If you’re a fan of reggaetón and lived in NYC back when it was first starting to explode, you almost certainly have this man to thank: Colombian-American DJ, music producer and most recently, recording artist, Alex Sensation.
Spinning ’til he’s winning – the DJ position at La Mega 97.9, one of the most popular stations for Latino music in NYC, was a turning point for Alex Sensation’s career. Sensation, who was only 19 when he got the gig, has been mixing for La Mega for nearly a decade.
Now, with support from his celebrity friends, he’s poised to skyrocket.
Marc Anthony + Alex Sensation? This is a collaboration I’d pay to see! With fans around the world, and celebrities like Pitbull encouraging him to make his own music, he’s ready to go from being the DJ Khaled of Latino sounds to the Kanye West, producing and performing his own music.
In a recent interview with NBC, Alex Sensation credits his family and the señoras he’d dance with as a kid, for firing up his interest in music:
"When I started in radio, Latin radio, there wasn't any urban music that young Hispanic kids could identify with."Meet one of the most successful Latino DJs and now artist, Alex Sensation. He was one of the earliest boosters of reggaeton. MORE: http://ow.ly/9LL8309Ieib
Reggaeton has grown 1000% from 2009 to 2019. With the genre making waves all over the world, it is little wonder that high end brands such as Chanel, Balenciaga and more, are turning to Reggaetoneros to promote their clothes to a “new” market; Latinos. As the genre has started to grow and ripen, so too has the genre’s biggest exponents’ style. From Medellin to Paris, and Puerto Rico to New York Fashion Week, our fave urbano singers have served some iconic lewks, and we rounded up our favorites for you to gawk at.
1. Bad Bunny’s Latin Grammys 2019 Outfit
Wearing a diamond face mask, red glasses, and long red coat with silver butterfly accents, Bad Bunny put everyone on their feet with this never-before-heard version of “Callaita” at the 2019 Grammy Awards #iconique
2. J Balvin in Off-White for Blanco
Just this week, the Colombian powerhouse dropped his brand new track ‘Blanco’, and hinted at a new solo album after the success of ‘Oasis’, his collab with Bad Bunny. The video served all white looks in a minimalistic vibe, during the video he wore a luxe, minimal Off-White boiler suit and we can only wish we could afford it. Maybe a Home Depot version will do for us.
3. Ozuna in Fendi at the 2019 Billboard awards
He already made it clear in the song ‘Solita’, “Conmigo todo Gucci, todo Fendi,” unsurprisingly, he lives by his own words. The Puerto Rican wore a comfy Fendi fit to perform at this year’s Billboard Awards where he won 11 prizes and was nominated for 25 categories.
4. Karol G in Tusa —basically every look
The queen of reggaeton served candy floss-colored LOOKS in her video ‘Tusa’ and slayed with Nicky Minaj. Is there anything more iconic? #Diosa
5. Becky G for Paper Magazine
The Inglewood native is a true style icon. In this cover story for the legendary fashion, popular culture, nightlife, music, art and film magazine, PAPER, she wore a muted monochromatic look and we STAN.
6. Maluma at the 2019 MET Gala.
This year Maluma made history after becoming the first Colombiano to set foot on the MET Gala’s pink carpet. And the stylish reggaetonero was obviously not about to disappoint his loyal subjects with a bland outfit. He wore a beaded pink and silver suit designed by Moschino.
7. Basically every look from Maluma’s F.A.M.E tour.
The pretty boy from Medellin can wear everything from skinny-jeans-and-boots-Jagger to aggro neon post-streetwear and look flawless—but we’ve got to say it, the dapper, suited up look he sported for his F.A.M.E. tour, really suits him.
8. Natti Natasha ‘Queening’ in her collab with Forever 21.
Nothing like a powerful woman who knows her worth and owns it. Earlier this year, Natti teamed up with Forever 21 to work on a collection focused on female empowerment, the size inclusive capsule collection included slogan tees, hoodies, biker shorts, accessories, and more. The queen in a ‘queendom’ top is a next level slay.
9. Bad Bunny’s all white look
This look stirred the internet into a frenzy, fans wondered whether his coat was real fur or synthetic -and two years later, I guess we’ll never find out. What’s true is that the white-out look is going down in history as one of the reggaetonero’s most iconic choice of clothes.
10. That time J Balvin made Chanel, street cool.
There was a time when J Balvin was Chanel’s favorite bad boy. Before the passing of Chanel’s designer and creative director Karl Lagerfeld earlier this year, J Balvin was seen hanging out and attending shows with the fashion titan. This era was a much chicer and simple time for Balvin’s style and we can’t say we don’t miss it.
11. Becky G ‘Lady in The White Dress’
I mean, the beat, the hair, the dress, the GLAM! This was a total slay, no more words needed.
12. J Balvin at The Louis Vuitton show in Paris.
J Balvin back at it with the Paris Fashion Week outfits. The urbano singer was invited to attend the famous streetwear designer, Virgil Abloh’s very first show as Louis Vuitton’s creative director and his look was a utilitarian-chic dream. Definitely one for the books.
