Up and Coming Female Latin Artists Who are Changing the Urban Music Scene

Global Latin super-artists are not a new thing. We should know by looking at the impact and permanence of someone like Shakira, who's back on a roll with a series of very real, super impactful, and empowering heartbreak songs that have every woman feeling like that girl. Her current motto, "Las mujeres ya no lloran, las mujeres facturan," which roughly translates to "Women no longer cry, women cash out," has become a reality for many upcoming Latina stars that are proving that they're not afraid to cash-out on their experiences with relationships, fame, and sex, and are using their talent to empower other women and bring a new vibe to a male controlled industry, especially when it comes to urban Latin genres like reggaeton. The new generation of trap and reggaeton artists is the most diverse and exciting we've seen so far, and these are some of the acts changing and revolutionizing the face of the industry:

Young Miko:

With a distinct trap sound, smooth, effortless flow, and unapologetically queer lyrics, Young Miko, from Puerto Rico, is redefining the scene in her country and exporting her trap-kawaii aesthetic and talent throughout Latin America. Her song and music video "Riri," released in 2022, put her on the radar of the public and significant acts such as Bad Bunny, who brought her on stage during his tour dates in PR. Beyond her sheer talent and super fun, bouncy bangers, Young Miko also distinguishes herself as one of the first openly gay rappers in the scene. She's not afraid to talk openly about her life in her songs, opening doors for other queer artists and making a statement for representation. Make sure to check out her latest track, Lisa, you will not regret it!

Villano Antillano:

Villano's jump to international recognition happened quickly. She and the famed Argentinian producer Bizzarap took the internet by storm in 2022 with the session #51 track, which now has nearly 200 million views on YouTube. Villano, who's also Puerto Rican, is the first transgender woman to step into the Latin urban music scene. She has done it with the strength and fearlessness that few other artists have, even as she constantly receives public hate from people in the music scene, still plagued by transphobia and misogyny. The discrimination she's faced has not stopped her from making trap and reggaeton that has taken her to collaborate with some of the biggest stars in Latin America. Villano has also made it a point to openly discuss what she faces as s transgender woman in the genre, shining light on the real dangers and threats trans people still face in PR and the rest of the world.

Snow Tha Product:

Snow has been in the scene, as she declares in her wildly successful track #39 with Bizzarap, she just needed to come back with a "bang." This Mexican, openly queer rapper keeps it real with her bars and is known for her aggressive, straight-to-the-point flow. She effortlessly switches from Spanish to English with an ease never seen before and keeps her rhymes punchy and impactful in both languages. Her collaborations with other upcoming Mexican artists have given the country an increasingly important place in the urban Latin music scene.

Tokischa:

Arguably the most well-known artist on this list, Tokischa has taken over the world, bringing Dominican dembow to spaces it had not reached before, all while keeping her irreverent and alternative style intact. Tokischa's lyrics tend to be controversial, as they can make most people gasp with their explicit content, which has made for some hilarious trends on Tiktok. Constant criticism has only pushed her to make more music and gain popularity all over Latin America and the US, as she pushes the boundaries of what is considered an attractive and marketable woman in her country and the region. She approaches her music with the humor characteristic of those hailing from the DR, raw and self-aware, and her beats and lyrics can get a party started anywhere.