time recruiting merengue icons Oro Solido for “El Caballito.” The catchy merengue (produced by Gangsta and Oro Solido frontman Raul Acosta) with witty lyrics best captures the Colombian rapper's effortless and sassy rhymes, aided here by the Dominican group's signature mambo sound, which was generations later for generations to dance “hasta la las 15 mañana” (until 3 in the morning).
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Karol G, “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido”
Marking her second single of the year, following the Tiësto-assisted “Contigo,” “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” tells the story of a woman patiently waiting for the man of her dreams to be single. “What if I'd met you before?/ You'd probably be dancing to this song with me, not as friends,” she sings. The track further proves Karol's ability to experiment outside the realm of reggaetón. He previously used bachata (“El Barco”), corrido tumbado (“200 Copas”) and cumbia (“Mi Ex Tenía Razón”), among other genres.
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Maluma, “Coco Loco”
Maluma's tropical “Coco Loco” combines a sultry merenda beat with synthetic electronic beats and a hook borrowed from Daft Punk's “Veridis Quo.” The fun song tells the story of a guy who is crazy about a girl and can't hold back his emotions anymore. “Wherever you want me/ I'll give you all my love right now,” he sings on the infectious chorus. The song gave the Colombian artist his 23rd No.1 Advertising signLast Year's Latin Airplay Chart.
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Marshmello & Manuel Turizo, “El Merengue”
Manuel Turizo and Marshmello teamed up for “El Merengue,” a fusion electro-merengue that landed both the Colombian artist and the famous DJ at No. 1 Advertising sign Latin Airplay and Tropical Airplay charts (spent 13 weeks on top of the latter). “Manuel and I have never met. He just came to the studio and we were making it,” Marshmello previously said Advertising sign of the cooperation. “Nothing was ready. We just sat there and did 'El Merengue' from scratch. I never thought I'd be at the top of a Latin chart.”
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Mike Towers, “La Capi”
Flirtingly, Myke Towers released 'La Capi' – a clever way to profess his love for a girl by asking her to take him to her country's capital. “Take me to the capital/ I want to see your country/ I want to explore with you/ Tell me what we'll do,” the Puerto Rican artist croons on the seductive bop. “La Capi” combines fast tipico merengue with a hint of bachata and hit No. 1 on both Advertising sign Tropical Airplay and Latin Airplay charts in May.
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Ozuna & El Rubio Acordeón, “La Propuesta”
In 2023, Ozuna enlisted El Rubio Acordeón to take us on a musical journey to the Dominican Republic. “La Propuesta” is a typical merenda from the Cibao region, known for its happy and catchy sounds, with a rich mix of guira, tambora and accordion. The lyrics carry a sweet message of love: “What would you say if I took you in my car?/ And we danced a little merenda, dancing it very close,” Ozuna recites.
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Rosalía, “Despechá”
Produced by Chris Jedi and Gaby Music, Rosalía's fusion of electro-merengue and mambo tells the story of a girl who hits the club with her friends to get over a broken heart. “There are many ways to be Despéchá. In this theme it is from freedom or madness, moving without reservations or regrets,” the Spanish artist expressed in a statement — also noting that the mambo melody was inspired by the music of Dominican artists Juan Luis Guerra, Omega and Fefita La Grande. . “Despechá” hit No. 1 on Advertising sign Tropical Airplay chart in September 2022.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/lists/reggaeton-artists-merengue-music-rosalia-bad-bunny/
