Every January, Billboard magazine's Latin team releases a list of artists to follow for the next 11 months of the year. In honor of 2022, this year's list includes 22 figures, ranging from pop and reggaeton, to R&B, regional Mexican, and tropical music. 

 

"Our Artists to Watch are not new, but rather, artists who have already made an impact, whether on the charts, in the media, on streaming platforms or in the public consciousness, and who we believe will make significant strides in their careers in the coming year," announced Billboard.

The list presented by Billboard does not include artists who already have a significant chart presence or have been nominated for a Billboard Award.

 

"In our opinion, these artists have already achieved notable success," the magazine said in its release. "We believe they will all make their mark in 2022."

 

Some of the artists on this list are: 

The 19-year-old from Barranquilla, Colombia, has an R&B-tinged voice that has already earned him collaborations with the likes of Maluma, Ovy on the Drums and Natti Natasha, as well as hundreds of millions of streams, thanks to hits like "Loco," "Aloha" and "Inolvidable." Recently signed to Sony, Beéle moves between dancehall and ballad.

Winner of one of the most exciting categories at the Latin Grammys, Colombia's Juliana Velasquez was crowned Best New Artist during the November ceremony.

 

The indie artist, known for her raw and personal lyrics that touch on love, heartbreak and resilience, has learned to trust the process. After releasing her first single in 2016 and leaving music after "nothing happened," the 23-year-old realized that timing is everything, and now it's her time to shine. 

Fernando Daniel Murillo Rivas was born in Merida, Venezuela. He started freestyling at the young age of 12, and slowly built his fan base. In 2017, his single "Cafuné" put his music on the map, signing a record deal with Ovy on the Drums' indie label Big Ligas in 2018, and an exclusive record deal with Warner Music Latina in 2021.

 

His breakthrough success came in 2019 alongside Piso-21 in "Te Vi," which earned him his first Billboard entry, peaking at number 28 on the Hot Latin Songs chart.

Hailing from Panama City, Boza entered the listener radar in the midst of the pandemic with "Hecha Pa' Mi," an infectious and edgy dancehall track that went viral on TikTok and entered Billboard's Hot Latin Songs, Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts in 2020. 

 

Inspired by Michael Jackson, Drake, reggae and a host of renowned Panamanian artists such as Kafu Banton, Boza defines his sound as "peculiar," with the Panamanian plena as the foundation of each beat and his emotions as the canvas for each lyric. In 2019, the newcomer signed with Sony Music Central America, and was nominated for best new artist at the 2021 Latin Grammys. 

 

Rounding out the list of Latin artists were the following: