Tag: Xavi

Celebrating 10 Years of Spotify’s Viva Latino Playlist and the Global Rise of Latin Music

September 15, 2025

A decade ago, Latin music made up just 8% of global Spotify streams. Today, it accounts for more than a quarter (27%) of all listening worldwide—a testament to the artists and fans who have fueled its unstoppable rise.

Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, Viva Latino, Spotify’s flagship Latin music playlist, has been at the center of this evolution. Launched in 2015 as one of the first major Latin music playlists on a streaming platform, Viva Latino has helped connect listeners to new voices, genre-defining anthems, and the next wave of global superstars. In that time, global Latin music streams have grown by over 2,500% on Spotify, representing an increase of more than 587 billion streams.

At its heart, Viva Latino is about celebrating the artists who are defining the sound of a generation and the fans who make every song a movement. Spotify’s music editors curate the playlist to spotlight rising stars, honor established icons, and capture the moments that matter most to the Latin music community. More than just a playlist, Viva Latino has been a bridge, exporting identity, sounds, and culture to the world.

“Viva Latino’s influence on the global Latin music landscape over the last decade is unmatched,” said Antonio Vazquez, Head of US Latin Editorial, Spotify. “Over the years, the playlist has become one of the most recognized destinations for Latin music and a synonym for Latin hits. It has opened doors and served as a catalyst for the success of so many Latin artists who are now global superstars, and we couldn’t be more proud to have created those connections and helped tell their stories. Viva Latino is in constant evolution, and I can’t wait to see what the next 10 years will bring.”

Spotlighting breakthroughs and cultural shifts

Viva Latino has played a key role in surfacing hits before they topped the charts. For instance, Anitta’s “Envolver” appeared on the playlist 132 days before hitting No. 1 globally; Myke Towers’ “LALA” 99 days before; and Xavi’s “La Diabla” 29 days before. For artists like KAROL G and Rauw Alejandro, early playlist support helped introduce their music to new audiences and set the stage for global stardom.

As Latin music has evolved, so has Viva Latino, reflecting the rise of corridos tumbados, Música Mexicana, and other genres now making waves worldwide.

A decade of impact

Viva Latino has helped redefine the reach of Latin music. Here are just a few highlights from its first decade:

- Viva Latino is now one of Spotify’s top five playlists globally.
- Listeners have streamed the playlist for more than 595 million hours since 2017.
- “La Bachata” by Manuel Turizo holds the record for the longest run on Viva Latino (33 months), followed by:
  - “VISTA AL MAR” by Quevedo (30 months)
  - “Feliz Cumpleaños Ferxxo” by Feid (30 months)
  - “PROVENZA” by KAROL G (28 months)
  - “Hey Mor” by Feid and Ozuna (28 months)
- “Hey Mor” by Feid and Ozuna is the most-streamed song in Viva Latino history.
- Beéle’s breakthrough: Within a month of his Viva Latino debut in 2019, Beéle’s streams surged by 168%.

A platform for artists, a community for fans

As Viva Latino turns 10, we’re celebrating the talented artists and passionate fans who have made the playlist a global destination, and we’re looking ahead to even more discoveries, anthems, and milestones.

Hit play below and join us in celebrating a decade of Viva Latino.

Celebramos 10 años de Viva Latino en Spotify y el éxito global de la música latina

September 15, 2025

Hace una década, la música latina representaba apenas el 8% de las reproducciones globales en Spotify. Hoy, constituye más de una cuarta parte (27%) de toda la escucha en el mundo—un testimonio de los artistas y fans que han impulsado su crecimiento imparable.

Ahora que cumple su décimo aniversario, Viva Latino, la playlist insignia de música latina de Spotify, ha estado en el centro de esta evolución. Lanzada en 2015 como una de las primeras playlists latinas de gran alcance en una plataforma de streaming, Viva Latino ha ayudado a conectar a los oyentes con nuevas voces, himnos que definen géneros y la próxima ola de superestrellas globales. En ese tiempo, las reproducciones globales de música latina han crecido más de un 2.500% en Spotify, lo que representa un aumento de más de 587 mil millones de streams.

En su esencia, Viva Latino celebra a los artistas que están definiendo el sonido de una generación y a los fans que convierten cada canción en un movimiento. Los editores de música en Spotify curan la playlist para destacar a los talentos emergentes, honrar a los iconos ya más establecidos y capturar los momentos que más importan para la comunidad de música latina. Más que una playlist, Viva Latino ha sido un puente que exporta identidad, sonidos y cultura al mundo.

“La influencia de Viva Latino en el panorama global de la música latina durante la última década no tiene comparación”, dijo Antonio Vazquez, Head of US Latin Editorial, Spotify. “Con los años, la playlist se ha convertido en uno de los destinos más reconocidos para la música latina y en sinónimo de éxitos latinos. Ha abierto puertas y ha sido un catalizador para el éxito de tantos artistas latinos que hoy son superestrellas globales, y no podríamos estar más orgullosos de haber creado esas conexiones y ayudado a contar sus historias. Viva Latino está en constante evolución y no puedo esperar a ver lo que traerá los próximos 10 años”.

Destacando avances y cambios culturales

Viva Latino ha desempeñado un papel clave al visibilizar éxitos que más tarde liderarían los charts. Por ejemplo, “Envolver” de Anitta apareció en la playlist 132 días antes de llegar al No. 1 global; “LALA” de Myke Towers, 99 días antes; y “La Diabla” de Xavi, 29 días antes. Para artistas como KAROL G y Rauw Alejandro, el apoyo temprano de la playlist ayudó a presentar su música a nuevas audiencias y preparó el terreno para su éxito global.

