ROBI is proving that Puerto Rico has more to offer than perreo. The rising Boricua star first rose to prominence four years ago with the reggaeton smash “Pantysito,” then stepped away to rediscover himself as an artist. This year, ROBI re-emerged as Puerto Rico’s pop it boy with his debut album, Sorry Si Soy GRRRIS. Without letting go of his roots in el movimiento, he brings Boricua giants like Wisin and Young Miko into the deeply personal world of his LP.
“So the pop genre can make a comeback in Puerto Rico, I feel deeply committed to carrying this movement forward and keeping the momentum going,” ROBI tells Remezcla. “My major influences when it comes to Puerto Rican pop are Tommy Torres, Luis Fonsi, and Ricky Martin. I’m truly dedicated to making music that fills my heart and feels authentic to who I am while proudly representing Puerto Rico.”
ROBI is the stage name of Roberto Chabrier Báez Moraza, who hails from Carolina. Having grown up in the homeland of reggaeton, he naturally counts Wisin as one of his four essential artists. Fonsi, Justin Bieber, and Bruno Mars round out the list. ROBI fostered his love of music at Escuela Libre de Música, whose alums include Calle 13’s Residente and Rafa Pabón. At the prestigious music school, he honed his songwriting skills. His breakthrough arrived in 2022, when he collaborated with up-and-coming Boricua singer Alejo. They uploaded a snippet of “Pantysito” to TikTok, catching the attention of Colombian superstar Feid, who later joined them on the global hit.
“‘Pantysito’ changed my life so much because it taught me a lot about what it feels like to have a big song,” ROBI recalls. “It also showed me all the work required afterward to build a career that was truly my own. I look back on that track with a lot of love. It marked my first real steps forward in music. It also really helped me believe in myself more and realize that this was no longer just a dream, but something that could be sustainable with hard work.”
Contrary to the popular belief that ROBI set out to be a reggaetonero, he reveals that he was actually signed to Interscope Records in 2021 as a pop singer. Rather than release more reggaeton bangers after the success of “Pantysito,” ROBI stepped away from the genre in the years that followed. He remembers telling himself, “OK, I need to ride the wave of what’s happening for a bit, but at some point, I’m going to go back to who I really am.” ROBI adds, “I realized I wasn’t being true to what I wanted to do at that moment: committing to my pop sound and my own music.” In 2024, he finally found his groove as a Puerto Rican pop singer with the angst-driven anthem “Sorry Es Que Soy Bipolarrr,” featuring Young Miko.
“Little by little, I found a middle ground between what my fans already knew of me and the new ideas I wanted to offer them through my music,” ROBI says. “I found that sweet spot with ‘Sorry Es Que Soy Bipolarrr.’ It was going to be a solo song before Young Miko jumped on it. She messaged me saying that she loved the song and thought the lyrics were beautiful. She really added her own magic to it. That song was a game-changer for me. It marked a before-and-after moment in how people perceived me and the pop music I’m making.”
ROBI shaped Sorry Si Soy GRRRIS around songs that explore his mental health and emotions. The LP includes the intimate “Sorry Es Que Soy Intenso (Apocalipsis)” and the rock-infused “OK.” He also embraces his inner pop heartthrob on the funky “BRRREAK!,” a song about the push-and-pull of a toxic relationship. “My music has always been a way for me to express what I’m feeling,” ROBI says. “I want people to feel like my music is a safe space for them where they can be themselves without having to apologize for it or filter their feelings. It’s OK to feel sad or incredibly happy. It’s OK to let yourself feel things.”
ROBI also blends pop with Puerto Rican genres, including salsa on “Jaja, Sorry Es Que Me Pongo Nervioso.” He returns to reggaeton with one of his biggest idols, Wisin, for the sultry “Se Me Hace Imposible Olvidarte :(.” ROBI says, “Wisin loved my album and what I was doing, and he wanted to contribute to it. I had always envisioned doing a track with Wisin that brought back that romantic vibe from the Wisin y Yandel era around 2008. Our song goes exactly in that direction, and honestly, I couldn’t be happier with the final result.”
ROBI continues to expand his Latin pop world with “De Sueño En Sueño,” featuring Arón Piper. He hopes to collaborate next with Álvaro Díaz, Fonsi, and Latin Mafia. Looking ahead, ROBI wants to headline his own concert at Puerto Rico’s El Choli and win a Grammy. “I’d love to keep doing what I’m doing, but on a bigger scale,” he says. “I want to reach people who need to hear my music and my message.”