| Stylistic origins | Contemporary R&B · Latin soul · dancehall |
|---|---|
| Cultural origins | 2000s–2010s, Latin America and U.S. |
| Instruments | Vocals · synthesizer · sampler · drum machine (Roland TR-808) |
Latin R&B (also known as Spanish-language R&B) is a style of R&B that originated in Latin America and the United States. It is a musical subgenre of American contemporary R&B and Latin soul that also takes influence from dancehall.[1] The genre began to gain popularity in the late 2010s and has since spread throughout Latin America.
Characteristics
Vocals include a majority of singing and occasionally rapping, in Spanish. The lyrics in Latin R&B are often about sadness, heartbreak, and sex.[1]
History
Latin R&B can trace its roots to Latin pop songs with an American R&B and new jack swing influence, such as the Selena and Barrio Boyzz song "Donde Quiera Que Estés" released in 1994.[2] According to Rolling Stone, Spanish-language singles by Álex Rose, Rauw Alejandro and Paloma Mami, which borrow from R&B, reached a global audience.[1] In Latin America, the genre became popular with Álex Rose's "Toda",[1] Dalex's "Pa Mí" and "Cuaderno",[3] and most notably Sech's "Otro Trago",[4] which peaked in number one in Spain, Argentina, Colombia and Mexico.[5] In the United States, "Otro Trago" reached the top of the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart and peaked at No. 34 in the Hot 100.[6]
See also
References
- ^ Leight, Elias (2019-01-22). "Latin Artists Changed Trap Music Forever — R&B Is Next". Rolling Stone. Archived December 7, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2019-01-22.
- ^ Mota, Jennifer (2019-09-25). "The Rise of Spanish Language R&B". Tidal. Archived August 30, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2019-09-25.
- ^ Roiz, Jessica (2019-06-06). "Latin Artist on the Rise: How "Pa Mí (Remix)" Put Puerto Rican Artist Dalex On the Map". Billboard. Archived August 10, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2019-06-06.
- ^ Cobo, Leila (2019-07-22). "How Rich Music's Father-Son Duo Are Leading the Way For Latin R&B". Billboard. Archived August 9, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
- ^ Suarez, Gary (9 June 2019). "With Two Concurrent Billboard Latin Hits, Sech Could Be Urbano's Next Big Thing". Forbes. Archived June 18, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2019-06-09.
- ^ Bustios, Pamela (2019-08-08). "Sech's "Otro Trago" Featuring Darell Hits No. 1 On Hot Latin Songs Chart". Billboard. Archived August 8, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2019-08-08.