Reggaeton’s rise goes back to the early 1990s in Puerto Rico, an evolution of dancehall, reggae, hip-hop and traditional Latin rhythms. Early trailblazers such as Daddy Yankee and Tego Calderón put the genre on the map with the signature dembow beat, a percussion style that remains a distinct staple of the movement decades later. Breaking out from the underground, the music reflects the urgency of social and political issues confronting the communities that launched the scene in the first place.
Reggaeton’s ascent was steady and organic through the ‘90s, but it broke into the mainstream on a global stage with landmark smash hits like Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” and Don Omar’s “Dale Don Dale.” The success of these tracks elevated reggaeton to international acclaim, influencing pop and hip-hop far beyond its Latin American origins. This era paved the way for another generation of superstars including J Balvin and Nicky Jam, who crossed over into pop and dance culture while maintaining the essence and soul of reggaeton. In 2017, “Despacito,” a global smash from Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, brought the movement to a new generation of pop fans. Bad Bunny’s career exploded in parallel, establishing him as one of the biggest names in music as a chart-topping and Grammy-winning artist, as well as the first Spanish-language artist and first Latino solo artist to headline Coachella.
As reggaeton continues to be a dominant force in music and culture, the next wave of artists are pushing genre boundaries and creating their own signature sounds, shaping the future of the movement. Let’s take a look at five trends that are working in tandem to define the current state of reggaeton in 2025.
5 Trends Defining the Current State of Reggaeton in 2025
1. Women in Reggaeton: Breaking Gender Norms and Leading the Genre’s Future
There was a time when Ivy Queen was regarded as the only woman in reggaeton, battle-rapping (and often humbling) her peers inside Puerto Rico’s storied Noise nightclub in the ‘90s. But reggaeton is no longer a male-dominated space. Driven by her 2023 opus ‘Mañana Será Bonito,’Karol G has broken records in streaming and touring, opening the door for a new wave of women who are subverting the male gaze and empowering the next generation of artists. Spain’s Bad Gyal, Brazil’s Anitta and Mexico’s Bellakath are just a few of the notable voices who are owning their sexuality and controlling the narrative around their bodies. This new era has also opened the door to making reggaeton more inclusive of the queer community, with artists like Young Miko dismantling years of homophobia inherent since the early days of reggaeton.
2. Genre-Blending Reggaeton: How Today’s Artists Are Mixing Pop, Salsa, and Urban Sounds
In today’s reggaeton scene, artists are increasingly eschewing the constraints of being labeled an artist of a particular genre and are instead focusing on capturing a moment or evoking a feeling, using whichever sonic backdrop is at their disposal. On their most recent albums, Puerto Rico’s Rauw Alejandro and Bad Bunny made the world fall back in love with salsa, then went back and forth between more pop and urban sounds without missing a step. They’re hardly alone. Even Mexico’s top artists, such as Peso Pluma, whom many may be tempted to put in the Mexican music box, reserve the right to play in the reggaeton sandbox if and whenever they feel like it, without losing credibility back home.
3. Afrobeats and Reggaeton: Honoring the Genre’s African Diaspora Roots
Colombian artists such as Kapo, Hamilton, and Beele are leading a movement that blends afrobeats with reggaeton. By honoring Colombia’s rich Black heritage originating in the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, these artists are playing an important role in opening up the conversation with the larger African diaspora. The flirtation between reggaeton and afrobeats goes back at least to 2019, as heard on J Balvin and Bad Bunny’s ‘Oasis’ joint EP. Another notable moment came in 2023 when Colombian Feid collaborated with Nigerian Rema on “Bubalu.” This new wave of artists are ensuring the link endures.
