reggaetons

Reggaetón, often written reggaeton, is a music genre that originated in Puerto Rico in the late 1990s, blending reggae en Español and dancehall with hip hop, and drawing on Latin American styles such as salsa, bomba, and plena. It grew from underground mixtapes, street parties, and clubes, and quickly developed a distinctive beat centered on the dembow rhythm, a steady, infectious groove that anchors most productions. Vocals typically combine rapped verses with sung refrains in Spanish, delivered over high-energy, bass-heavy production that emphasizes percussion, synthesizers, and digital effects. The tempo generally ranges from the mid-80s to around 100 BPM.

Reggaetón's rise to international prominence began in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, with 2004's Gasolina helping to popularize the sound beyond local scenes. Over the 2000s and 2010s, artists such as Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, J Balvin, Bad Bunny, Ozuna, and Natti Natasha helped push reggaetón into the global mainstream, often blending it with pop, trap, and other genres. The music has diversified into subgenres and fusions, including Latin trap and urbano-pop, and remains a dominant force in Latin music streaming and radio.

Criticism and cultural impact: Reggaetón has been praised for its rhythmical inventiveness and dance culture, while drawing critique for lyrical content and objectification in some songs, as well as debates about artistic autonomy and gender representation. Despite such debates, the genre has had a lasting impact on contemporary Latin music and global urban pop, shaping dance trends, fashion, and cross-cultural collaboration.