The best musical collaborations featuring Latin artists

The original Spanish-language version of this viral hit from the King of Latin Pop, Enrique Iglesias, and Cuban artists Descemer Bueno and Gente de Zona exploded around the world in 2014. In fact, the official music video became the first Spanish-language song to attain more than one billion views on YouTube; it remains the 11th most-viewed clip on the video-sharing platform to date. Jamaican dancehall singer/rapper Sean Paul helped the song cross international borders with his Spanglish remix, which ultimately peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

This 2018 smash hit brings together a triple-threat powerhouse from the worlds of American rap (Cardi B), Latin trap (Bad Bunny) and reggaeton (J Balvin). The hard-hitting Latin trap beats dance around a rhythmic salsa framework, marrying two cultures and two languages in one massive song. “I Like It” made music history this past July when the track topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S., marking Cardi B’s second #1 and making her the first female rapper to achieve that feat in the chart’s history.

As one of the best-selling singles of all time in the U.S., “Hips Don't Lie” solidified Shakira as a global force. Released in 2006, the track reached the No. 1 spot in more than 50 countries worldwide. It also topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart, marking her first No. 1 single in the U.S. A true global hit, the English-language “Hips Don't Lie” remains loyal to Shakira’s Latin roots via its salsa and worldbeat rhythms.

Featuring lyrics in English, Spanish and French, the appropriately titled “Mi Gente,” Spanish for “my people,” is a universal anthem that unites people of all cultures. The original, from Colombian reggaetonero J Balvin and French DJ/producer/singer Willy William, topped the charts in more than 20 countries across Europe and Latin America. Queen Bey blessed the song with her empowering vocals, with lyrics in both English and Spanish, on a remix that lifted the track to a whole new level of global appeal.

The worldwide internet lost its collective mind with the release of this massive crossover hit from Puerto Rican Latin trap star Bad Bunny and Drake. A party-starting, reggaeton-tinged R&B jam, “Mia” brings together two of the best artists from their respective genres for one international anthem. Plus, hearing Drake sing entirely in Spanish, a first for the Canadian rapper/singer, is the cherry on top of an already overly delicious jam.

In 1999, Puerto Rican pop star Ricky Martin crossed over into the U.S. market with his self-titled album, his fifth overall and his first English-language project, which featured the breakout single "Livin' la Vida Loca.” He continued the trend in 2000 with his second English album, "Sound Loaded," which featured the hit "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely.” Martin recorded two additional versions of the song: a Spanish one called, "Sólo Quiero Amarte" ("I Only Want to Love You") and a duet featuring fellow 2000s-era star Christina Aguilera. The latter duet would help bolster the song’s success, helping the duo land a Grammy nomination in 2001 for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.

One of the most unexpected collaborations of the ‘90s ended up becoming one of the most decorated songs of that decade. Cuban-American singer/songwriter Gloria Estefan meets the ultimate boy band *NSYNC on this slow-burning pop ballad. As the lead single off the soundtrack for the 1999 film "Music of the Heart," starring Meryl Streep, Angela Bassett and Estefan herself, “Music of My Heart” was nominated for an Academy Award and a Grammy Award.

This 2007 track perfectly mixes the defining vocal and stylistic elements of its two featured pop divas: Beyoncé and her R&B boldness and Shakira, with her Latin and Arabic roots. As one of the featured tracks off the deluxe version of Beyoncé's second solo album, "B'Day," “Beautiful Liar” comes in three versions: English, Spanish and Spanglish, with both artists switching between languages on each rendition. That bilingual approach would notch the track a Grammy and Latin Grammy nomination.

“Fotografía,” the duet from Colombian musician/singer Juanes and pop artist Nelly Furtado, proved to be the beginning of a fruitful relationship. Featured on Juanes' second album, "Un Día Normal" (2002), “Fotografía” topped Billboard’s U.S. Hot Latin Songs and U.S. Latin Pop Songs charts, in addition to charting across Latin America. The duo would team up again in 2006 on Furtado’s own "Te Busque,” off her album "Loose," which also charted in the U.S. and across Europe.

International pop divas Shakira and Rihanna join forces on this 2014 ska-tinged dance rock bop. Mixing Rihanna’s Barbadian island vibes and Shakira’s powerful vocals, “Can't Remember to Forget You” is equal parts rock jam and dance floor banger. For Shakira purists, there’s also a Spanish-language version of the song called "Nunca Me Acuerdo de Olvidarte.”

