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Enigmatic masked DJ/producer Marshmello makes groove-oriented, synth- and bass-heavy electronic dance music that regularly achieves mainstream crossover success. In the spirit of similarly cloaked dance figures like Deadmau5 and Daft Punk, Marshmello performs wearing a full head covering, in his case a marshmallow mask. Despite his early anonymity, Marshmello's career blew up in 2015 when he began releasing tracks online. From there came shows at New York's Pier 94, Pomona, California's HARD Day of the Dead festival, and Miami Music Week. He also scored a number five Billboard electronic/dance album with his full-length debut, Joytime, before landing two consecutive number one dance albums, Joytime II and Joytime III. Collaborative hits followed with artists including Selena Gomez ("Wolves"), Khalid ("Silence"), and Bastille (the platinum hit "Happier"). Marshmello again hit a solo peak in 2019 with his revolutionary in-game concert Fortnite Extended Set, and returned to the Top Ten of the dance charts with 2021's Shockwave. In 2023, he collaborated with Brazil's Tropkillaz on Mellokillaz and again topped the Dance/Electronic Albums chart with his first Latin crossover set, Sugar Papi. His 2024 Kane Brown collaboration, "Miles on It," also topped the dance charts and was followed by The Roots EP and his 2025 Space Laces collaboration "Rave Repeater."

Marshmello's career began in 2015 when he posted his music on SoundCloud, including remixes of Zedd's "Beautiful Now," Jack Ü's "Where Are U Now," and others. Soon he was drawing fans and gaining vocal support from peers like Skrillex, who reposted Marshmello's track "Find Me." High-profile live DJ appearances followed, with shows at Ultra Music Festival and California's HARD Day of the Dead festival, among others. In 2016, Marshmello released a compilation of his previously released tracks, Joytime, which reached number five on the Billboard electronic/dance albums chart and number one on a digital top electronic albums chart. Included on the album was the single "Keep It Mello" featuring rapper Omar LinX.

Also in 2016, after a set at Electric Daisy Carnival, Dutch DJ Tiësto jokingly emerged from under Marshmello's mask, fallaciously proclaiming he was the mysterious DJ. The real Marshmello continued to perform and release singles throughout the year, later starting his own Joytime Collective record label. More collaborations followed in 2017, including "Silence" with Khalid and "Wolves" featuring Selena Gomez. Both tracks became Top 30 hits and were certified platinum around the world.

In 2018, Marshmello added another hit collaboration to his roster, pairing with British vocalist Anne-Marie for their multi-platinum hit single "Friends." After delivering his second full-length album, Joytime II, he released the non-album single "Happier," which featured Bastille's Dan Smith on vocals. The song quickly became a high-charting track, rising into the Top Three in the U.S., U.K., and Australasia. As the popularity of "Happier" continued to rise, Marshmello scored a charting effort with the revolutionary Fortnite Extended Set, a 30-minute mix taken from his 2019 in-game concert that attracted millions of video gamers. By the time summer rolled around, "Happier" had topped the Billboard electronic chart and peaked at number two on the Hot 100. Meanwhile, a collaboration with Chvrches, "Here with Me," began its steady rise up the charts, giving the indie outfit their highest-charting single to date. Marshmello also added additional cross-genre collaborations to his singles list, including "Light It Up" with Tyga and Chris Brown, "One Thing Right" with country singer Kane Brown, and "Rescue Me" with pop-punkers A Day to Remember. The latter track appeared on Joytime III, which arrived in July 2019 and featured guests Slushii, Flux Pavilion, Elohim, and Wiwek. It hit number 50 on the Billboard 200 and topped the dance chart.

In February 2020, Marshmello joined Svdden Death for the track "Crusade," and later Halsey for the ebullient "Be Kind." The following year saw Marshmello deliver collaborations with Aussie singer/songwriter Vance Joy ("You"), Kentucky rapper 2KBABY ("Like This"), and Iranian singer/producer Arash ("Lavandia"). The DJ's fourth full-length, Shockwave, arrived in June 2021 and featured appearances by Juicy J, Megan Thee Stallion, Subtronics, and more. It hit number three on Billboard's Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart and earned Marshmello his first Grammy Award nomination. A handful of non-album tracks kept the DJ busy in 2022, including "Numb" with Khalid, "Sah Sah" with Nancy Ajram, and the punk-influenced "American Psycho" with Mae Muller (and featuring Trippie Redd). "Bye Bye," a 2019 collaboration with the late Juice Wrld, appeared in 2022, followed in 2023 by the Jamie Brown-assisted "Party Jumpin'." Other 2023 singles included collaborations with Polo G, Farruko, and Brent Faiyaz; he additionally released Mellokillaz with Tropkillaz. That same year, Marshmello also teamed with Sony Latin and a full roster of guests who included Farruko, Anuel AA, Nicky Jam, and more on the Latin dance crossover album Sugar Papi, which topped the Electronic Albums chart.

