Latin-infused dance music has started making waves around the world, bringing the musical subculture of Latin EDM into the mainstream. In the past few years, Latin acts in the U.S., Spain, and Latin America are remixing the sound of music in Spanish, creating hits like Farruko's "Pepas" and Bizarrap's "BZRP Music Sessions No. 52" with Quevedo.

Latin EDM first received a global boost in 2019 thanks to the Colombian guaracha of Víctor Cárdenas, who scored a No. 1 on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart with "Baila Conmigo" after Jennifer Lopez covered it. Cárdenas then went on to produce Farruko's Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart-topper "Pepas." Argentine producer Bizarrap soon followed in his footsteps with his viral BZRP Music Sessions on YouTube. He has seamlessly blended trap, reggaetón, and regional Mexican music with electronica in his recent hit collaborations with Shakira, Peso Pluma, and Villano Antillano.

EDM is more embedded in Latin music than ever before. Puerto Rican producers Tainy and Caleb Calloway have pushed reggaetón music into the future by putting elements of house music hits by Bad Bunny and Rauw Alejandro. Latin EDM is also permeating pop music: Dominican producer Kelman Duran worked on Beyoncé's Renaissance, which won the GRAMMY Award for Best Dance/Electronic Album. He added a bit of reggaetón bounce to her swaggering song "I’m That Girl." 

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, GRAMMY.com is putting the spotlight on seven Latin EDM acts.

Sinego

Hailing from Bogotá, Colombia, Sinego first made waves thanks to his house bolero songs. He breathed new life in the age-old Latin sound in his songs like "Verte Triste" and "No Soy De Aquí." Sinego has received co-signs from and worked with acts like Sofi Tukker and Bomba Estéreo.

Sinego is looking to push Latin EDM even further with his upcoming album Alterego, which will be released on Oct. 27. He traveled throughout Latin American and Spain to collaborate with local musicians. In addition to bolero, Sinego reimagines genres like cumbia, samba, tango, and mambo through house music. There will also be a “Noche” version of the LP that will explore techno influences.

"'Alterego' is more than just an album; it's a sonic journey that transcends borders and genres, weaving together the rich tapestry of Latin American musical traditions with the limitless possibilities of electronic music," he tells GRAMMY.com.

Gordo

Gordo is making waves in EDM in both the English and Spanish markets, bridging the gap between Latin artists and electronic music. After a decade in the game, the Guatemalan American producer was tapped by Drake last year to work on his album Honestly, Nevermind. Gordo helped the Canadian superstar get into the house groove in songs like "Massive" and "Sticky."

In his own singles, Gordo is returning Spanish tech house to its Latin roots. Last year, he teamed up with rising Colombian star Feid for the alluring "Hombres y Mujeres," combining reggaetón with booming house beats. Colombian superstar Maluma later teamed up with Gordo for the pulsating "Parcera." 

"What I want people to take away the most from the Feid song is that I did it and I’m Hispanic," he told Uproxx last year. "There’s so much [Hispanic] talent, so why not keep it all in the family?”

Arca

Arca has broken boundaries for Latin artists in EDM. She has especially pushed the envelope for the LGBTQIA+ community as a trans and non-binary artist in the genre. Thanks to her Kick album series, Arca has been nominated at both the GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY Awards.

Throughout the Kick albums, Arca has proudly explored her Latina roots in her genre-bending club bangers. In 2020, she teamed up with Spanish pop star Rosalía for the freaky "KLK," which blended glitchy reggaetón beats with flourishes of traditional Venezuelan gaita music. A year later, Lady Gaga tapped Arca for a remix of "Rain On Me." Arca transformed the song with a sample of the raptor house classic "Metelo Sacalo" by Venezuela's DJ Yirvin. 

"Part of the lifeblood that has nurtured me was music that I heard on the radio," Arca told GRAMMY.com in 2021 about her reggaetón influences. "Music that reached me, through not just academic and performance, in more of a popular sense."

Deorro

Deorro is seamlessly blending his bicultural roots in his music. The Mexican American DJ and producer has toured the world and performed at all the major music festivals like Tomorrowland, Coachella, and Lollapalooza. In his sets, Deorreo often mixes in Mexican classics like "La Chona" by Norteño band Los Tucanes de Tijuana.

Last year, Deorro released Orro, further embracing his Latinx roots. He put a house music spin on regional Mexican music in songs like "Yo Las Pongo" with Los Tucanes de Tijuana and Dime with cumbia group Los Ángeles Azules. At EDC Las Vegas in May, Deorro brought out Eslabon Armado as a surprise guest. The Mexican American band joined him to perform his remix of the global hit "Ella Baila Sola" featuring Peso Pluma. 

