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With a sweet, crooning style as warm as the Caribbean waters that birthed his chosen bachata genre, New York-born singer Prince Royce offers a bracing urban take on the genre. He broke into the Latin pop mainstream in 2010 with an eponymously titled album that delivered a pair of hit singles: a bachata cover (in Spanish) of Ben E. King's "Stand by Me" and "Corazón Sin Cara." In the following years, Royce became a fixture on both the Top Latin Albums and Top 200 charts: 2013's Soy el Mismo spent a whopping 129 weeks on the chart, while 2017's Five spent another 57. In 2017, after Bad Bunny and J Balvin collaborated on his Top Ten Latin hit "Sensualidad," Royce offered up seven pre-release singles in advance of 2020's Alter Ego. It topped the Latin and Tropical streaming albums charts thanks to singles like "Morir Solo" and "Carita de Inocente." Over the next few years, he continued to release charting singles like 2021's "Lao' a Lao," 2022's "Te Espero" with María Becerra, and 2023's "Me EnRD."

In association with producer Andrés Hidalgo and 2Strong Entertainment, Royce made his full-length album debut, Prince Royce, in 2010. Released on Top Stop Music, the label of New York salsa legend Sergio George, it was well-received by bachata fans, and the 20-year-old singer was compared favorably to Aventura, Xtreme, Bachata Heightz, and other urban-oriented acts from New York. A bilingual version of the Ben E. King standard "Stand by Me" was released as the lead single and became a smash hit, breaking into the Top Ten of the Billboard Latin Songs chart. "Corazón Sin Cara" was also released as a single.

Royce returned in 2012 with his sophomore effort, Phase II, which included the singles "Las Cosas Pequeñas," "Incondicional," and "Te Me Vas." The album reached platinum status, peaking at number 16 on the Billboard 200 with over 100,000 copies sold. In 2013, Royce released his third full-length, Soy el Mismo, featuring the singles "Darte un Beso" and Te Robaré." Also showcased on the album was the track "Already Missing You" with guest vocalist Selena Gomez. In 2014, Royce released "Stuck on a Feeling" featuring Snoop Dogg, which would appear on Double Vision, his first album sung primarily in English. It landed a year later with Jennifer Lopez, Tyga, and Kid Ink on the guest list. A tour with Ariana Grande and a role in the live musical The Passion followed. He returned with his fifth studio LP, the aptly titled FIVE, a Latin pop exercise in 2017. It hit number 25 on the U.S. Top 200 and topped the Latin charts. The album's last single, "Déjà Vu" with Shakira, became its most successful commercially and was certified nine-times platinum. In 2018 and 2019, Royce teamed several artists on a slew of singles. They included "Bubalú," with producers DJ Luian and Mambo Kingz, rapper Anuel AA, and American singer Becky G. Issued at the tail-end of 2018, it became a Top 30 hit at Hot Latin Songs in the U.S. In December, he wed actress and model Emeraude Toubia after a years-long courtship.

Royce spent most of 2019 hard at work on his sixth record. Issued in February 2020, Alter Ego was the first double studio album by a Latin artist in a decade. Split in two subtitled halves (Genesis and Enigma), it was Royce's most diverse outing, crisscrossing romantic and street bachata to R&B, Latin pop, hip-hop, trap, and even electro. Featuring ten charting singles including "Trabada" with Zion & Lennox and "Adicto" with Marc Anthony, Royce collaborated on other tracks with Maluma, Dani Leigh, and Wisin & Yandel. He began a world tour just after its release date. The set topped the Latin and Tropical albums charts and went to number one at streaming. He issued two charting singles in 2021: "Antes Que Salga el Sol," a collaboration with Natti Natasha, and "Lao' a Lao'." He also collaborated with Mau y Ricky on their Top Ten hit "Doctor." More tracks followed in 2022, including the hits "Te Espero" with María Becerra and "Si Te Preguntan..." with Nicky Jam and Jay Wheeler. The solo cut, "Otra Vez," closed out the year. Royce continued to build anticipation for his next album with the 2023 singles "Le Doy 20 Mil" with El Alfa, "Me EnRD," and 2024's "Cosas de la Peda" featuring Gabito Ballesteros. ~ Jason Birchmeier