4. Embracing Community, Cultural Roots and Hyper-Local Music Scenes
In the “Despacito” era (in the late 2010s), or even going back to the “Reggaeton Latino” days (in the mid-2000s), the goal was to have a hit that appealed to audiences globally, sounding as if it came from anywhere and everywhere at the same time. It’s what reggaeton historians now refer to as the pan-Latino approach. But over time, this idea of Latinos as a monolith has lost its validity, with artists opting instead to lean into the idiosyncrasies that make them unique. Think Bad Bunny’s ‘Debí Tirar Más Fotos’ album, which is both a love letter to Puerto Rico, as well as a public service announcement on the island’s current socio-political crisis. Elsewhere, artists like Spain’s Quevedo and Chile’s Cris MJ are encouraging audiences everywhere to get up on their slang and culture, while Venezuela’s Danny Ocean is using his brand of atmospheric reggaeton to raise awareness about his people fleeing violence and political persecution.
5. Dirty Dancing: Embracing Reggaeton’s Raunchy Side
In its early days, reggaeton was deemed hypersexual. This is a movement whose signature dance is the perreo, after all (or doggystyle). Though beloved by the masses, that raunch also became a target in the ‘90s, when Puerto Rico’s government launched an all-out ban on the music, raiding record stores and shutting down radio stations that dared to play it. In order to survive, reggaeton became increasingly radio-friendly over the years, and reached a wider pop audience in the process. Flash forward to 2025, and that raunch is back with a vengeance, with some young artists pushing the boundary of what’s considered palatable to put on record. Case in point: Darrell’s “Lollipop” or Dani Flow’s entire album, ‘El Rey del Morbo.’
As reggaeton enters its mid-life era, it’s only natural that we would see a marked evolution, with that familiar dembow beat never too far behind. Dig into our collection of tracks that showcases those who are shaping where the movement is at, and where it’s headed.
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Bad Bunny, “Voy a Llevarte Pa’ PR”
In this classic reggaeton track from his most recent album, ‘Debí Tirar Más Fotos’, the artist known simply as Benito to fans worldwide, reiterates why Puerto Rico is the cradle of perreo. But he warns listeners: “If you come here, you won’t ever want to leave.”
Karol G, Maldy, “GATÚBELA”
As one of the lead singles from the Karol G’s ‘Mañana Será Bonito’ 2023 album, this collaboration with veteran artist Maldy — who experienced great success in the early days of reggaeton as one-half of the duo Plan B — reaffirmed the Colombian pop star’s ability to appeal to the streets.
Bad Gyal, Ivy Queen, “Perdió”
It’s beautiful to see Bad Gyal, 28, give Ivy Queen her flowers via this empowering collaboration from 2024. Having often expressed her admiration for the original queen of reggaeton, Bad Gyal earned one of the biggest co-signs of her career with this collaborative track.
Anitta, Chencho Corleone, “Gata”
Taking a page from the Karol G playbook, Anitta called upon another reggaeton OG, Checho Corleone, to sprinkle some street cred on this track that starts off as reggaeton but finishes as an electro-funk extravaganza.
Young Miko, Feid, “offline”
These are two young artists who effortlessly create catchy melodies that strike a balance between pop and reggaeton, using a shorthand type of language with fans. For those unfamiliar, these artists incorporate made-up words into their music and play with language in their own unique way. For example, the word “mor” is a word Feid invented that he and his fans use that’s short for “love” or “my love.” While individually Young Miko and Feid do this very well, when they team up, it’s simply irresistible.
Rauw Alejandro, Bad Bunny, “Que Pasaría”
In the midst of Rauw Alejandro’s experimental album ‘Cosa Nuestra,’ delivered in late 2024, two of Puerto Rico’s most chameleonic artists deliver a textbook reggaeton banger.
Quevedo, Rels B, “Los Días Contados”
As two of the most successful artists repping the Spanish flag today, Quevedo and Rels B bring a reggaeton love story to life with a dance-pop sensibility.
Peso Pluma, Kenia OS, “TOMMY & PAMELA”
The chemistry between juggernaut Peso Pluma and pop singer Kenia Os on this collaborative track can only be described as sizzling. In an homage to one of the hottest couples in history, Motley Crue’s Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson, the young Mexican stars trade sensuous verses against a classic dembow beat.
