Over the last decade, we have seen a transition of Latin music coming into mainstream media and staging a global takeover. Within this transition, we’ve also specifically seen Latinas absolutely dominating charts and making history like we’ve never seen it before.
The initial explosion of Latin music was led by men, but we’ve finally started to see more and more women start to dominate areas that they never have before. This ranges from Latinas enjoying chart success outside of Latin America and headlining huge American festivals to going on sold-out worldwide tours. It seems the world is finally starting to recognize the powerhouse that Latinas are in the music industry.
One Latina who has been carrying the torch the last couple of years is undeniably Karol G. She is now set to become the second Latin person ever to headline Coachella in 2026 and the first Latina artist to ever headline the festival.
She’s also seen chart success that has broken records: her album Mańana Sera Bonito peaked at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart, making her the first Latina to with a Spanish-language project to achieve that title in nearly 30 years. The same album also led a widely successful tour that cemented her as the highest grossing Latina touring artist. She’s performed stadiums that, not so long ago, seemed out of reach for any Latin artist, let alone a female one.
But these aren’t individual accomplishments; they truly reflect a shift in the way audiences consume music. Latin music and artists have broken borders with the wave of music streaming platforms. Shifts like these are what have allowed Latina artists to reach a broader audience and become global successes.
We might be seeing more Latinas in the space today, but that doesn’t mean that they haven’t always been here. Shakira is one of the powerhouse Latina talents that has shown longevity in her career. Her musical comeback after 7 years was with her recent album Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, peaking at #13 on the Billboard 200 chart and winning Best Latin Pop album at the Grammys earlier this year. Outside of awards and mainstream chart success, she has opened pathways and pioneered success for so many other Latina artists that we’ve seen over the last decade.
Becky G is another artist to prove longevity in the space, being able to transition from teen star to Latina superstar. She has mastered the art of collaborating throughout Latin genres. With chart-topping collaborations with Bad Bunny, Natti Natasha, Karol G and Peso Pluma, she has never been tied to just one musical genre. Her career illustrates crossover appeal and influence. She’s had hit songs in reggaeton, Latin pop, and even traditional Mexican regional musical genres. Her cultural duality is a strength, and it’s how she’s adapted in an ever-changing industry. And just like Shakira, she has shown her staying power as she leans into her dual cultural background to broaden her audience and reach.
We have also come to see Latinas breaking into genres that have historically been dominated by men in the mainstream media. Young Miko is part of the younger generation of Latina artists entering the world of reggaeton, urban and Latin trap.
Young Miko is not only proving that Latinas have a voice in those genres, but she’s becoming a voice within the LGBTQ community within those circles as well. She’s navigated a space that was predominately reserved for men. For example, she was the only woman who received a Grammy nomination in the Musica Urbana category.
But she’s also showcasing the shift in how success can be attained in the music industry. She did not break into music through the traditional path, but instead showed the importance that building an online fan base can have. She started on SoundCloud, building a base there before having major collaborations with Bad Bunny, Feid, and Bad Gyal.
She’s also collaborated with artists outside of the Latin music world. She recently collaborated with BIA on her most recent single “BIRTHDAY BEHAVIOR”. As a Gen-Z artist, she was also able to jump on the music streaming revolution and embrace the digital age and the genre blending that has come with it.
Latinas have been able to enjoy this global takeover because finally Latin music is more accessible to listeners outside of just Latin America. Platforms like SoundCloud, Spotify, Apple Music, and, in recent years, TikTok, have helped solidify the fact that Latin artists don’t need to cross over to English to see success. This new way of consuming music has opened so many doors for the world of Latin music and women in those spaces.
However, these powerhouse Latinas are not just riding the trend of Latin music becoming popular; they’re truly leading it by challenging traditional industry norms and proving that success is possible for Hispanics/Latinas in the music industry on a global scale.
[…] Latinas are leading a global takeover in music […]