"One of the most important things about collaborating with other artists is that it opens a lot of avenues for both me and other artists," he told iEDM.com earlier this year. "It's so inspiring to [...] evolve new sounds with them."

Martox

The Dominican duo of producer Eduardo Baldera and singer Juan Martínez are showing a different side to music from the Caribbean. Since their 2019 debut, Martox has experimented with multiple genres, but they have really hit their stride in dance music.

An alternative act with R&B and pop-flavored tracks, Martoz have started adding elements of electronica to the mix in the Se Siente Diferente EP. The title translates to "It Feels Different" and Martox lived up to that with the tropical house of "No Es Normal" and the disco-influenced "Pausa" with Gian Rojas. The sunny "Solsticio" best reflects where Martox is at now with feel-good funk colliding with the Dominican soul in Martínez's voice. 

"All the elements [of 'Solsticio'] groove perfectly," Martox tells GRAMMY.com "Everything stays constant and familiar, while at the same time, the track evolves and keeps things interesting and fresh."

The Martinez Brothers

Born Chris and Steve Martinez, the Martinez Brothers grew up on dance music in the Bronx. The Puerto Rican duo started incorporating their Latinx roots into their club bangers.

The Martinez Brothers helped usher in reggaetón's house music era in 2020 when they collaborated with Rauw Alejandro and Mr. Naisgai in the genre-bending "Química." Since then, they have continued to bring Latin acts into their world, including Fuego and Dominican star Tokischa. She featured on the intoxicating house track "Kilo." Alongside Gordo, the duo recently tapped into the world of Afrobeats with Nigerian star Rema in "Rizzla."

"Black people and Latinos really created this music," Steve Martinez told mitú in 2021. "It comes from the inner cities of New York and Chicago from Black and Latino communities. That’s always something we try to bring forth in our music."

2DEEP

2DEEP is representing his Latinx roots in his music. Hailing from the Bronx, the DJ and producer of Ecuadorian and Colombian descent immerses his EDM in elements of reggaetón and guaracha.

2DEEP previously distributed his music through Mad Decent where he also collaborated with Diplo. In 2019, he signed with Steve Aoki's Latin label Dim Mak En Fuego. Since then, 2DEEP has combined his love of dance music with Colombian guaracha, which is a Latin take on tribal house music. He also launched the dance party Reggaetonlandia that hosts events across the west coast. 2DEEP often spins his hits like "Guaracha En Reggaetonlandia" and "Takataka" in perreo-ready sets. 

"In the world of EDM, there aren't many Latinos like me and I want to make sure that every kid like me knows that their dreams can come true," he told People last year. 

2023 Latin GRAMMYs: See The Complete Nominations List

Primavera Sound is known for its heavy-hitting lineup and even bigger surprise guests. The Spanish festival celebrated 20 years in 2024, and transformed Barcelona's Parc del Fòrum into a masterclass of genre diversity and LGBTQIA+ inclusivity. There, under mostly sun-soaked skies, a wide range of international and native acts lit up multiple stages from May 29 - June 2.

Primavera Barcelona always promises an eclectic mix of performances that showcase native Spanish talent as well as major international headliners to get the party going. However, it’s not just the massive talent that pulls in the crowd. While the mainstages were graced by American superstars  Lana Del Rey,  SZA and Troye Sivan, the festival’s line-up was elevated by the vibrant non-stop DJ stylings of rising Brazilian star Clementaum and the divinity of Arca — who was rightfully labeled "madre!" by a buzzed up Boiler Room x Cupra activation. 

Primavera Sound’s diverse lineup guaranteed a highlight for every kind of festival goer: from the dad rocker to the 20-something throwing themselves head-first into new music. The festival amped up the energy and was keen to ensure a safe space for all music lovers (including regularly signposting a pro-LGBTQIA+ "Nobody Is Normal" campaign). If you weren't in Barcelona to experience the magic happening at Parc del Fòrum, read on for nine highlights from Primavera Sound BCN.

Arca Delivers A Divine Boiler Room Performance

Drawing on heavy doses of electronica, pop and techno, Venezuelan producer and DJ Arca’s unpinnable sound is exactly what made her sets unmissable. Arca set Primavera alight with two incredible sets: an early morning rave on the Amazon Music Stage on May 31, and a second, more intimate event inside Boiler Room x Cupra’s industrial set up on June 1.

The musician's Boiler Room set brought the club to Barcelona, weathering attendees through a humid thunderstorm with sweaty, fusion beats and remixes (Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and Zedd) that made her experimental anthems even more exceptional. 

Read more: 8 Essential Latin Electronic Releases: Songs And Albums From Bizarrap, Arca & More

We all love a bit of Spanish sunshine, but nobody seemed quite as home on-stage as Vampire Weekend. Having last played at the festival in 2008, the 16-year wait was well worth it with a set list doused with indie rock nostalgia and new bangers that kept the late-night crowd grooving.