One of the most prolific artists in reggaeton and Latin trap, Nicky Jam is a charting, award-winning singer and songwriter who has collaborated with a long list of performers, including superstars such as Daddy Yankee, Farruko, J Balvin, and dozens of others. In addition, his solo material includes the popular albums Vida Escante (2004) and The Black Carpet (2007) as well as its accompanying self-released The Black Mixtape (2009). His single "Hasta el Amanecer," issued in early 2016, contained the singer's trademark catchy, romantic, melodic hooks, and its music video has been viewed over a billion times. His 2017 hit album, Fénix, was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award for Album of the Year, while 2019's Íntimo went platinum in three countries. Jam returned in 2021 with the full-length Infinity and continued to occupy the charts with singles like "Sin Novia" (2022) and "Toy a Mil" (2023).

Born Nick Rivera Caminero on March 17, 1981, in Boston, Massachusetts, Jam moved with his family to Barrio Obrero, Puerto Rico at age ten. His father is Puerto Rican and his mother is Dominican. Like many of his generation, Jam initially got into the reggaeton scene during the '90s and made a name for himself on the mixtape circuit. Most notably, he can be heard on some of the seminal mixtapes helmed by DJ Playero around the turn of the century. Early solo albums such as Haciendo Escante (2001), featuring fellow DJ Playero protégé Daddy Yankee on the title track, established him as a rising star in the reggaeton scene, but it wasn't until Vida Escante (2004) that he broke through to a mainstream audience, particularly once the album was re-released with bonus material in 2005. His follow-up, The Black Carpet (2007), proved similarly popular, spawning one of his biggest hits, "Gas Pela" featuring RKM.

Despite Jam's success, he felt he could do more, and decided to move to Colombia in 2010. It provided to be just the career rejuvenation he needed, resulting in a parade of underground hits including "Tu Primera Vez," "Curiosidad," and "Voy a Beber." By 2014 he was charting consistently again, first with the single "Travesuras" and then in early 2015 with "Si Tu No Estas." Both songs appeared on Greatest Hits, Vol. 1. In the spring of 2015, his duet with Enrique Iglesias on "El Perdón" became his first single to hit number one on the Latin charts, and crossed over to the pop charts. After winning accolades at the 2015 Latin American Music Awards and Latin Grammy Awards, as well as the 2016 Lo Nuestro Awards, Jam worked on his first studio album since 2007. That effort, the multi-platinum Fénix, arrived on Sony Music in 2017. Featuring appearances by Sean Paul, J Balvin, Wisin, Daddy Yankee, Arcangel, Enrique Iglesias, and more, the record hit the Top 30 of the Billboard 200 and topped the Latin Albums chart, Jam's first appearance on the list.

The single "X," featuring J Balvin, appeared in 2018, with a remix featuring Maluma and Ozuna following soon after. Jam continued to release stand-alone tracks throughout the year, including "Satisfaccion" with Bad Bunny and Arcangel, "Good Vibes" with Fuego, and "Jaleo" with Steve Aoki. At the end of the year, he issued the charting "Te Robaré" (featuring Ozuna). He also appeared as a featured collaborator on various singles and album tracks including Ozuna's "Haciéndolo," Ginza's remix of J Balvin's "Bruuttal," and Loud Luxury's "Body on My" with Brando and Pitbull.

2019 held no respite for Jam as he collaborated on a slew of tracks including Shaggy's "Body Good," Alejandro Sanz's "Back in the City," and the remix of Karol G's "Mi Cama." He also issued a handful of digital singles across the Caribbean and Latin America including "Mona Lisa" (featuring Nacho), "Atrévete" (featuring Sech), and "El Favor" (with Dimelo Flow and Farruko, featuring Sech, Zion, and Lunay). Jam also spent time filming the movie Bad Boys for Life, starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, and touring to generate interest for his upcoming sixth studio album, Intimo. In late October, a week before the set's release, he released a documentary trailer titled Behind Nicky Jam's Intimo. It gave viewers an inside look at his battle with drugs, almost losing his career, and his journey toward sobriety. Intimo arrived in November 2019 and entered the Latin Albums chart at number three. A single, "Muévelo," featuring Jam and Daddy Yankee, appeared in January 2020 as part of the Bad Boys for Life soundtrack and topped the Billboard Latin Airplay chart. Later that year, he released the platinum-selling single "Polvo" (featuring Myke Towers), with "Fan de Tus Fotos" (featuring Romeo Santos) arriving in 2021. Along with the Jhay Cortez collaboration "Magnum," both songs appeared on Jam's sixth album, Infinity, that August. A pair of stand-alone singles, “Ojos Rojos” and the Prince Royce- and Jay Wheeler-assisted “Si Te Preguntan...,” appeared in 2022, with “Toy a Mil” and "69" arriving in 2023. He also paired with Trueno for 2024's "Cangrinaje." ~ Jason Birchmeier & James Christopher Monger