13. Bad Bunny’s ‘Si estuviesemos juntos’ video look
As much as Bad Bunny loves an acid tie-dye, or a neon-hued streetwear look, it seems like he also has some love for the classic, dapper look. The look is classic, yet timely when worn by the chart-topping Conejo Malo.
14. Daddy Yankee in Dior for ‘Con Calma’ Remix
There’s nothing more luxurious than a custom Christian Dior silk shirt. The ‘Gasolina’ singer usually errs in favor of caution when he chooses his clothes (not so much when it comes to jewelry), but on this occasion he went all out with a pastel-hued,floral print shirt and it quite suits him.
15. Ozuna, Anuel, Daddy Yankee and Karol G in matching outfits at the Billboards.
The all star team dressed up in matching neon-green outfits to perform their track “China” at this year’s Billboard awards and they look like a fashionable Latino Power Ranger squad —a show we’d definitely watch.
16. All of Becky Gs MTV EMA looks
Becky shed her ‘good girl’ look in favor of showing off the chic woman she’s turned into. At this year’s MTV EMAs she wore an elegant suit complete with a pussy bow shirt, skin baring bodysuits and a couple of uber chic mini dresses. We’re loving this renewed fierceness.
17. Maluma’s ‘Courtside Formal’.
The Colombian singer took in a Knicks game from court-side seats dripping in 1977’s finest finery, all designed by Gucci’s Alessandro Michele. And he looked fabulous if I do say so myself.
Amidst President Trump’s impeachment hearings, a new protest song is making the rounds online. Except this one sounds more like a festive, satirical and catchy tune; rather than a political critique. Just last week, Neon Indian dropped his first song in Spanish “Toyota Man” after four years of not releasing any new music. The pro-immigration anthem references classics like Selena’s “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” and Miley Cyrus’s “Party in the U.S.A.” The song talks about migrant laborers, the American dream, and DACA recipients in a catchy and witty way.
Alan Palomo aka Neon Indian dropped his new single last week, “Toyota Man,” with a self-directed video that tells his immigration story.
Palomo’s video for “Toyota Man” opens with himself standing at the U.S.-Mexico border flipping through cue cards. “Llegamos al apartamento cuatro de un tío después que cruzamos el río en Reynosa.” Born in Monterrey, Mexico, the Chillwave singer tells the story of his crossing the border through Reynosa on to San Antonio and Austin. Once in ‘el otro lado’ he gets hired to wash Toyota trucks. The musician takes a rag to a red vehicle in what could be an ode to American underground experimental filmmaker, Kenneth Anger’s “Kustom Kar Kommandos,”
Fiestas, piñatas, tacos, and abuelas, the satirical video is all about representing Alan Palomo’s Mexican culture.
At a backyard party featuring the classic taquiza and piñatas, a Trump-shaped piñata comes to life and makes a run for it. The 45th president duels with an abuela, and gets chased by children to the sound of the chorus “Venimos a estudiar, queremos trabajar, y aunque lo quieran negar, todos somos Americanos” Spanish for “we come to study, we want to work and even if they want to deny it, we’re all American.” There’s also a puppet show about migrant labor, a cowboy giving birth to cars and a lot more weird stuff going on before the Trump-ñata gets hits by a car and spills green cards all over the road.
The pro-immigrant anthem speaks to the American dream.
Credit: alan_palomo / Instagram
Palomo calls out Uncle Sam for all the obstacles the U.S. government has put in place to ensure that immigrants find it hard to achieve success and stability. He talks about citizenship trials, labor rights violations, ’Aquí tu no cuentas igual,’ he sings. “Though my music has always been generally apolitical,” Alan Palomo said in a statement to Pitchfork, “I realized when recording this song that it was impossible to write biographically (in the rhetorical context of the Trump administration) without being entirely that: political. The story of my family, which before felt commonly American, was suddenly politicized.”
Palomo’s first song in Spanish, “Toyota Man” takes from a variety of both Mexican and American classic tunes.
Credit: alan_palomo / Instagram
The beat of the Mexican folk song “La Cucaracha,” plays in the riff of ‘Toyota Man’. Palomo mentions “The Star-Spangled Banner,” Selena’s “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” and Miley Cyrus’s “Party in the U.S.A.” “Te tienes que aguantar hasta que no te puedan deportar, asi es este party in the U.S.A.”
But above all, ‘Toyota Man’ is a satirical pro-immigration Latino song.
Credit: alan_palomo / Instagram
“Recognizing the absurdity of it all,” said Palomo in a statement, “I thought it would be refreshing to address the social narrative around immigration through comedy — nods to Benny Hill, misremembered San Antonio car commercials, and School House Rock. My family and I had a ton of fun making this and I hope it’s equally as fun to watch.”
“Toyota Man” is Neon Indian’s first track since his 2015 album.
Credit: alan_palomo / Instagram
The track is Palomo’s first new single since his 2015 album, “VEGA INTL. Night School” and his all-star Prince tribute in 2016. The tone and sound of his new song “Toyota Man,” hints at a new direction for the indie-rock artist. He’s talked about singing in his native language for a while, and if this track is any indication, perhaps we can expect more personal, political works from Neon Indian, and hopefully, a new album is in the works.
Neon Indian is nearing the end of a fall U.S. tour that wraps up on Nov. 29 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