It’s not easy to keep a mainstage crowd going on opening night (especially as the band faced some line-up changes for the festival) but Vampire Weekend's catalog-spanning performance rocked. They ran though hits "A-Punk, "Campus" "Oxford Comma," and new tracks ("Classical", "Gen-X Cops", "Connect")  from their new fifth album, Only God Was Above Us – a record which frontman Ezra Koeing described as "feeling perfect" on stage. 

No Vampire Weekend set is complete with some curveball covers. This year, to match the beat of their long-overdue festival return, the band kept things fresh with an incredible cover of Sbtrkt’s "New Drop, New York" performed against a smokey, dark red stage backdrop. Whether performing their own catalog, making surprise appearance alongside French rock band Phoenix  or dropping electric covers, Vampire Weekend prove they’re music more than hitmakers — they’re also a summer festival bucket list act too. 

Troye Sivan kicked off his mainstage set on Friday night dripping with innuendo. Replete with sexy outfit changes (including a pair of crotchless pants), effortlessly cool choreography and a very well-positioned mic in his pelvic region, the two-time GRAMMY nominee showed Barcelona that he not only has stadium-worthy tunes but is a stadium-worthy performer. Performing a medley of hits from his third studio album Something To Give You, Sivan's infectious pop tracks were perfectly timed to sexy and immaculately polished dance choreography (featuring his reliable backup dancer troupe of Simone Nolasco, Mauro van de Kerkhof, Benjamin Williams, Ainsley Hall Ricketts and Theo Maddix) against a campily creative set. 

The singer yearned alongside Spanish musician guitarricadelafuente on a silver silk bed as they duetted "In My Room," and belted out Ariana Grande’s "supernatural" in front of a mesmerizing anime video backdrop. Whether it was intimately crooning to synth-pop summer banger "Honey" or throwback hit "1999," Sivan was undoubtedly a mainstage highlight. As he wrapped up his set, the singer shouted out Barcelona's art and culture as an inspiration for Something To Give You. The Primavera performance was one of the biggest shows of his life, and closed this set with his anthem queer hit "RUSH."

Read more: Meet The First-Time GRAMMY Nominee: Troye Sivan On "Rush," The Importance Of Dance-Pop & The Spirituality Of Partying

Yeule Opens Primavera With An Electric Set

Kitted out with tattoos, American flag-styled cargo trousers, a heather gray bikini top and chunky boots,  yeule is exactly as you see them: an uncategorizable phenomenon. While their set clashed with major alt-metal and indie acts Deftones and Pulp, yeule’s distorted, glitchy universe was more than immersive; it was an electronic, energetic undertaking that swept the audience away. Away from the main stages, yeule’s set felt like a charged techo-pop portal to their world of emotional, alt-rock tunes.

Shaped by everything from nu-metal, Avril Lavigne and My Chemical Romance, yeule sounds neither human nor computerized. Often conceptualized as being something of a "cyborg identity," yeule's music translates with a darkly alluring style onstage. They opened with the melodic "Electric" from their second studio album Glitch Princess, while the rest of the setlist beautifully emulated their recent album Softscares; an emotional futuristic electro-pop record. The musician’s punk rock inflected "cybermeat," "sulky baby" and "dazies" were highlights, pulling the crowd closer to the stage as well as new listeners in from nearby smaller stages. 

Performing against a flickering urban city backdrop illuminated the midnight sky, yeule's set created the perfect isolated, small-stage universe to hear their deafening screamo notes during "Bite My Neck" and the hauntingly mellow electro-rock closeout track "software update."

Clementaum Brings The Brazilian Party Spirit To The Boiler Room

The Boiler Room x Cupra stage was the place to be this year. While the Parc del Fòrum never fails to pull together an eclectic mix of talent, Primavera Sound truly thrived in showing its ability to channel the club, ballroom and EDM into a live festival setting. There was never a set that didn’t bring the festival goers in glam outfits and the ultimate dance party vibes. However, the raging techno beats of Clementaum that most caught our attention.

Playing to a packed room with festival-goers tightly crammed in even behind her decks, Clementaum led a chant ("Vai Brazil!") as her country’s flag was proudly waved in the crowd.  Feeling more like a late-night rave, the Brazilian DJ had us thriving on deep beat drops and pummeling beats that you couldn’t help but dance to. Artfully skilled, Clementaum fuses Afro-Latin rhythms, ballroom culture and amped-up electronica for an incredible, heart-racing high.

