With a booming wave of salsa artists including Luis Figueroa and Christian Alicea, there’s no doubt that the tropical genre is catching the attention of the new generation. More so, reggaetón artists are also dipping their toes into salsa music, introducing it to their younger and/or non-Latino fans. Salsa music has its origins Cuba and Puerto Rico, and later developed and became popular in New York City in the 1960s and 1970s at the helm of iconic orchestras and artists such as El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Fania All-Star, Celia Cruz, Héctor Lavoe, Grupo Niche, Willie Colón and Ruben Blades. In the ‘80s and ‘90s, acts such as Eddie Santiago, Marc Anthony, Luis Enrique, La India, DLG, Jerry Rivera and Victor Manuelle propelled the genre to greater commercial success. Now — amid the dominance of Latin urban music and música Mexicana — a new set of fans are discovering the tropical, rhythmic melodies of the Caribbean. Notably, Rauw Alejandro first surprised fans when he co-headlined the Global Citizen Festival in New York City last September with a cover of the timeless tune “Tú Con Él” by Frankie Ruiz. The feedback was so impressive that he made it part of his 2024 album Cosa Nuestra. Similarly, Bad Bunny included three salsa tracks on his latest album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos: “Nuevayol,” “Baile Inolvidable” and “La Mudanza.” And like Rauw and Bunny, many Latin urban stars have not shied away from experimenting with the rich and flavorful genre. See the list below: Bad Bunny Image Credit: Eric Rojas Bad Bunny has done it all: merengue, dembow, bossa nova, bolero, and now, salsa. On his sixth studio album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos, the trap artist paid homage to Puerto Rican salsa on multiple tracks. Opening track “Nuevayol,” samples El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico’s “Un Verano en Nueva York” before transitioning into unstoppable dembow and reggaeton rhythms; “Baile Inolvidable” is a saucy salsa tune backed by live instrumentations — congas, piano, trumpets and all that jazz; and “La Mudanza” fuses salsa, reggaetón and bomba. Daddy Yankee In 2020, Daddy Yankee and Marc Anthony came together for “De Vuelta Pa’ La Vuelta,” which hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Tropical Airplay chart in 2021. While the Sergio George-produced track may be pure salsa, Yankee doesn’t hold back in his fast-paced rapping verses that include the hook “de vuelta pa’ la vuelta,” which loosely translates to “I’m back on the market” after a break up. Prior to collabing with Marc, Yankee reeled in Andy Montañez for “Sabor a Melao” on his Barrio Fino album. Guaynaa For the holiday season, Guaynaa delivered a four-song EP titled Aguinaldo (which means “Christmas bonus”). Produced by Andy Clay, the Puerto Rican artist paid tribute to four salsa classics: Lalo Rodriguez’s “Ven Devórame Otra Vez”; Tommy Olivencia’s “Lobo Domesticado”; and Paquito Gomez’s “Cinco Noches,” and “La Esencia del Guaguancó” by Johnny Pacheco and Pedro Juan Rodríguez Ferrer. Jay Wheeler In early 2024, Sergio George released “La Puerta” in collaboration with Puerto Rican urban act Jay Wheeler. Marking the first single off of his new album ATACA SERGIO, URBAN SALSA SESSIONS, the innovative song combines catchy salsa melodies with immersive urban rhythms to tell a cautionary story about the consequences of letting pride interfere with love. Karol G Image Credit: Christopher Polk At the 2024 Billboard Women in Music, where she received the coveted Woman of the Year award, Karol G performed a salsa version of her fan-favorite tune “Amargura.” Joined by an all-girl salsa band, including Emily Estefan (Gloria and Emilio Estefan’s daughter) on percussion, the number was arranged and produced by Sergio George along with her longtime musical director Rob Trujillo. Lenny Tavárez Lenny Tavárez brought a fan-favorite track to life with “El Yate.” The Puerto Rican artist first teased the unreleased song a couple of years ago, when he shared a home video on social media performing the song with his acoustic guitar. After much praise from his followers, the urban star teamed up with award-winning producer Sergio George for a flavorful salsa version. Tavárez later teamed up with Christian Alicea and Rafa Pabön for another salsa tune, “Qué Culpa Tengo Yo.” Manuel Turizo Image Credit: Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images After achieving success with “La Bachata” and “El Merengue,” both of which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Latin Airplay chart, Manuel Turizo dived into other eclectic rhythms, including salsa on “Sigueme Besando Asi,” focus single of his latest album 201. “I like trying different and new things. At the end of the day, it’s about having fun with music. I think that if you do the same thing all the time, you lose the magic,” he previously said to Billboard. Myke Towers Though he became a household name with his rap bars and Latin trap sound, Myke Towers is as versatile as it gets. On his album LVEU: Vive La Tuya…No La Mia, the Puerto Rican artist raps over a sensual salsa-infused cha-cha-cha in closing track “La Ronda,” declaring in the lyrics that he “dances to whatever rhythm is played for him.” Nathy Peluso “Puro Veneno” and “Mafiosa” are two of the times that Nathy Peluso gave classic salsa a modern twist. “It’s a genre that brings me a lot of joy, a lot of happiness in my everyday life. I hang on to salsa to survive,” she previously told Billboard. “I wanted to loosen the cliché salsa. Present something fresh. Not only do 70-year-old Latin men listen to it. Salsa is cool, salsa is dangerous.” Rauw Alejandro Image Credit: Marco Perretta An homage to his Puerto Rican roots and the salsa romántica of the late ‘70s, Rauw keeps the essence of Frankie Ruiz’s “Tú Con Él” intact, but sings it in a different style. The song’s impact on social media has the new generation connecting with their parents and grandparents, further demonstrating Rauw’s purpose with Cosa Nuestra: heritage and community. The song hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Tropical Airplay chart. Ryan Castro Image Credit: Juan Pablo On his debut album, Ryan Castro unleashed a slow heartbreak