"J.Lo," the second studio album from pop star Jennifer Lopez, featured two versions of “I’m Real.” The original features ‘80s-style pop elements mixed with 2000s-era R&B. Lopez later enlisted rapper/singer Ja Rule for an urban-leaning R&B remix, dubbed the “Murder Remix,” which is radically different from the original and sounds like a completely new song. Still, both versions feel like throwbacks to two different eras of pop culture.

“Culo,” the debut single from Pitbull, features all the elements that would come to define the Cuban-American rapper’s style: highly sexualized lyrics, bouncing beats and a nasty flow. Reinforced by Lil Jon’s crunk-style yell-singing, “Culo” became the first indicator of Pitbull’s forthcoming cultural dominance before he graduated from Mr. 305 to Mr. Worldwide. The remix version features Spanish verses from Pitbull and also welcomes Ivy Queen, the Puerto Rican rapper and singer known around the world as the Queen of Reggaeton, for an all-star Latin rap hit.

Helmed by French producer DJ Snake, “Taki Taki” features an all-star cast of vocal collaborators, including pop singer Selena Gomez, reggaeton/Latin trap star Ozuna and rap queen Cardi B. With hard-hitting lyrics in English and Spanish, “Taki Taki” effortlessly slides through genres like EDM and reggaeton, cultures and languages. The result is a universal hit that can fit on any dance floor around the world.

The undisputed king of reggaeton, Puerto Rican rapper/singer Daddy Yankee had already dominated the genre by the time he released "El Cartel: The Big Boss," his fourth studio album, in 2007. The original version of "Impacto,” the album’s lead single, packed major talent via legendary hip-hop producer Scott Storch and reggaeton luminary Tainy. The remix version, featuring pop singer Fergie, amplified the song’s global reach and garnered more than 41 million YouTube views for its music video.

Latin American boy band meets British girl group in this 2017 super collaboration. Miami quintet CNCO already had a hit with the original version of “Reggaetón Lento (Bailemos),” the third single off their 2016 debut studio album, "Primera Cita." One year later, CNCO teamed up with Little Mix for a Spanglish remix that breathed new life into the song: Debuting at No. 5 on the U.K. Singles Chart, the remix notched CNCO's first top 10 single in the U.K. and welcomed the group to international audiences.

EDM funnyman Dillon Francis knows the value of a good joke, which explains the self-deprecating humor of “White Boi.” As the opening track on "Wut Wut," the Los Angeles producer’s second studio album and his first Spanish-language full-length release, “White Boi,” features Colombian singer-songwriter Lao Ra confessing her love to the song’s titular “white boy.” The punch line: Francis, who doesn’t speak Spanish, has no idea that she could be talking about him.

In 2011, Canadian crooner Michael Bublé and Mexican pop star Thalía became the odd couple of Christmas music via their Spanglish duet, “Mis Deseos/Feliz Navidad,” featured on the former’s holiday album. The duo regrouped in 2012 for another duet on a remake of the 1940 bolero classic “Bésame Mucho.” Their version, which is on Thalía’s "Habítame Siempre" album, added tango elements for a sexed-up rendition that’s muy caliente.

Major Lazer founder Diplo has always had his ear on the worldwide dance floors since his days as an up-and-coming DJ/producer in the early 2000s, during which time he discovered and popularized global sounds. Most recently, he and the Major Lazer crew have been digging into the Latin pop realm, as heard on their newest EP, "Know No Better," which features the reggaeton-fueled “Buscando Huellas.” Led by Colombian reggaeton singer J Balvin and assisted by Jamaican dancehall rapper/singer Sean Paul, the track nods to the current cultural dominance of Latin pop.

Australian pop star Kylie Minogue has been around the scene long enough to know exactly when and how to ride a trend. On her 14th album (!), "Golden," she featured the saccharine track “Stop Me From Falling.” While the song was cute and sweet, the remix version, with Cuban reggaeton group Gente de Zona, added an extra dash of Latin flair to the country pop of the original. The remix even features Minogue dropping some rarely heard Spanish lyrics.

There’s a reason why there’s a so-called “Despacito effect” sweeping pop music these days. The official music video for the original version of this Spanish-language global hit remains the most-viewed clip on YouTube ever. Combined with the Justin Bieber remix, “Despacito” became the most-streamed song of all time in 2017. The “Despacito effect” is indeed in full swing.