The trance beat-packed El NICK DGO x Clementaum banger "Dale Pal Party" had everybody dancing, while a full-throttle remix of "Puttuna" pushed things into another level. However, her live rendition of "Pirigótika" (a track with Brazilian singer Bibi Babydoll) was her hallmark performance, and proved that if you haven’t heard of Clementaum, be sure this won’t be the last time you come across her name. 

Amaarae’s Captivating Set Can't Be Boxed In By Genre 

There’s nothing Amaarae can’t do. Taking over the Amazon Music stage on May 30, the Ghanaian American Afrobeats musician can take on anything from punk to R&B. In Barcelona, Amaarae’s chameleonic talent showcases that no style (or genre) is too much for her to turn into a captivating set.

Amaarae proved that whatever mood she brings to stage, she devours, from effortlessly performing slow burner "Wasted Eyes" to silkily switching to "Disguise," a song of desire and domination, and segueing to alternative anthem "Sex, Violence, Suicide." 

Learn more: Meet The Latest Wave Of Rising Afrobeats Stars: AMAARAE, BNXN, Oladapo & More

Nobody throws a party like the ultimate "it" girl Charli XCX. From ranging pop bangers ("I Love It" to "Party 4 U"), the British pop star kept crowds dancing until 4 a.m. — and for good reason. While fans weren’t frightened away by heavy rain and thunderstorms during the festival’s final night, Charli XCX and her fans made Primavera’s final night one to remember. 

And, if you were lucky, you might’ve caught the star pull off an incredible surprise DJ set alongside co-collaborator A.G Cook, and finance The 1975 band member George Daniel. While the early announced pop-up set for her upcoming sixth studio album Brat fell just outside of the festival on Sunday, the sweaty beach-side crowd was packed with fans flocking from Primavera Sound to make sure they got their early hit of Charli XCX ahead of her mainstage set later that night. 

Following the breakthrough of her sophomore album Preacher’s Daughter, Ethel Cain has been on an unstoppable rise. A goth-pop mix of Lana Del Ray and heartland-style emo rock, the Tallahassee-born musician is crafting her own Americana aesthetic shaped by desire, death and South Baptist Christian influences.

While playing a late afternoon set, the singer stepped out under the blazing sun delivering incredible vocals to fan favorites "Crush’’ and "House of Nebraska." The singer’s set highlights were elevated by two things: a new song and a political call-out that broke the divide between the festival crowd and on-stage artist. Dressed in a ‘Free Palestine’ t-shirt and with a keffiyeh hanging from her mic, the musician denounced genocide and advocated for the people of Gaze before launching into her viral anti-pop song, "American Teenager." 

Amidst her anti-war advocacy, the singer also slotted into a somber new song "Amber Waves," showcasing her penchant for eerie melodies and what fans can expect on her currently untitled upcoming project. 

Learn more: 15 LGBTQIA+ Artists Performing At 2024 Summer Festivals

Whether it’s the instantly recognizable intro to "Good Days" or the viral rotations of "Kill Bill," SZA has long been dominating and driving contemporary pop and R&B. The GRAMMY winner highlighted her artistic versatility with deep cuts and chart hits (including those from her massively popular sophomore album SOS) to a packed mainstage crowd.

With a stage set designed to look like a ship, SZA was amplifying the message of SOS loud and clear – with hits, charismatic stage movements and impressive vocals to match. And, she didn’t stop there. From knife play routine to "Kill Bil" to full-throttle Miley Cryus-style and riding an anchor to dropping the splits mid-set, SZA gave a performance that continuously raised the bar. 

Read more: How 'SOS' Transformed SZA Into A Superstar & Solidified Her As The Vulnerability Queen

Music Festivals 2024 Guide: Lineups & Dates For Lollapalooza, Coachella, Bonnaroo & Much More

Electronic music is embedded within the diverse world of Latin music and, for the first time, will be recognized in a new Field and Category at the 2024 Latin GRAMMYs. Within that field, the award for Best Latin Electronic Music Performance was created to shine a light on DJs, producers, and artists blending proudly blending electronic music with the sounds of their cultures.

Electronic music embodies various subgenres like house music, techno, trance, electronica, and many others rooted that have been popularized by DJs and producers. Latin artists have long enriched those subgenres: Mexico's Belanova globalized the electro-pop wave, while Bomba Estéreo blended cumbia with electronica in Colombia. 

The explosion of EDM in the 2010s also allowed the careers of Latinx DJs to flourish. Mexican American DJ Deorro has showcased both cultures during sets at music festivals like EDC, Coachella, Tomorrowland, and more. Arca's music pushes the boundaries of electronic music through a Venezuelan and Latin American lens. More recently, Colombian producer Víctor Cárdenas bridged the gap between EDM and reggaeton with the global hit "Pepas" by Farruko. Since then, electronic music has seeped through the work of Latin hit-makers like Tainy, Caleb Calloway, Bizarrap and Diego Raposo. "Pepas" and many of Bizarrap's music sessions crossed over onto Billboard's Hot Dance/Electronic Songs.

