Art by Stephany Torres for Remezcla.
Latine music from 2010 is officially celebrating its quinceañera this year. That year in particular marked an interesting time in Latine music, when pop was reigning supreme alongside reggaeton and alternative music. At the same time, EDM was starting to permeate the sound of all those genres.
As noted in the 2005 list, reggaeton music was unleashed on the world that year. Five years later, the genre from the Caribbean was full-steam ahead in conquering the world with pioneers like Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, Ivy Queen, and Wisin y Yandel on top. Every Top 40 pop song either featured reggaeton sounds or a star in el movimiento. Shakira found a happy medium between pop, rock, and el movimiento with her 2010 album Sale El Sol. The Colombian icon brought merengue to the forefront in “Loca,” blended cumbia with rap with Calle 13 in “Gordita,” and united the world with her FIFA World Cup anthem “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa).”
Like Shakira, Latine pop stars were taking more risks and pushing their sounds to new places. With the emergence of EDM at the time, Mexican singer Anahí wanted to shed her RBD past by embracing those sounds for her album Mi Delirio. Mexican-Spanish icon Belinda also embraced elements of electronica in her dreamy album Carpe Diem. In Chile, Javiera Mena was also becoming a pioneer in the Latine EDM scene with her self-titled album.
This year also marked the debut of a Latine pop star who followed in Romeo Santos’ footsteps and continued to push bachata into the mainstream. Prince Royce bridged bachata with a beloved classic with his Spanglish version of “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King. Spanish singer Pablo Alborán also made debut that year with the enchanting “Solamente Tú.”
Without further ado, here are 20 of our favorite songs by Latine and Spanish artists from 2010 celebrating their quinceañera this year.
Don Omar pushed reggaeton to new places when he fused the genre with elements of Portuguese music. He teamed up with Portuguese–French singer Lucenzo for the irresistible “Danza Kuduro.” The song was also famously included in the Fast Five soundtrack the following.
Before Rosalía’s “Despechá” or Karol G’s “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido,” Shakira had the world moving to merengue with the fierce “Loca.” The English version of the song featured British rapper Dizzee Rascal, while the Spanish version featured Dominican singer El Cata.
Over a decade after bringing bachata music to the mainstream, Aventura decided to part ways for the first time with their album The Last. The LP included the heartfelt “Dile Al Amor,” which Santos and his bandmates have continued to perform on their reunion tours.
Whether with Los Bukis or as a solo artist, Marco Antonio Solís has released the most romantic songs in Latine music throughout his career. 2010 was no exception when the Mexican legend dropped the breathtaking ballad “¿A Dónde Vamos A Parar?”
Ivy Queen has never left her crown slip as the female regent of reggaeton music. The Puerto Rican icon blended reggaeton with elements of electronica in the empowering “La Vida Es Así,” which also included a refreshing bachata breakdown.
In 2010, Belinda became one of the first artists in Latine music to embrace EDM. The Spanish-Mexican icon joined forces with Pitbull for the fierce club banger “Egoísta.”
Throughout his career, Residente has become known for speaking up about social issues in his music. While in Calle 13, the Puerto Rican icon put the focus on “Latinoamérica,” one of the most important songs that united the countries in the region.
Enrique Iglesias blended pop with bachata in his smash hit “Cuando Me Enamoro.” The Spanish pop icon teamed up with one of the Dominican Republic’s biggest artists, Juan Luis Guerra, for the feel-good collaboration.
Hailing from the Bronx, NY, Prince Royce followed in the footsteps of Santos and Aventura. He instantly made his mark on Latine music with his bachata-infused version of “Stand By Me,” which he sang in Spanglish.
In her first album after RBD disbanded, Anahí pushed the boundaries of Latine pop with Mi Delirio. The Mexican singer embraced electropop in the hypnotic “Me Hipnotizas,” which was written by Gloria Trevi. Last year, two drag queens battled it out to Anahí’s song on the second season of Drag Race México.
When Wisin y Yandel released La Revolución: Live in 2010, they loaded the LP with a few new songs as a gift to their fans. The Puerto Rican duo showed a softer side to their sound with the romantic “Estoy Enamorado.”
Camila first rose to prominence as part of Mexico’s pop-rock music wave. In 2010, the trio scored the biggest hit of their career with the soaring “Mientes” from their Dejarte de Amar album.
In 2010, Chino & Nacho were proudly representing Venezuela in the Latine music scene. The duo charmed women around the world with their sweet love song “Niña Bonita.”
Daddy Yankee kept the momentum in his career going strong with his 2010 album Mundial. The Puerto Rican icon blended reggaeton with elements of merengue in the heartbreaking “La Despedida.”
ChocQuibTown put Colombia’s Chocó region on the map with their debut single. The trio, which includes Goyo, Tostao, and Slow, won the Latin Grammy for Best Alternative Song for the defiant “De Donde Vengo Yo,” which celebrated their Afro-Colombian roots.
After bringing electropop to the forefront, Belanova pushed their sound further into the future with the album Sueño Electro I. A shining gem on that LP was the dreamy “Nada De Más.”
Doble T & El Crok were a precursor to the Dominican Republic’s dembow music movement. The duo showed the very beginnings of the genre with the freaky “Pa Mangar Mi Visa.”
In the Latine EDM space, Mena has long represented women and the LGBTQ+ community within the genre. The Chilean musician first made her mark in synth-pop with her 2010 album Mena, which included the dazzling “Hasta La Verdad.”
Following Alejandro Sanz’s footsteps, Alborán made his debut in 2010 with the stunning “Solamente Tú.” A decade later, the Spanish singer-songwriter came out as gay and proved that his love songs are universal.
No Te Va Gustar breathed new life into the Latine rock scene with their ska-infused sound. The Uruguayan group sang about mourning the loss of an ex-lover in the brassy “Chau.”
