2017 was a hot and trending year that brought Latin stars to mainstream music around the globe. Spotify alone saw a 110% increase in Latin music streaming and had 10 Latin songs appear on their Global Top 50 Playlist. Latin music video content also saw a boost in popularity when 6 out of the 10 most-watched music videos of 2017 on YouTube were from Latin creators. The movement towards mainstream Latin music is not slowing down so we are bringing you the next chart-topping acts that will dominate the new year. Here are Vydia’s Top Latin Creators to Watch in 2018: Jon Z, MelyMel, T3R Elemento, and Johann Vera.
Jon Z
Sounds Like: Mym, Miky Woodz, Juhn
Why You Should Pay Attention: Vydia sensation, Jonathan Resto Quiñone (better known as Jon Z), is THE Latin creator to watch in 2018. With 1.1 million monthly Spotify listeners and over 987k YouTube and Vevo subscribers, Jon Z is quickly making a name for himself. His reggaeton and American hip-hop/trap sound is said to be a “Puerto Rican counterpoint” to rappers such as Young Thug and Future. Jon Z first broke into the music scene in 2014 uploading his freestyles to YouTube and has evolved ever since. Jon Z’s music video “Latin Trap”, off his newest album JonTrapVolta, is reaching 5.67 million views and his newest music video “Dime Que Paso” was released only five days ago and already has 858k views! Follow Jon Z’s journey to the top and you won’t be disappointed.
Watch It For Yourself:
MelyMel
Sounds Like: Cirujano Nocturno, El Fother, La Insuperable
Why You Should Pay Attention: Known as the most respected female rapper within the urban genre in the Dominican Republic, Vydia creator Melymel is someone bound to make waves this year. She is a rapper, singer, actress, producer, lyricist, and one of the most requested rappers by her colleagues for collaborations. Melymel came into the music scene in 2005 and has grown to accumulate 28.3k monthly Spotify listeners, 86.1k YouTube and Vevo subscribers, and 1.3 million Instagram followers. Her upcoming album Dragon Queen is scheduled to be released later this year, so make sure to keep tabs on this hot off-the-charts creator.
Watch It For Yourself:
T3R Elemento
Sounds Like: Primera Generacion, Cornelio Vega y su Dinastia, Arturo Coronel y el Buen Estilo
Why You Should Pay Attention: Vydia’s own T3R Elemento, a Mexican Regional quartet from Los Angeles County and Las Vegas, Nevada, are infiltrating the music industry with their youthful take on the alternative corrido movement. They were founded by 14-year-old singer Kristopher Nava, Felipe Prieto, Sergio Cadenas, and Zeus Gamez back in 2015 and started out releasing videos to YouTube and digital singles to various streaming services. T3R Elemento’s Gerardo Ortiz and Regulo Caro inspired sound has since thrived with them reaching 534.2k monthly listeners on Spotify and having their latest single, “Fire Up”, peak at #44 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart. Make sure to follow T3R Elemento’s journey to the top in 2018.
Watch It For Yourself:
Johann Vera
Sounds Like: Abraham Mateo, Erick Brian Colón, Joel Pimentel
Why You Should Pay Attention: Vydia marvel, Johann Vera–a bilingual Ecuadorian singer, actor, and top Latin social influencer– is someone you should keep an eye on in the upcoming year. Vera came into the limelight when he appeared as a contestant on Simon Cowell’s singing competition “La Banda” season 1. As a competition finalist and fan favorite, Vera’s social following quickly exploded beyond that of the show with him reaching 1 million followers on Instagram, 206.8k monthly Spotify listeners, and 1 million combined YouTube and Vevo subscribers. He released his first independent single and music video “Pretty Girl (Tu Canción)” in 2015 which attracted 5.5 million views and recently dropped his music video “Ojo por Ojo” which continues to climb from 1.24 million views.
Watch It For Yourself:
Check out these Latin creators and Vydia’s various other Top Creators to watch in 2018 over on our Staff Picks Playlist! Don’t forget to check back tomorrow to see who we think will be the biggest name in Country this year!