Famous Latina singers include Shakira, Anitta, Kali Uchis, and more. Latina singers are taking the world by storm in 2023.
Given the rise in reggaeton and Latin trap music since the late 2010s, Latin singers, especially Latinas, have been seeing a rise in prominence in the spotlight. However, singers of Latina origin are not a monolith, and many among them are and have been making music in a wide variety of genres.
From reggaeton to R&B to even Jazz, many popular Latina singers have been displaying their talents for a while now. In fact, the public is finally catching up to just how vibrant, emotive, and undeniably amazing many of these singers can and have been.
So, here is a look at 10 famous latina singers ranked by Spotify monthly listeners.
10. Esperanza Spalding
| Spotify Listeners: | 337,309 |
| Ethnicity: | Afro-Latina |
Famous Latina singers include Esperanza Spalding who is an American bassist, composer, and Songwriter. Spalding is a five-time Grammy winner.
A legend in the Jazz genre, Spalding has been making music professionally since she was 16 years old, and in the 20+ years she has been active, has crafted music in jazz fusion, Latin jazz, bossa nova, and even neo-soul.
Instrumentally speaking, Spalding is the most talented person on this list as she is a virtuoso in various forms of bass instruments from the double bass to the acoustic to the electric. The singer has showcased her immense instrumental and vocal talents in over 8 studio albums released between 2006 to 2021.
As stated above, Spalding is a multiple Grammy award winner and has won awards for:
- Best New Artist
- Best Jazz Vocal Album (3x)
- Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist
9. Angela Aguilar
| Spotify Listeners: | 10,818,956 |
| Ethnicity: | Mexican |
Angela Aguilar is a 19-year-old singer of Latina origin. Aguilar is the daughter of the famed Latin singer, Pepe Aguilar.
The singer is not only the daughter of another famous singer but comes from a distinguished family as not only her father but her brother and grandparents were famous actors and singers.
However, despite her famous origins, Aguilar has already distinguished herself from her family’s shadow through her own work. Since the release of her debut album Primero Soy Mexicana in 2018, Aguilar has been crafting her own successful path.
In fact, despite her young age, the singer has already been nominated for a Grammy and two Latin Grammy awards for:
- Best Regional Mexican Music Album
- Best New Artist
- Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album
8. Melanie Martinez
| Spotify Listeners: | 13,115,618 |
| Ethnicity: | Dominican/Puerto Rican |
Melanie Martinez is a famous singer of Latina origin. Martinez is best known for her alternative pop music filled with characters and world-building.
The singer rose in popularity in the mid-2010s through her debut single and EP of the same name, Dollhouse. In both of them, she introduced the character of Cry baby and the story surrounding the character which tackled themes like bullying and the loss of innocence.
Martinez further has since further expounded on these themes with the release of her subsequent projects:
- Cry Baby (2015)
- K-12 (2019)
- After School (2020)
However, it seems that the singer has now abandoned the themes present in her previous albums with the release of her most recent project Portals which will come out on March 31, 2023.
7. Anitta
| Spotify Listeners: | 24,279,739 |
| Ethnicity: | Brazilian |
Anitta is the stage name of famous Brazillian singer Larissa de Macedo Machado. Anitta is currently the biggest Brazilian artist in the world.
Starting her career in 2010, the singer gained national success with her debut single Meiga e Abusada in 2012, and since then has only increased her fame and acclaim. So far, Anitta has released 5 albums in 9 years:
- Anitta (2013)
- Ritmo Perfeito (2014)
- Bang! (2015)
- Kisses (2019)
- Versions of Me (2022)
The last of these was her first tri-lingual album where she sang in Portuguese, Spanish, and English. The album helped catapult her into international fame, and even led to her being nominated as Best New Artist in the most recent Grammy Awards.
Speaking of awards, the singer has been nominated 649 times and won over 271 awards throughout her career.
6. Kali Uchis
| Spotify Listeners: | 24,726,672 |
| Ethnicity: | Colombian |
Kali Uchis is an R&B singer who has gained fame for singing in both English and Spanish. Uchis is also a sex symbol famous for her appeal.
Though she initially started her music career speaking strictly in English, as she gained more fame, she started slipping in Spanish until her biggest hit Telepatia, featured her singing in both English and Spanish.