A medida que la música latina ha evolucionado, también lo ha hecho Viva Latino, reflejando el auge de los corridos tumbados, Música Mexicana y otros géneros que hoy están marcando tendencia a nivel mundial.

Una década de impacto

Viva Latino ha ayudado a redefinir el alcance de la música latina. Estos son algunos puntos por destacar de su primera década:

- Hoy en día, Viva Latino es una de las top cinco playlists de Spotify a nivel global.
- Usuarios han reproducido la playlist por más de 595 millones de horas desde 2017.
- “La Bachata” de Manuel Turizo tiene el récord de permanencia más larga en Viva Latino (33 meses), seguida por:
  - “VISTA AL MAR” de Quevedo (30 meses)
  - “Feliz Cumpleaños Ferxxo” de Feid (30 meses)
  - “PROVENZA” de KAROL G (28 meses)
  - “Hey Mor” de Feid y Ozuna (28 meses)
- “Hey Mor” de Feid y Ozuna es la canción más reproducida en la historia de Viva Latino.
- El despegue de Beéle: en el mes posterior a su debut en Viva Latino en 2019, sus streams aumentaron un 168%.

Una plataforma para artistas, una comunidad para fans

Mientras Viva Latino cumple 10 años, celebramos a los artistas talentosos y a los fans apasionados que han hecho de la playlist un destino global, y miramos hacia adelante a más descubrimientos, himnos e hitos.

Dale play abajo y únete a la celebración por una década de Viva Latino.

‘La Tierra de Texas’ Celebrates the Tejano Legacy of Música Mexicana at the Houston Rodeo

March 7, 2024

On February 26, 1995, Selena walked into the middle of the Astrodome as the headlining act for the Houston Rodeo’s Go Tejano Day and delivered a performance that would help solidify her status as a musical legend. And nearly 30 years later, not only have her fans streamed her songs more than 2 billion times on Spotify, but they’re still talking about that iconic performance.

Just as Selena was more than a singer, the Houston Rodeo is more than an annual event for many Texans—they are both institutions beloved across generations. And as millions of people enjoy this year’s three-week celebration of all things cowboy, Spotify is helping music take center stage at the rodeo once again with La Tierra de Texas. With live musical performances including Ivan Cornejo and Los Tigres del Norte, Música Mexicana was ever present in 2024’s Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

On March 10 during this year’s Go Tejano Day—one of the biggest highlights on the Houston Rodeo calendar—we’re paying homage to Tejano culture’s impact on Música Mexicana and celebrating the genre’s evolution, from Selena to Peso Pluma.

Over the past year, Música Mexicana streams on Spotify have grown by 47% globally as the genre has quickly become one of Spotify’s most popular. In 2023, luminaries Peso Pluma, Junior H, Natanael Cano, Fuerza Regida, and Grupo Frontera not only propelled the genre forward and helped redefine what it could be, but they all also finished the year among Spotify’s Top 50 global artists. Moreover, many struck gold with hit collaborations inside and outside Musica Mexicana, including “Ella Baila Sola” by Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma, “un x100to” by Grupo Frontera and Bad Bunny, and “Peso Pluma: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 55” by Bizarrap and Peso Pluma, all of which topped the Spotify global charts.

At the same time, Selena has shown that Música Mexicana’s global appeal isn’t just about new hits; fans love the classics too. To date, Selena’s songs have been streamed more than 2 billion times on Spotify, with more than 1 billion of those coming from her breakout album, Amor Prohibido, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this month.

But her popularity only continues to grow on Spotify. Over the past five years, Selena’s streams have increased by 227% globally.

A big reason for this is that Gen Z listeners stream Selena on Spotify roughly as much as millennials do. In fact…

More than 15 million Gen Z listeners streamed at least one Selena song in 2023.
Each week for the past year, Gen Z listeners streamed Selena songs more than 3.5 million times.

And of course, Gen Z loves current Música Mexicana as well…

In 2023, more than 83 million Gen Zs listened to at least one Música Mexicana song on Spotify.
Over the past year, Gen Z Música Mexicana fan streamed an average of nine songs per day on Spotify.

As Música Mexicana has evolved, Tejano culture continues to influence the genre. Spotify is committed to recognizing those contributions through moments like the Houston Rodeo and last year’s special La Tierra del Corrido showcase, which featured performances from top artists including Chino Pacas, Esteban Gabriel, Xavi, Grupo Marca Registrada, and Luis R Conriquez.

Looking for more of Música Mexicana’s biggest hits? Stream Rompiendo Texas now.

Spotlighting the Artists To Watch in 2024

January 10, 2024

It’s a new year, and that means it’s time to predict which artists will make their mark in 2024. Continuing our annual Artists To Watch campaign, we’ve expanded the list to feature even more artists across many more genres.

Along with streaming data, we tapped our North American music team and editors of our playlist brands—Viva Latino (Latin), Pop Rising (pop), Hot Country (country), juniper (folk), New Noise (rock), Lorem (indie), R&B Rising (R&B), Most Necessary (hip-hop), and mint (dance)—to help select the 90 rising talents featured below. You can also find all of our picks rounded up in one convenient spot with our brand-new Artists To Watch playlist.

You’ll find Musica Mexicana crooner Chino Pacas among Viva Latino’s picks, and introspective hitmaker Teddy Swims included in Pop Rising’s selections. Country and folk singer-songwriters MacKenzie Carpenter and Chance Peña made Hot Country and juniper’s cuts, respectively, while all-women rock band The Beaches and moody indie songstress Chappell Roan were tapped by New Noise and Lorem. Meanwhile, South African vocalist Tyla, Texas rapper That Mexican OT, and Greek electronic producer Argy were recognized by R&B Rising, Most Necessary, and mint, respectively.