In 2023, Latin music has had one of its best years, with its artists achieving remarkable success. Just a month before the year wraps up, Billboard has revealed its list of the top 10 artists who have made a significant impact this year. It’s important to note that many other artists not featured in this top 10, have also made a substantial contribution to Latin music.
Among the talented female Latin artists who didn’t make it into the top 10, we can find internationally acclaimed names such as Kali Uchis at number 32, Becky G at number 31, Rosalía at number 17, and Shakira at number 14. Among the male artists are, Daddy Yankee at number 25, Manuel Turizo at number 20, Carin León at number 16, the king of bachata Romeo Santos at number 13, Yng Lvcas at number 12, and the pioneering figure in corridos tumbados, Natanael Cano, at number 11.
It’s worth mentioning that most of the artists in this top list are mainly associated with Mexican music, and this includes not just corridos tumbados. This highlights the significant influence and global impact that this music genre has achieved.
You may not have heard of Iván Cornejo before, but you’re sure to in the future, as he’s a young and talented rising star in the Latin music scene. At just 19 years old, he has already made waves on the Regional Mexican charts, including our Lista LOS40 USA, with his song «Aquí Te Espero.»
In 2021, at the young age of 17, Cornejo released his song «Está Dañada» from his debut album Alma Vacía. The track went viral on TikTok and made its way to the Billboard Hot 100. As Cornejo himself has noted, the song is a fusion of indie and sierreño, reflecting his musical identity.
The Colombian artist is currently living the musical life of his dreams, but it wasn’t always like this. He actually kicked off his journey composing for other artists. There was this moment when contemporaries from his generation, like Maluma, Karol G, and J Balvin, were catapulting to fame.
Now, with the release of his October album, Mor, No Le Temas a la Oscuridad, Feid reached a career-high spot on the Top Latin Albums chart. This album showcases Feid’s bold exploration of new sounds combined with fan favorites. The album’s title pays homage to the beloved ’90s Nickelodeon show, ‘Are You Afraid of the Dark?’
Just this year, Junior H has teamed up with Peso Pluma on several songs like «El Azul,» «El Tsurito,» «Luna,» «Bipolar,» and «Lady Gaga.» What’s impressive is that «Lady Gaga» hit the number 1 spot on both the Mexico Songs and Hot Latin Songs charts, marking his first appearance on these lists. Moreover, his own music talent has earned him platinum certification for three of his albums: Cruisin’ with Junior H, Mi Vida En Un Cigarro 2, and $ad Boyz 4 Life.
To this day, it’s hard to believe that there are still people who haven’t heard about Grupo Frontera or their hit songs such as «No se va,» their collaboration with Bad Bunny in «1x100to,» or their song with Peso Pluma, «Tulum.»
One of the most famous Puerto Ricans is currently in the top 10, having a successful year in his music career, although his romantic life hasn’t been as fortunate. This year, he also went through a breakup with Rosalía, his collaborator on the EP RR. On the music front, he released his album Playa Saturno. As for year-end charts, he’s prominently featured on six lists, including Top Latin Albums Artists and Top Latin Artists – Male, where he holds the No. 3 spot in both categories.
Eslabón Armando is widely recognized for their hit song «Ella Baila Sola,» a collaboration with Peso Pluma. This track achieved a remarkable feat on the Billboard Hot 100 by securing a spot in the top 10, making it the first of its kind to do so in the 65-year history of the chart. Similarly, on our Lista LOS40 USA, it stayed several weeks at the number 1 position.
Beyond the charts, this song undeniably marked a significant moment for Mexican music on the global stage, opening doors for many fellow countrymen in the industry.
Fuerza Regida originated in California, but their music proudly reflects their Mexican heritage. They’re well-known for their contributions to the corridos tumbados genre, and many of their songs have topped charts not only in Mexico but also in the United States with hits like «Sabor a Fresa,» «El Jefe» featuring Shakira, «TQM,» and their latest release, «Harley Quinn.» What’s truly remarkable is that they became the first Spanish-speaking act to reach the number one spot on the Top Artists – Duo/Group chart, spanning all music genres.
The name of Karol G and its success speaks for itself. Just this year, she’s been winning awards at every awards show where she’s nominated, being her latest victories came at the Billboard Music Awards 2023 and the Latin Grammy Awards. At Billboard, she’s held the top spot as the highest-ranked female artist on the year-end Top Latin Artists list for five years in a row now. What’s more, her album Mañana Será Bonito has made history by becoming the first Spanish-language album by a female artist to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in its impressive 67-year history.
At just 23 years old, he has emerged as the main figure in Mexican music –with his corridos tumbados– on a global scale, thanks to his chart-topping singles and collaborations. His viral hit «Ella Baila Sola» featuring Eslabón Armado held the coveted number 1 position on the US charts for several consecutive weeks. He also made a historic performance at the VMA’s ceremony, becoming the first star to perform Mexican music with his song «Lady Gaga,» featuring Gabito Ballesteros and Junior H.
His hit songs includes: «La Bebé,» Remix’ featuring Yng Lvcas, «PRC» with Natanael Cano, «AMG» alongside Natanael Cano and Gabito Ballesteros, «El Azul» with Junior H, and his highly talked-about participation in the «#55 BZRP Music Session.»
Bad Bunny is another artist who’s a household name, much like Karol G. He’s been the top artist in Latin music for five years in a row, just like her. And he’s about to officially dominate the first half of this decade as the undisputed king of Latin music, having ruled the charts every year from 2020 to now.
Listing his hits is a tough job because he’s had songs reach the top spots whether he’s collaborating with others or going solo. His 2022 album, Un Verano Sin Ti, produced by Mag and Tainy, broke records left and right and holds a special place in the hearts of his fans. Notably, it also became the highest-grossing tour by any Latin artist.