Women’s History Month has arrived, and in celebration, Billboard has compiled a list of all the women who earned a No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart since 2015. The chart ranks the most popular Latin songs of the week, blending airplay, streaming, and digital sales data.
But first, let’s trace back to 2012 when icons Gloria Estefan and Paulina Rubio reached No. 1 on the coveted chart. The former debuted and peaked at No. 1 with “Hotel Nacional,” and the latter with “Me Gustas Tanto.” For over three years, women’s representation was scarce at the top of the Latin charts until Maná’s “Mi Verdad,” where they were accompanied by Shakira. The following year, Shak’s “Chantaje” (in collaboration with Maluma) debuted and peaked at No. 1 on the chart dated Nov. 19, 2016, where it ruled for 11 weeks.
Like Estefan, Rubio, and Shak, other Latinas have made Billboard history.
Karol G and Nicki Minaj’s “Tusa” became the first song to debut at No. 1 in 2019, and the first title by two women in a lead role to open atop the chart since its inception in 1986. With “Telepatia,” Kali Uchis became the first female soloist without an accompanying act to reach No. 1 since 2012. Becky G and Karol G’s “Mamiii” hit No. 1 last year, and when it was followed on top by her solo smash “Provenza,” Karol became the first woman to replace herself at No. 1 on the chart.
Starting off 2023 strong, Shakira hit No. 1 with her Bizarrap-assisted “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” tying Bad Bunny for the fourth-most No. 1s overall on the listing, both with 12.
Below, revisit all the tracks by or featuring a Latina artist to have reached No. 1 since 2015:
On February 28, 2015, after three years of having no female representation at No. 1 on Hot Latin Songs, Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira arrived as a featured artist on Maná’s heartwarming ballad “Mi Verdad.”
The following year, Shakira remained on the throne with her sultry reggaetón smash “Chantaje,” where she was joined by then-newcomer Maluma. The track hit No. 1 on Nov. 19, 2016, and ruled for 11 weeks.
In May 2018, an up-and-coming Karol G arrived at No. 1 thanks to Pitbull and El Chombo’s “Dame Tu Cosita (Remix)” featuring Cutty Ranks, the Jamaican dancehall singer from the original 1998 recording.
The EDM/urban banger “Taki Taki” brought both Selena Gomez (of Mexican descent) and Dominican rapper Cardi B to No. 1, where the DJ Snake-led and Ozuna-assisted track spent 12 weeks.
Karol G hit No. 1 in 2019 with “China,” a Spanish-language adaptation of Shaggy’s 2001 Hot 100-topper “It Wasn’t Me,” where she was joined by Anuel AA, Daddy Yankee, Ozuna, and J Balvin. The club banger ruled for 12 weeks.
That same year, Karol earned another No. 1 as a lead artist with the ultra-breakup reggaetón track “Tusa” alongside Nicki Minaj. The song debuted and peaked at No. 1 on Nov. 23 and ruled for four weeks.
With her dreamy pop track, Uchis scored her first No. 1 on the May 22, 2021-dated Hot Latin Songs chart, becoming the first female soloist without an accompanied act to reach No. 1 since 2012.
Becky G’s first No. 1 hit arrived with the fierce and unapologetic “MAMIII,” alongside Karol G. The reggaetón hit debuted and peaked at No. 1 in Feb. 2022, where it ruled for 10 non-consecutive weeks.
Not only did this heartfelt sierreño song earn then-15-year-old Yahritza Martinez her first No. 1 hit in April 2022, but she also became the youngest Latin performer to enter the all-genre Hot 100 tally.
Singing over a lilting, calypso-esque beat, the Colombian artist yearned for an encounter with a past love on the Latin Grammy-nominated “Provenza,” which hit No. 1 on the chart dated May 14, 2022.
Early this year, Shakira reclaimed her No. 1 crown with the Bizarrap-helmed, EDM-infused “music sessions, Vol. 53,” where she threw witty punchlines at her ex Gerard Piqué and his new girlfriend.
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