"Miles on It," the DJ's second collaboration with country singer Kane Brown, arrived in March 2024, topping the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart and reaching number 29 on the Mainstream Top 40. That November, Marshmello was back with the EP The Roots, which featured guest spots from Pluko, Hamdi, and Lil Jon, among others. In December 2025, the DJ joined forces with dubstep producer Space Laces for the single "Rave Reapeter." ~ Matt Collar

Farruko is a best-selling reggaeton and Latin pop singer/rapper from Puerto Rico. Since delivering his Latin Grammy-nominated 2010 debut album, El Talento del Bloque, he has released more than 160 singles solo or in collaboration with a who's-who of Latin pop superstars, including Pitbull, Daddy Yankee, Natti Natasha, Karol G, and Bad Bunny. His videos have registered hundreds of millions of views (2016's "Chillax" featuring Ky-Mani Marley garnered more than 750 million on its own). Equipped with a smooth high baritone voice, he is equally adept at singing reggaeton, merengue, bachata, pop, Latin dance, and reggae. His third album, Farruko Presenta: Los Menores, was his first to crack the Top Five, while 2015's Visionary reached number one. Two years later, his single "Krippy Kush" and its remix featuring Ocasio, Rvssian, Nicki Minaj, and 21 Savage peaked inside the Top Ten twice, propelling his smash TrapXficante album to number three. 2019's Gangalee topped the Latin streaming list and went to number two at Top Latin Albums; it remained on the chart for two years. Following his soundtrack to the 2019 HBO docuseries En Letra de Otro, Farruko again topped the Latin Albums chart with 2021's La 167, featuring the hit "Pepas." The EP Cvrbon Vrmor (C_DE: G_D.O.N.) arrived in 2024.

Farruko's given name is Carlos Efren Reyes, and he was born in Bayamón in 1991. At the age of 16, he began to post songs under his stage name to MySpace. His first single, "Sexo Fuera del Planeta," gained him thousands of followers, and from there he explored the potential of other social media networks. Due to his massive success on the Internet, he came to the attention of Puerto Rican radio and music industry executives, who enlisted his vocal talents for other artists.

Farruko's debut album, El Talento del Bloque, appeared when he was 18. It was released by Siente Music and distributed by Universal. Most of its 13 songs were self-penned. The set became an almost-instant hit, and several singles followed from it. Some of the record's highlights included collaborative tunes such as "Su Hija Me Gusta" with José Feliciano, "Ella No Es Fácil" with Cosculluela, and "Traime a Tu Amiga" with Arcángel and Julio Voltio. Farruko also issued the non-album smash "Pa' Romper la Discoteca" with Daddy Yankee and Yomo. In 2012, he released his sophomore effort, TMPR: The Most Powerful Rookie. Its first smash single was "Feel the Rhythm" ("Siente el Ritmo"), though it was one of five. As a whole, the set demonstrated that Farruko was as comfortable in electro and pop circles as he was in reggaeton; it was nominated for a Latin Grammy.

After touring throughout Latin America and the United States and establishing large fan bases in locales such as Venezuela and Colombia, Farruko returned to recording in 2014. Farruko Presenta Los Menores was released in late October of that year. A week after its release, it topped the Latin Albums chart. Among the notable collaborations are "Salgo" with Arcángel, Ñengo Flow, D. Ozi, and Genio y Kelmitt; "Bebe Conmigo" with J Balvin; and "Interesada" with Luigi 21+. He won the Premios Juventud for the song "6 AM" with J Balvin and Latin Grammy Awards for Best Urban Performance and Best Urban Song in 2015. In February of that year, he released "Lejos de Aquí," a remix with Yandel. In June, he was Alejandra Guzmán's surprise duet partner on her first urban single, "Adios." In July, he issued the pre-release track "Sunset" (featuring Shaggy and Nicky Jam), which garnered the top spot on various Latin airplay charts. In August, Farruko issued The Ones, a compilation of his charting singles and collaborations; it was a teaser for his next studio effort, Visionary, which appeared in late October. Pre-order excitement for the album propelled it to debut at number one on several Latin album charts; it remained there for several weeks after release. In 2017, he returned with his sixth studio album, TrapXficante. As its title suggested, the artist put his money on the fusion of reggaeton and urban pop with the second generation of Latin trap; the latter he considered still in its infancy, making some commercial inroads but still far from its future force as the face of commercial mainstream Latinx pop -- despite its outlaw ties. He openly desired being the face of that future, and drew on a host of new-generation Latin trap artists as collaborators including Frank Miami, Sharo Torres, Rome, Mambo Kingz, DJ Luian, Maffio, Lil Geniuz, Bad Bunny, and Ladkani. The album was issued in September as Farruko undertook the U.S. leg of his global TrapXficante tour.