Kapo, “Ohna”
Growing up in Cali, Colombia, 27-year-old Kapo was heavily influenced by Afro-Caribbean sounds such as champeta. In the last two years, he has become known for infusing reggaeton with afrobeats and offering a distinct sound in a crowded field.
Hamilton, Nanpa Basico, “Mi Reina”
Hailing from Cartagena, Colombia, Afro-Colombian artist Hamilton burst onto the international scene in 2024 as someone determined to bring a new brand of afrobeats to the forefront of the Latin music conversation.
Darell, “Lollipop”
If radio play was still the primary objective for artists such as Puerto Rico’s Darell, then this one would prove particularly challenging. Lucky for him, parental advisory stickers are not really a thing in the streaming era and this kind of explicit tune is what fans have come to expect from him.
Myke Towers, “SE TE NOTA (feat. Peso Pluma)”
After collaborating with Bad Bunny in 2019, Towers reels in another of Latin pop’s brightest lights for this top track from his latest album.
Danny Ocean, “escala en Panamá”
The Venezuelan native has been cranking out singles, dozens of them, since 2016.
Omar Courtz, “SERIO CON ESE Q”
There’s a fantasy theme to the video that accompanies this collaborative track, with the two artists shown ascending to heaven.
Bellakath, “Reggaeton Champagne”
You can hear the bubbles inside the music on this collab between this relative newcomer and the well-established musician Dani Flow.
FloyyMenor Official, “Gata Only (Remix)”
It’s been 25 years since a Chilean artist last broke into the top 10 of Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, as this big hit did earlier this year.
Fuerza Regida, “NEL”
Regional Mexican band from San Bernardino, CA.
Nio Garcia, “Anónima (feat. Brytiago)”
From San Juan, Garcia has built his career with his on-point choreography almost as much as his hit-making skills.
Kevin AMF, “Faldita ALO”
Still only 16, Mexico’s Kevin Moreno has a bright future in reggaeton.
Brytiago, “Aura"
Born Bryan Cancel Santiago, he joined Daddy Yankee’s record label, El Cartel, in 2016.
Cris MJ, “SI NO ES CONTIGO”
The hit remix of his 2022 single “Una Noche en Medellin,” featuring Karol G and Ryan Castro, helped break this young rapper in America.
Jhay Cortez, “Torii”
Born in Puerto Rico, he grew up in Camden, NJ, where he retained his homeland roots.
Riio, “Como Tu”
“I just wanna rock with you, I wanna get lost with you,” the singer coos in falsetto – and in English – on this bilingual track.
nsqk, “BOBOMENSOTONTO”
From the musical project of the Mexican artist Rodrigo Torres, born in Monterrey and raised in Houston.
Blessd, “DEJALO”
The singer-songwriter was nominated for three Heat Latin Music Awards based on his smash “Medallo,” a Number One in Colombia.
FloyyMenor Official, “PELIGROSA”
Born Alan Felipe Galleguillos, he’s made his name as part of the Chilean “urbano” trend.
W Sound, “Soltera (W Sound 01)”
Collab featuring Blessd and the Colombian producer-musician known as Ovy on the Drums.
Luis R Conriquez, “Volando Bajito”
Regional Mexican musician who specializes in corridos belicos.
OmyDeOro, “Celosa”
With help from Nio Garcia, here’s a new track from this Puerto Rican star who went to the same high school as Bad Bunny.
NES, “QUE LE DE”
An ominous, cinematic theme kicks off this intriguing collab with Chile’s Cris MJ.
Fuerza Regida, “VALERIA (feat. Gordo)”
They started as a cover band before establishing a strong identity all their own.
legallyrxx, “ARCHIVO 5.wav”
The rising reggaeton artist is from Mexico City, and his music reflects that vibrant culture.
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