THE RISE OF LATIN TRAP MUSIC

To accompany the blog, Lister has curated a fantastic playlist of his favourite and most-played Latin Trap tracks.

Exploring the Rise and Influence of Latin Trap

If you rewind the clock 10 years, Ricky Martin flew the Latin American (LATAM) musical flag almost solo. Now, in 2025, we are well and truly ‘Livin’ La Vida Loca’. Latin urban music has broken all cultural and geographic barriers to become one of the most influential genres worldwide. 

By now, if you’ve not heard of Bad Bunny, J Balvin or Rosalía – the trailblazers of this global revolución – you must’ve been living under a rock. That distinctive reggaeton beat seems to be everywhere, and whether you’re in the music industry or not, it’s hard to ignore.

But it’s not just the Spanish speakers. Their native English-speaking fellows are eager for a slice of the pie, or perhaps the “pastel”, with Spanglish fusions and collaborations all the rage. Think Nicky Minaj, Billie Eilish, The Weeknd. Even the most obviously Englishman on the planet, Ed Sheeran, has dusted off his Spanish dictionary and got in on the action. 

And you can see why. Spotify reported a whopping 986% increase in Latin music listeners over the past decade.  

In 2023, data and insights company Luminate reported that Latin superfans spent 30% more on music consumption than other superfan communities in the U.S.

According to a 2024 report by the same organisation, Latin music is now the fastest-growing genre in the U.S., with streaming driving much of this success. 

In 2022, Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny was the most streamed artist on Spotify for the third year, third in 2024, to Taylor Swift and The Weeknd. With 18.5 billion streams from global audiences on Spotify alone, his success is linked to Latin music’s global takeover.

Latin music is gaining streams in Asia, with South Korean music giant HYBE acquiring the Latin music company Exile Music at the end of 2023.

At West One Music Group, we’ve been swinging our hips to Latin beats since West One Music’s creation of Latin music labels SOMOS (“we are” in Spanish) 10 years ago and Somos Más. 

Like the music it features, this label has also experienced consistent growth, with its tracks increasingly appearing in TV shows, advertising campaigns, and films.

A New Trend on the Rise: Latin Trap

Among the many flavours of Latin music, one subgenre worth highlighting as one to watch is Latin Trap. 

This genre, an offshoot of reggaeton, is interesting because it’s less regionally rooted than its parent. Instead, it reflects our globalised times: culturally fluid, shaped by geographically disparate influences, and above all, urban. 

Latin Trap reflects an urbanised gender-fluid youth culture, a generation raised in the internet era, resulting in more universal aesthetics, cultural codes, and production techniques. It’s not just music – it’s a cultural crossover. This genre seamlessly blends Spanish and English lyrics, mirroring the bicultural experiences of many young listeners today.

Artists like Bad Bunny have been instrumental in bringing Latin Trap to the mainstream, with his innovative fusion of genres and storytelling. Now, the spotlight is shining on rising talents like Young Miko, who’s gaining recognition for her contributions to the genre, including a nomination for Best Música Urbana Album at the Grammys.

Why It Matters

Latin Trap is more than a subgenre; it’s a cultural statement and a decisive stage for fashion. It can form part of any strategy to promote brands and content. Its universal appeal and cross-cultural essence make it an excellent choice for projects aiming to connect with a diverse, globally minded online audience.

For those working in music, media, and advertising, Latin Trap offers an opportunity to tap into a thriving genre that is redefining the sound of the new generation.

This article was originally written for Little Black Book in February 2025.  You can view the original article here.