Cumbia, vallenato, champeta, bambuco, urban, salsa, música popular… Colombia’s rich and varied music scene has long made it home to a diverse range of talent.
The country continues to attract new listeners around the world; the data speaks for itself. Since 2018, music streams of Colombian artists have increased by over 200%, with the majority coming from international listeners.
WHAT A TUNE presents: Class of 2025. Whether you’re learning a new language or simply looking to broaden your sonic horizons, here are the global music artists set to dominate in 2025, alongside WAT’s pick of the rising talent you should keep your eyes (and ears) on.
KAROL G
With over a billion views on YouTube, 56 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and a handful of Latin Grammy Awards under her belt, it’s safe to say Karol G is on par with Shakira as not only Colombia’s, but one of the world’s biggest artists today. She hails from Medellín, and her 2023 album Mañana Será Bonito was the first fully Spanish-language release by a female artist to reach number one on the US album chart. Known for her soulful pop and reggaeton love songs, she recently dipped into merengue for her biggest hit yet, Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido. Produced by Édgar Barrera (Selena Gomez, Arianna Grande), Sky Rompiendo (Bad Bunny) as well as Karol G herself, the summer anthem broke chart records (it’s also an excellent example of a Spanish ‘si’ conditional clause, si + imperfect subjunctive + conditional).
Manuel Turizo
Since releasing his debut album in 2019, Manuel Turizo has scored a string of number one hits and collaborated with major Latin artists such as Rauw Alejandro and Nicky Jam. The 24-year-old artist is always exploring new sounds from across the content South America, from the sensual bachata of Qué Pecao and aptly titled La Bachata, and lush vallenato in Enhorabuena to the groove-laden reggaeton in Mamasota.
SEBASTIAN YATRA
Throughout his ten-year career as an artist, Sebastian Yatra has been a reliable source of certified heaters. Be it 2016’s reggaeton-inspired break-out hit Tracionera, 2017’s Grammy-nominated Robarte un Beso featuring Colombian music legend Carlos Vives or 2022’s summer pop anthem Tacones Rojos (a big WAT favourite), Yatra’s artistry continues to flourish. Yatra’s latest album Dharma (2022) features a chunky lineup of star power collaborators, including Alvaro Diaz, Myke Towers, and Rauw Alejandro.
Bomba Estéreo
Psychedelic cumbia collective, Bomba Estéreo shot to international attention after their feature on Ojitos Lindos from Bad Bunny’s album Un Verano Sin Ti. Their music is a hazy tropical-infused encounter between futuristic electronica and Colombian heritage music. Alongside major globe-spanning collaborations (last year they collaborated with Nelly Furtado), they remain rooted in their home country; the group are environmental activists and their sixth studio album closes with a spoken message in Ikʉ (the indigenous language of the Arhuaco in Colombia) reminding us of our duty to protect the Earth.
ONE TO WATCH
Bad Milk
There’s a lot of buzz around 20-something-year-old Manuelita García, aka Bad Milk. After releasing her debut single release in 2020, she caught the ear of super-producer Ovy On The Drums (Karol G, María Bercerra and Tiago PZK), who has become her go-to collaborator. Her silky vocals grace a handful of dreamy RnB and pop singles. However, not content to stay in one musical lane, her latest single is the trance-inducing EDM hit Luna in collaboration with Colombian DJ Dezko.
