Can Latin music also be pop music?

Every year, the Recording Academy honours the best in music through the Grammy Awards – which is not the same as the Latin Grammys. Earlier this month they announced the nominations and, as expected, many Latin names were missing from the nominations. With the exception of Ice Spice, the main categories did not recognise artists such as Karol G or Peso Pluma, who have achieved incredible results this year with their latest releases. This fact hints at the systematic exclusion of Latin music within the pop discourse when, in fact, Latin music is also pop music.

According to different articles in Billboard and Dazed, it could be said that pop music is in crisis in 2023. They confirm that there is a lack of new pop stars in the music charts that make room for the representation of different figures belonging to Latin music, along with “other” genres such as K-pop, Afrobeat and country. The narrative of this idea is that pop is understood as electronic dance music tinged with R&B with the occasional acoustic ballad; which makes you think of Britney, Rihanna and, yes, Taylor Swift. However, there are Latin artists within this style, such as Danna Paola, Emilia, Tini and more.

It’s perhaps interesting to think that the pop sound evolves like any other and it is not the same as the sound of the 50’s as it was in the 90’s – Elvis, The Beatles, Madonna, etc. – This is because musical genres are alive and kicking and because of the constant fusion with other sounds and changes in recording technology. Pop should perhaps be open to review what it is and what it is not. For to argue in the midst of 2023 that Latin music is just a niche market is simply wrong, just look at the numbers.

Among the top 50 most listened-to artists are Bad Bunny, Ozuna, Daddy Yankee, Karol G, Anuel AA, Rauw Alejandro, Shakira and Selena Gomez. As for the charts, in 2023, Billboard’s overall pop chart, the Hot 100, includes “BZRP Music Sessions Vol. 53” by Shakira and Bizarrap, “TQG” by Karol G and Shakira, “Calm Down” by Rema and Selena Gomez, “Ella Sola Baila” by Eslabón Armado and Peso Pluma, “Un x100to” by Grupo Frontera and Bad Bunny, and “Monaco” by Bad Bunny. To say that this is not part of the pop conversation is an attempt to keep Latin music, among other genres made by non-white or white-approved artists, marginalised.

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