The success of the single, it was her first charting song on Billboard and peaked at number 25, emboldened her to showcase more of her heritage in her music to great success.
Since then, Uchis has won a Grammy for Best Dance Recording in 2021 and has been nominated twice for:
- Best R&B Performance
- Best Musica Urbana Album
5. Becky G
| Spotify Listeners: | 26,061,840 |
| Ethnicity: | Mexican/American |
Becky G is another singer of Latina origin who has seen success in English and Spanish. In fact, she was among the first mainstream artist to do so.
Becky first gained fame in the early 2010s by covering popular songs on the internet. Through the help of the now-controversial producer Dr. Luke, she got a major label deal and embarked on a successful career in pop music.
However, from the mid-2010s onward, Becky embraced her Latin heritage and started releasing music in Spanish. The singer’s timing couldn’t be more perfect as this was right around the time when reggaeton would start becoming a global trend.
Throughout her decade-long career, she has been nominated for 109 awards and won 46 of them. These nominations include 4 Latin Grammies for:
- Song of the Year
- Record of the Year
- Best Urban Song
- Best Urban Fusion/Performance
4. Camila Cabello
| Spotify Listeners: | 40,102,091 |
| Ethnicity: | Cuban/American |
Camila Cabello is a Latina singer who first gained fame as a member of the girl group Fifth Harmony. Since 2016, she has embarked on a solo career.
Cabello is the most successful singer to come out of the group as she has released three successful albums:
- Camila (2018)
- Romance (2019)
- Familia (2022)
The singer’s first two albums have each been certified Gold, and contain a number 1 hit each with Havana and Senorita. Throughout her solo career,Cabello has charted 20 songs on the Hot 100 with 4 of them being Top 10 hits.
The singer has also been nominated for the Grammy Awards four times for:
- Best Pop Solo Performance
- Best Pop Vocal Album
- Best Pop Duo/Group Performance (2x)
3. Karol G
| Spotify Listeners: | 55,243,650 |
| Ethnicity: | Colombian |
Karol G is a popular reggaeton singer, songwriter, and businesswoman. Karol is one of the faces of reggaeton and Latin trap music.
In a career that now spans over 15 years, Karol has produced some of the most defining works in the genre, and many see her in the same light as Latin legends like Selena and Shakira.
The singer’s career has seen over 194 nominations with over 71 wins, each of which is a testament not only to her talents but how she has helped the genre of Latin music groups throughout the 2010s.
Karol has been nominated for the Latin Grammy Awards over 10 times, all in the major categories, and has won twice. The singer’s awards are:
- Best New Artist
- Best Reggaeton Performance
2. Selena Gomez
| Spotify Listeners: | 2. Selena Gomez |
| Ethnicity: | Mexican/American |
Selena Gomez is one of the most popular singers and actresses in the world. Gomez is also the most followed woman on Instagram.
As an actress, she first rose in prominence by starring in the Disney Channel TV show, Wizards of Waverly Place. Since then, she has had over 116 acting credits to her name in movies, television, and music videos.
As for her music career, she initially started by fronting a band called Selena Gomez & the Scene but has been releasing solo music since 2013. Gomez has charted over 39 songs on the Hot 100, with 8 of them being within the Top 10, and 1, Lose You To Love Me topping the charts.
The singer has been nominated for two Grammy Awards:
- Best Latin Pop Album
- Album of the Year
and a Latin Grammy Award for:
- Best Short Form Music Video
1. Shakira
| Spotify Listeners: | 80,916,603 |
| Ethnicity: | Colombian |
Shakira is a singer, songwriter, and dancer commonly hailed as the Queen of Latin Music. Shakira, quite literally, is the most famous Latina singer.
Over the course of 30 years, Shakira has released 11 albums in English and Spanish and the majority of them have managed to chart within the Billboard 200 album charts.
The singer’s singles are equally as successful as she has 26 songs that have charted with the Hot 100, with 6 among them being Top 10 hits, and 1, her most famous song Hips Don’t Lie, peaking on the list.
As for Grammy Awards, Shakira has won three times:
- Best Latin Pop Album (2x)
- Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album
Accolades aside, Shakira tops this list for still producing great and engaging music in the third decade of her career. The singer is truly remarkable.