In the years that followed, he hopped onto a slew of singles and remixes with the likes of J Balvin, Pedro Capó, Nicky Jam, Zion & Lennox, and Alicia Keys. In the midst of this activity, Farruko was arrested in Puerto Rico in April 2018, which put him under house arrest. During that time, he recorded another album, his eighth overall, titled Gangalee. The set was issued in April 2019 and featured guests Anuel AA, Bad Bunny, and others. Later that year, he released En Letra de Otro, the soundtrack to the HBO Latino documentary-style music series special of the same name. Between its release and 2021, Farruko issued or collaborated on more than 50 singles. Several placed inside the Top Five, including "Krippy Kush," 2020's "La Toxica," and 2021's EDM- and guaracha-infused "Pepas," the latter of which appeared on the singer's full-length La 167. Also that year, he contributed the track "Rápido" to the F9: The Fast Saga soundtrack before releasing his contemplative 2022 single "Nazareno." A year later, he joined Marshmello for "Esta Vida," and he returned in 2024 with "Carbon Vrmor," the title track to his EP Cvrbon Vrmor (C_DE: G_D.O.N.). ~ Thom Jurek

Los Angeles native Erick Orrosquiesta, known as Deorro, has found major success as a DJ and producer of anthemic EDM/house tracks. Debuting in the early 2010s with tracks blending elements of Dutch house, big room house, and Melbourne bounce, he scored a worldwide hit with 2014's "Five Hours," which became even bigger when he reworked it with Chris Brown as "Five More Hours" in 2015. "Bailar," with Elvis Crespo, followed in 2016, and the hits appeared on Deorro's 2017 full-length debut, Good Evening. The producer continued concentrating on Latin dance sounds, featuring artists such as Los Tucanes de Tijuana and Puerto Rican rapper Jon Z on his second album, 2022's ORRO.

Orrosquiesta began making music and spinning records as a teenager in West Covina, California. He first started releasing material under the name TON!C around 2010. After he developed a following through his SoundCloud page, he reached a wider audience in his early twenties, from 2012 through 2014, with extensive touring, as well as brash solo releases and collaborations on the Dim Mak and Mad Decent labels. Among his highlights were "Dechorro" (2013), "Freak" (2014), and "Five Hours" (2014), the last of which reached the Top Ten in France and Belgium. Additionally, he remixed tracks by the likes of Laidback Luke ("Pogo"), Steve Aoki ("Ooh"), and Gareth Emery ("Lights & Thunder"), and launched his Panda Funk label.

Deorro's momentum continued with "Five More Hours" (featuring Chris Brown, 2015) and "Bailar" (featuring Elvis Crespo, 2016), both of which went Top Ten in multiple territories. A slew of additional singles followed into 2017 when he issued his debut collection, Good Evening. He continued his prolific run in 2018 with nearly a dozen single releases, including "Shakalaka" with Steve Aoki, "Dracarys" with Dirty Audio, and "Bring It Back" with MAKJ and Max Styler. He also teamed up with Quintino and MAKJ for the high-energy single "Knockout." "Muñequita Linda," a single with Juan Magán and MAKJ featuring YFN Lucci, was certified Latin Gold.

Deorro continued issuing singles, with an increasing emphasis on Latin dance styles. His 2019 output included "Pica" (with Elvis Crespo and Henry Fong), "Keep It Goin'" (with Danny Ávila), and "Left Right" (with Hardwell and MAKJ featuring Fatman Scoop). 2020's "Beso" melded pop-reggae with trap, and 2021 brought collaborations with Jon Z, Crespo, Gente de Zona, and more. Many of these were featured on 2022's ORRO, the producer's first Latin dance album. Other guests included Ally Brooke, Dylan Fuentes, and Fulanito. He additionally collaborated with Tiësto on a single called "Savage." ~ Andy Kellman & Paul Simpson