"That’s something that’s very big for us," Deorro tells GRAMMY.com about the new category. "How beautiful that this is happening, because it shows that what we’re doing is working, we’re breaking down doors, and we’re creating more opportunities for artists like us in the future." 

In honor of the Latin Recording Academy's new Field and Category, here are eight must-hear Latin electronic music essentials.

Belanova - Cocktail (2003)

Belanova revolutionized the Latin music space with their 2003 debut album Cocktail, an atmospheric LP that seamlessly blends Latin pop with electronic music. In the dreamy deep house of "Tu Ojos," singer Denisse Guerrero sang about getting lost in her lover's eyes. The trippy techno of "Barco De Papel" was reminiscent of the music from Madonna's Ray of Light album. Electronic music on the ambient level wasn’t common in Latin music until Belenova changed the game in Mexico, which later reverberated into the rest of Latin America and the U.S. 

The trio — which includes guitarist Ricardo Arreol and keyboardist Edgar Huerta — later delved into electro-pop on 2007's Fantasía Pop, which won a Latin GRAMMY for Best Pop Album by a Group or Duo the following year. 

Arca - Kick I-II (2020)

Venezuelan producer/artist Arca is a pioneer in the Latin electronic music space. Arca first began producing her experimental electronica in Spanish with her 2017 self-titled album.

Arca then masterfully mixed the diverse sounds of Latin America and beyond with EDM throughout her Kick album series. 

For Kick I, she combined Venezuelan gaita music and reggaeton with a cyberpunk edge in "KLK" featuring Spanish pop star Rosalía. Arca then blended electronica with neo-perreo on Kick II's "Prada" and "Rakata." Both albums garnered Arca GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY nominations. 

As a trans and non-binary artist, she is also breaking boundaries for the LGBTQ+ community in the genre. Arca is just not creating more space for queer artists in Latin music, but also in EDM at large by embracing the totality of herself in song.  

Bomba Estéreo - Deja (2021)

Bomba Estéreo, which is comprised of core members Simón Mejía and Liliana "Li" Saumet, has masterfully melded the music of Colombia’s Caribbean coast with electronic music. Since breaking out in 2008 with their sophomore album, the group has often reimagined the African and Indigenous rhythms of their country like cumbia through dance music. Bomba Estéreo’s folkloric approach to EDM has led to collaborations with Bad Bunny, Tainy, and Sofi Tukker.    

In 2021, Bomba Estéreo released its most ambitious album Deja, which garnered a GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY nominations. The title track put a funky spin on the band's signature electro-tropical sound. House music collided with the Afro-Colombian rhythms of champeta in "Conexión Total" featuring Nigerian singer Yemi Alade. Their album that was based on the four classical elements was a breath of fresh air in the Latin music scene. 

Bizarrap - "BZRP Music Sessions #52" (2022)

Argentine producer Bizarrap launched the BZRP Music Sessions on YouTube in 2018, first remaining behind the console for freestyle rapping sessions with local acts. The sessions quickly went viral, and have featured increasingly larger names in music.

Over the past five years, Bizarrap worked elements of electronic music into his hip-hop productions. In 2022, he fully delved into EDM with his global hit "BZRP Music Sessions #52" featuring Spanish singer Quevedo. The traptronica banger peaked at No. 4 on Billboard's Hot Dance/Electronic Songs and earned Bizarrap his first Latin GRAMMY Award. 

Since then, his music sessions have become a global event. Bizarrap later infused electro-pop with a trap breakdown in "BZRP Music Sessions #53" with Shakira, which garnered him two more Latin GRAMMY awards. 

Javiera Mena - Nocturna (2022)

Javiera Mena first debuted as an indie act in 2006 with Esquemas Juveniles. With that freedom as a producer and artist, the Chilean star pushed Latin music into the electronic space with her 2010 album Mena. 

She fully immersed herself into Latin electronica on her latest album, 2022's Nocturna — an album filled with nighttime club bangers that invite everyone to dance with her. Mena also proudly sings about being part of the LGBTQ+ community in the alluring "La Isla de Lesbos" and the fierce house music of "Diva" featuring Chico Blanco. Considering the influence of queer artists in the formation of electronic genres like house, it’s refreshing to see an artist like Mena remind people of those roots and bring that into Latin music.  

Deorro - Orro (2022)

Mexican American producer Deorro has established himself as one of the world's top DJs, and is known for mixing both of his cultures into his music festival sets. Even before the música mexicana explosion last year, he was one of the first mainstream EDM acts to bring the genre to music festivals around the world through his songs and remixes.   