On the romantic side for the 2010s Latin hitmaker, Puerto Rican singer Jay Wheeler uses his lush, crooning vocals to deliver melodic and catchy ballads across styles from Latin pop to reggaeton. 2020's Myke Towers-assisted "La Curiosidad" became Wheeler's most dominant hit, peaking at number five on the Billboard Latin charts and racking up over a billion streams in just two years. A prolific string of albums and EPs followed including 2022's El Amor y Yo and Emociones, and 2023's TRAPPii.

Born José Ángel López Martínez to a working-class family in Salinas, Puerto Rico, Wheeler began learning the piano at a young age before transitioning to beatmaking once he got a computer. After a breakup in his teenage years, a close friend persuaded him to post his first material online: 2015's "Ahora Estoy Mejor," a fusion of singing and rapping styles, racked up half-a-million views as it became an overnight sensation. A subsequent million-viewed cover of Justin Bieber's "Love Yourself" gave López Martínez confidence in his future career. Taking the first part of his stage name from his first initial, he crowdsourced a surname from his fans, settling on Wheeler in 2017.

The conflicted "No Me Engañas" and dismissive "Equivocada" built Wheeler's fan base ahead of the breakout track "Por Tu Culpa" (2018), which brought him to the attention -- and onto the roster -- of Dynamic Records. Live performances afforded by his new label, alongside major singles like "Te Soñé" and "Mensaje de Voz," led to his discovery by legendary reggaeton producer DJ Nelson, who offered to host and produce his debut album. Titled Platónico, his DJ Nelson-produced debut featured a slowed-down, ballad-like take on reggaeton, finding particular success with the faster-paced "Dime Que Sí" and Farruko-assisted "Otra Noche Más Remix" alongside sentimental closer "Me Enamoré."

After an Unplugged live album, which demonstrated his raw vocal talent, Wheeler moved into 2020 with a collaborative run of singles, working with the likes of Lenny Tavárez, Nio Garcia, Darell, Lary Over, Javiielo, and Noriel. Among the year's highlights were the Brytiago-assisted remix to "Sin Ti," the tropical "Quiereme Mientras Se Pueda (Remix)" (with Manuel Turizo and Miky Woodz), and an appearance on Cauty's 100-million-streamed "Lloras Remix." Wheeler's sophomore studio album, produced once again by Nelson, arrived that summer. Titled Platónicos, the project fell a little closer to Nelson's reggaeton roots and took a more collaborative approach with features including Brytiago, Nio Garcia, Miky Woodz, and Casper Magico. The album's fourth track, the Myke Towers-assisted "La Curiosidad," soon eclipsed Wheeler's hits thus far -- peaking at number five on the Billboard Latin charts, the more seductive smash hit eventually surpassed a billion streams online.

Now regarded as one of reggaeton's most promising new voices, Wheeler returned to collaboration through 2021. As well as two star-studded remixes to "La Curiosidad" (with appearances from Jhay Cortez, Arcángel, Zion & Lennox, Becky G, etc.), he issued successful collaborations with the likes of J Balvin ("Otro Fili"), Juhn ("Fragancia"), Brytiago ("Desnudarte"), and Arcángel ("Si Te Veo"), alongside the strong solo tracks "Viendo el Techo" and "Dos Tragos." In early 2022, Wheeler issued the De Mí Para Ti EP, which contained his first forays into English-language music ("Take My Life," "Can't Figure U Out"). It proved to be a productive period for the artist who released two more full-length albums, El Amor y Yo and Emociones, before the year was out. Wheeler kicked off 2023 with the heartfelt, '80s pop-leaning "SOS," then scored another hit with "Pacto (Remix)" featuring Anuel AA, Bryant Myers, Hades66, and Dei V. It anchored his next album, TRAPPii, released that October. ~ John D. Buchanan & David Crone