Reggaeton Arrives at the University and This Study Proves It

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Just a few days left for Seville (Spain) to host the 24th edition of the Latin GRAMMYs, the highly anticipated awards created by the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences in our country to celebrate and showcase Latin music and its creators. During the week of November 13th to 16th, the Andalusian city will be the home to the biggest Latin artists of the moment in an event that, for the first time, takes place outside the United States. In this context, a revealing study has just been published about the impact of Latin urban music.

Encouraging conclusions are drawn from it: such as the fact that reggaeton and Latin urban music have, on the one hand, generated unprecedented creative freedom and community among creators, and on the other hand, connected with a massive audience capable of strengthening its identity and pride. Digitalization has been crucial here.

Data preside over this report titled «El boom de la música urbana latina y la expansión del español a nivel global» (The Boom of Latin Urban Music and the Global Expansion of Spanish), a study authored by journalist and Ph.D. in Communication Lourdes Moreno Cazalla and endorsed by Nebrija University in Spain. We spoke with her to understand the key findings of this study and how «perreo» (a style of dance associated with reggaeton) is truly impacting society, beyond the prejudices of some and the hedonism that its melodies provoke in others.

The first thing that catches our attention is that the author of this study, currently the Executive Producer at Podium Podcast (PRISA Audio) and therefore a colleague of this network, is not particularly a fan of urban music or trends: «It’s true that I didn’t consume this genre, and I had those biases and prejudices that I talk about in the study because it’s true that the lyrics and some things don’t match my character. I always defend myself as a humanist and feminist, but I approached this genre from a more, more neutral, and analytical perspective, analyzing data to see if it is indeed serving to expand Spanish,» she says to LOS40.

A Boom, Yes, But with Caution

«We are in a boom, but not in an expansion. I have analyzed global charts, but if you look at other countries, for example, in the United Kingdom, Latin urban artists do not appear. In Germany, yes, in France also… but there are still countries that resist. That’s why talking about globalization is still premature,» explains Lourdes.

A cultural Phenomenon and a Community

Just a week ago, LOS40 Music Awards Santander 2023 were held, and we witnessed a predominance of urban artists not only on stage but also in nods with 66 nominees in the Global Latin category, compared to the 24 nominations in the International Category (Anglo-oriented).

Regarding this, Lourdes explains a characteristic of reggaeton: «It’s true that they see themselves as a Latin community, I mean, it doesn’t matter if you’re from Colombia, Spain, Puerto Rico, Argentina… in the end, you’re Latino, and that pride is also being seen not only in collaborations (almost all songs have at least two, three, or four artists) but also when organizing events and more, you can see how it flows and how everyone is very comfortable with each other. In fact, almost everyone thanked the awards and recommended other artists. I think that’s very generous and very positive that is happening in this type of music. It’s like there’s no competition.»

Regarding the words of journalist José Fajardo contained in the report: «Reggaeton has done more for Spanish or for the integration policy than any of the public policies with this purpose,» Lourdes reflects on the Latin scene as «an inclusive concept, a cultural phenomenon (…) This is also seen in clubs, in how recordings are organized, and, of course, it is translating into events,» she explains.

From Prejudices to Feminist Reggaeton

The study contains many data points that impact us and that we didn’t know or intuited but couldn’t prove. One of them is that reggaeton is experiencing a very sweet moment and is contributing decisively to take Spanish music worldwide, as happens every time Bad Bunny releases an album and manages to place 7 or 8 songs among the most listened to on the main charts in the United States.

In addition to confirming statements like this with data, Lourdes has drawn several conclusions: «I have discovered many things, and there are two that seem very crucial to me: one, when I say that «perreo» and reggaeton were contraband, which was true at the beginning, this is a burden that the genre still has, despite there being a democratization and young people not having that bias, we still have a very Western perspective on Latin urban music and also that bias on feminism and others,» she explains and continues: «And when you go to Latin America, you realize other things. Last July, when I was in Colombia, there were many women in the clubs dancing «perreo,» but they danced alone; it was like a movement of freedom. So, we do have that Western perspective because, of course, we are in more advanced feminist policies, but there they are reconfiguring gender.»

«I have also discovered the more feminist reggaeton or the more assertive reggaeton that I think will dominate the scene because it is true that many songs (and it has not been my area of study), but they are very focused on fun, entertainment, sex, heteronormative relationships, but now there are other types of songs appearing, there is not so much resentment, and I think women are going to make a lot of noise… or the latest album by Bad Bunny, which already reflects more types of themes in the songs,» explains Lourdes about newer artists like Karol G or Villano Antillano and legendary ones like Shakira.

The Curious Case of Indian music

We are surprised by the study as Indian music tops some of the main music platforms, such as YouTube Chart. In this platform, the study verifies that in June 2023, Indian and Latin artists share the presence in the top 10 artists with the most weekly reproductions, a ranking led by Indian artist Alka Yagnik, with Colombian Karol G in second place and Mexican Peso Pluma in third.

But… how is it possible that no Indian hit has permeated our borders as the Gangnam Style did in 2012 and Despacito in 2017? We pose this question to Lourdes, and this is how she responded: «I think there is another Western bias there and also that they have very closed borders. It’s like with Chinese, which is becoming a business language, expanding in that direction. But Indian is not there yet, also, there are many dialects and languages, but yes, that also surprised me.»

However, this phenomenon is not comparable, as in India, there are 3 very famous artists who succeed, but in the Latin context, there are many more with overwhelming success. So, if we started adding views or plays from powerhouses like Karol G, Bad Bunny, Shakira, or Peso Pluma, the Latin force goes off the charts.

The Future: ‘Nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana’

«I’m not Maestro Joao (a Spanish clairvoyant),» says Lourdes when asked about the future of the genre. «Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow,» as Bad Bunny sings (laughs), but there is an increase in what is urban. Yesterday, when I was on the train, I was looking at the list of France, and there was a lot of rap and a lot of urban style. Also in non-Spanish-speaking countries. And then I was looking at Mexico, Colombia, and others, and there were no English songs. So, I think right now, at least this generation is very proud to listen to songs in their own language, and for now, it seems it will continue to be like that,» she tells us.

«Technologically, they can produce music very quickly, very comfortably. And on the Internet, we already see how it is distributed, and they don’t need record labels. I think they are very countercultural in contrast to mainstream culture, and they have a very interesting creative freedom,» she concludes.

The Power of Spanish-Speaking music

The study «El boom de la música urbana latina y la expansión del español a nivel global» (The Boom of Latin Urban Music and the Global Expansion of Spanish) will be presented in Seville next week. The event will be organized by YouTube Music in collaboration with the Antonio Nebrija Foundation and can be followed live through this LINK. «There we want to talk about the power of Spanish-speaking music. Assert our language, which is not only Spanish as we understand it in Spain; there are many real academies. We will have figures from politics, and there will also be some singers,» she previews.

And we conclude that the genre deserves respect because it is a movement that has weight, is currently moving a gigantic industry, is entering people’s homes, and, of course, deserves to be studied. «It’s just that young people have these stories in their heads and in their ears. This is very powerful, and we should analyze and study it as a society and not just stick to the typical message that it is music for the lower class. We have to see that this is happening and where it is evolving and how. I mean, because people are listening to this and feel represented by these codes.»

Original article in Spanish by Selene Moral on LOS40.com