With his debut album, 2022's Orro, Deorro fully bridged música mexicana with house music. He collaborated with Latin acts like Mexico's Los Tucanes De Tijuana and Maffio in "Yo Las Pongo," which blended the band's norteño sound with EDM. Deorro also explored cumbia with deep house in the sweeping "Dime" featuring Los Ángeles Azules and Lauri Garcia. In his recent sets, he is spinning a fiery remix of "Ella Baila Sola" by Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma

Sinego - Alterego (2023)

Sinego first broke through in 2019 thanks to his house bolero sound like in "Verte Triste," which put a refreshing spin on an age-old Cuban genre. With traditional genres within the Latin diaspora often falling to the wayside as the years go on, he is reintroducing them to new audiences through EDM reimaginings.   

For his debut album, 2023's Alterego, the Colombian producer pushed his electronic music to another level. Sinego traveled to different Latin American countries and Spain to record with local musicians, reimagining genres like cumbia, tango, and mambo through Sinego's EDM lens. With the sultry "Mala," he blended Venezuela's variation of calypso with house music. He also gave Brazilian samba a house music makeover in "Boa Noite" featuring Tonina. 

Diego Raposo - Yo No Era Así Pero De Ahora En Adelante Sí (2023)

Dominican producer Diego Raposo has helped Latin acts like Danny Ocean, Blue Rojo, and Letón Pé embrace elements of electronic music. In 2018, Raposo released his debut album Caribe Express, which demonstrated his knack for mixing the sounds of the Caribbean with EDM. 

Raposo took that inventive mix into overdrive with last year's Yo No Era Así Pero De Ahora En Adelante Sí. The otherworldly "Si Supieras" featuring Okeiflou blended house music with reggaeton, while "Al Contrario" with Akrilla aggressively mixes drum 'n 'bass with dembow. Rapaso also channels Dance Dance Revolution-esque electronica in the spellbinding "Quédate" with Kablito. 

7 Latin DJs To Watch In 2023: Gordo, Arca, The Martinez Brothers & More

Last year saw the demise and birth of many worlds. But despite the upheaval, Alejandra Ghersi, the avant-garde electronic music artist known as Arca, streamlined her approach and delivered her most palatable album yet, KiCK i.

Fans of the singer/songwriter and producer know her for her boundless, experimental approach to music-making. Her textured sound design includes instrumentals, futuristic effects and haunting, ceremonial vocals. KiCK i, released June of 2020, is an out-of-this-world bilingual sonic experience that marries the two sounds that raised her: electronic music and reggaeton.

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To the Barcelona-based, Venezuelan-born artist, reggaeton and electronic music are one and the same. Reggaeton relies "on the loop of electronic instrumentation," she explains via Zoom. With this album, Arca is taking Latin music’s biggest sound to new dimensions outside of the traditional Latin music world.

The intent is GRAMMY-worthy. KiCK i is nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Album at the 2021 GRAMMY Awards. And it has a place on the dancefloor—hip-shaking tracks like "KLK" with Spanish sensation Rosalía and Venezuela’s Cardopusher are pop songs at their core even as Arca maintains her experimental vision. 

The album's 12 songs mix reggaeton’s infectious rhythms with heavy, emotive synth sounds and robotic vocals. And the complex themes of identity in tracks like "Nonbinary" and "Machote" are as relevant and cutting-edge as the sound itself. She’s known for her contradictory nature—when asked about the songs, she responds, "There are times where it feels pleasurable and right to indulge in the binary, and there are times where it feels pleasurable and right to indulge in not having to put everything into one of those two boxes."

Recently, Arca spoke with GRAMMY.com about how her transition influenced the expansion of her sound on KiCK i, working with the late singer/producer Sophie on the album and creating reggaeton with Rosalía.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

What about the creative process or the creating process gets you excited?

It tends to be the part of making a song or being on set where I'm not in control of what the outcome will be. My favorite part of making something is not necessarily the part that entails having a vision and figuring out how to execute it, but rather the element of surprise that emerges when there's maybe a beautiful mistake or an accidental discovery.

So you don't mind not being in control?

Oh, I crave that. I think in my day-to-day, I want to be in control of my feelings or my practice. 

What drew you to electronic music?

I have a brother seven years older, and I would often borrow his music—sometimes without permission. I think his musical tastes left a big influence on me. He had a lot of Aphex Twin, Squarepusher. He had a few Björk records that were very formative in my musical heritage [and] instruction. 

Also, I loved electronic music on the radio. Pretty much all the musical genres that I gravitated to when I was a kid were electronic in some way—even if it was like future-leaning R&B. There was [also always] reggaeton on the radio in Venezuela. I considered reggaeton electronic music.

That’s interesting. Tell me more.

It really does rely on the loop of electronic instrumentation.

Before I come back to that thought, I want to get into your music. Your last album, Arca, was experimental. KiCK i is a bit more pop. How did that shift happen?
I can't answer that without mentioning the beginning of my transition. I think the self-titled record was more of like a swan song, as if I was letting go or mourning. When I wrote that record, I was walking in a cemetery every day by my house. It was pretty goth. Beyond emo. After that, I came to terms with a few things and decided to share them with the world.

The immediate result was something more celebrational. I didn't really want to preach to the choir, so to speak. There was a focused intention to try to reach people that might not share the same views as me—but to entice them or invite them by making something beautiful enough or entertaining enough that would compel people to think about the fact that we're each kind of mutants in our own way.

At the same time, we're all brought together in being unique. I don't know how to explain it. I think it's something that's more a result of living and finding a queer family after I left Venezuela when I was 17 years old. The values and the ways of making a new family or finding yourself to be part of a community that you didn't realize existed, it all ties into the reasons why the record sounds so different.

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You mentioned people who have different values than you, and then you cited queerness. Is that what you mean by people who have different views?

Definitely, but only because I think everyone is queer. You can self-identify as queer or not, but I think we're all on a spectrum.I don't think it should be something exclusive. It should be something inclusive. I think also each individual has multiple souls. That's something that I talked about a lot on Kick I—that we all have more than one state. 

I want to make space for each of those to be able to coexist in the same space, not just tolerate each other, but in a harmonious way. I think queerness isn't something that should make anyone feel like an outsider. If anything, it should make everyone feel like part of the same thing.

You have a song called "Nonbinary," but you also have a song called "Machote," which means "man" in Spanish. Why did you decide to name the songs that?

I didn't want to force people into thinking that by being non-binary, you're renouncing the heritage and tradition of these charges between masculinity and femininity. If anything, I wanted each woman to recognize the man inside them and each man to recognize the woman inside them. The words "woman" [and] "man" mean different things to each person.

My idea was that you can know who you are without needing to only choose one side of you. It's like the sun and the moon. I want it to have the pleasure and the joy and the sparks that can fly off of the tension between hyper-masculinity and hyper-femininity in the case of "Machote."

At the same time, there are instances where thinking in terms of masculinity and femininity as a binary might not be useful. I was trying to have my cake and eat it too. There are times where it feels pleasurable and right to indulge in the binary, and there are times where it feels pleasurable and right to indulge in not having to put everything into one of those two boxes.

It was a very nuanced message and a layered one that I understood was contradictory upon the moment of sharing it. That was kind of the point.

How did reggaeton and trap make it into the album?

Part of the lifeblood that has nurtured me was music that I heard on the radio. Music that reached me, through not just academic and performance, in more of a popular sense. One of the contradictions I like to relish in is to not think of my practice as academic, but also not to think of it as just entertainment.

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Did you plan on making the track of the Rosalía reggaeton since the beginning?

No. Actually, that's not the first song that we've made together. It just happened to be the first song we've been able to share. I'm glad that ["KLK" is] the first one because I'm really proud of it. I hope the other ones make it too, but at the same time, I don't think that our sound has to be shared with an audience for it to be real or for it to mean something.

I'm happy that we've made songs. Whether or not they see the light of day and are shared with audiences is secondary, almost, but I love her so much.

What about the song makes you proud of it?

I want to mention Cardopusher. It was between the three of us that the song came to be. So, I want to do more than a shout-out. I think the lifeblood of that song, the melody that is very hypnotic and has given the song so much of its energy was Cardopusher’s musicality. It's not just Rosalía. It's Rosalía, Cardopusher and I.

It's very important because the collaboration feels like a triangle. I've known him since I was, like, 14 years old. He was and is a local hero in the scene of Caracas. So, I'm proud for, I guess, being a bridge too, between Cardopusher and Rosalía. I'm proud to be a part of that song.

I'm proud because those are the rhythms that Luis and I grew up with, and I know Rosalía really appreciates them too. I love the song because I think it's infectious, but not 100 percent digestible in a pleasant way.

I have noticed that about your music. Some things about it are more poppy and accessible than others. Are you ever concerned about it not being palatable enough for broader audiences?
All the time. It's my nightmare to think that I might make something that means much more to me than it could mean to an audience. I always want to make it possible for people to have their own reading of things without making it sound too abstract. That's something I find myself never figuring out.

Your music is at the intersection of so many things. You're creating a new space for Latinx music outside its traditional boundaries. Do you think so too?

That's the goal. I don't know if I can answer that. I think that's for other Latinx musicians to answer, but that is honestly the goal.
And I think that your music is necessary for that—to push those audiences.

Bless you, for saying so. Thank you.

On the album, you worked with Sophie as well. What did working with Sophie mean to you?

It meant a lot. It's an emotional subject because it's very recent that she passed, and I find myself still processing the emotional side of that. What I can say right now, honestly, that I feel nothing short of an honor to have been able to make music with her and have that connection and be a part of my life for many years.

We met each other before either of us transitioned, so there was this very profound parallel and also similarities and also contrasts. I think Sophie is a genius. Period. She will forever remain someone that inspires me. We had so many plans. We were making so many plans to tour together. 

The track with Sophie, "La Chiqui," is more experimental than some of the others. What do you enjoy about playing with sounds?
I like the idea of combining things that haven’t been combined: languages, good print, times, different eras, different materials, even fantasy worlds, like science fiction versus fantasy. Maybe even interpreting traditional things with more contemporary leanings, or interpreting more contemporary ideas through traditional classical beauty.

I try to find combinations that surprise me and hopefully can produce a sense of wonder. Or, at least, inspiration.

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This album is nominated for a GRAMMY. How do you feel about that?
I’m still pinching myself. I can't say that I've taken it all in. Interviews like this one are what help it feel more real because I didn't even know that was possible.

When the label mentioned that it was nominated, I wasn't even told that it was a possible candidate. It's a great honor because I've studied not just music, but the history of recorded music. The GRAMMYs are very much about albums, which is a format that I'll always believe in. And then to have the recognition and the honor of it being nominated for me is already more than enough. It just gives me a lot of fuel to keep doing what I'm doing as best as I can.

Outside of your music, what do you want to be known for?
That’s a big question. I want to be known for not ever fully being known. I'd like to remain something of a mystery. I'd like to make it so that if you study my tracks, or the gestures, or the decisions that I took throughout the course of my career as a musician or as an artist working in more than one medium, it would be to make it hard for people to reverse-engineer and figure out who I was without hiding from people.

To find this place where people can feel like they don't have to know exactly who I was in order for my work to mean something to them—that would make me happy.

Now that the 2021 GRAMMY nominees have been revealed, let's take a look deeper across the categories to see which artists fared the best, who some of the first-time nominees are, who made history and more.

Beyoncé leads the pack this year with nine nominations, followed by Dua Lipa, Roddy Ricch and Taylor Swift, all tied at six nods. Brittany Howard follows with five nominations, with Megan Thee Stallion, Billie Eilish, DaBaby, Phoebe Bridgers, Justin Bieber, John Beasley and David Frost all tied with four nods.

As for Queen Bey, her nine 63rd GRAMMY Awards nods bring her total number of career nominations to 79, making her the most-nominated female in GRAMMY history. She is now tied with Paul McCartney as the second most-nominated artist of all time, only behind her husband JAY-Z (who received three nods himself this year) and legendary producer Quincy Jones, who both have 80 career nominations.

The pop/R&B icon has won 24 GRAMMYs to date, and if she wins at least four of her nine nominations, she will become the female artist with the most GRAMMY wins. If she wins eight or nine, she will be the highest number of GRAMMY wins of all time.

Inside The Song Of The Year Nominees | 2021 GRAMMY Awards

Both Stallion and Bridgers are first-time GRAMMY nominees and are in the running for Best New Artist. The Houston rapper's other three nominations come from her "Savage Remix" featuring Beyoncé, which is up for Record Of The Year, Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song. The Los Angeles alt-rocker's other nods are for her sophomore solo album, Punisher, which is up for Best Alternative Music Album, and its second single "Kyoto," up for Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song.

Notably, all nominees in the Best New Artist category are female and/or people of color—Stallion and Bridgers' fellow talented contenders are Ingrid Andress, Chika, Noah Cyrus, D Smoke, Doja Cat and KAYTRANADA. All of them are also first-time nominees.

Explore This Year's Album Of The Year Nominees | 2021 GRAMMYs

Other 2021 first-time nominees include BTS, Harry Styles, the Strokes, Poppy, Jayda G, Arca, Baauer, Madeon and Toro Y Moi, the latter five who are nominated in the dance/electronic categories.

For the first time in the history of the GRAMMY Awards, every nominee for both Best Rock Performance and Best Country Album is a woman or a group fronted by a woman. The nominees for the former are Andress, Brandy Clark, Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde and the group Little Big Town. For Best Rock Performance, the contenders are Fiona Apple, Bridgers, Brittany Howard, Grace Potter, sister trio HAIM and group Big Thief.

More entries than ever before were submitted for 2021 GRAMMY consideration, totaling 23,207.

Stay tuned to GRAMMY.com and our social channels (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram) for more 2021 GRAMMYs content, and tune in to the 63rd GRAMMY Awards on Sunday, March 14, on CBS to find out who the winners will be!

2021 GRAMMYs: Complete Nominees List