Peso Pluma and Nicki Nicole perform onstage during the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards at Watsco Center on October 05, 2023 in Coral Gables, Florida.
Jason Koerner/Getty Images
Collaborations like Bizarrap and Shakira‘s “BZRP Music Sessions #53,” Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma‘s “Ella Baila Sola” and Karol G and Shakira’s “TQG” ruled the Billboard charts in 2023, and some even made history along the way. Such was the case for “Ella Baila Sola,” the biggest Latin song of the year, which became the first ever regional Mexican track to enter the top five on the all-genre Hot 100 chart.
The aforementioned epic collabs, along with team ups by Grupo Frontera and Bad Bunny; Maluma and Carin Leon; Manuel Turizo and Marshmello; and Fuerza Regida and Shakira, marked a year of dream collabs we didn’t know we needed. As we’re ringing in the new year, Billboard Latin editors have put together a list of six pairings that, while have not been confirmed, we’d love to see happen in 2024.
Some have already collaborated — such as Nicki Nicole and Peso Pluma, who made their couple status official in November walking down the Latin Grammys red carpet together in Seville, Spain. While the pair released a remix to Peso’s “Por Las Noches” last year, we’re hoping that an EP is in the works. When asked by Billboard if they had any plans of releasing anything together in the future, Peso didn’t give too much away, simply allowing, “there are some surprises” — which opens the door to endless possibilities.
Another dream collab on our list is Becky G and Grupo Frontera, who could team up for a tejano-norteño tune. Both Becky and Frontera have worked closely with hitmaker Edgar Barrera, so we know that there’s a connection already there.
From Shakira and BLACKPINK to Karol G and Feid, below are our editors’ picks for dream collaborations in 2024 (in no particular order):
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Shakira & BLACKPINK
Why It Would Work: Shakira has been characterized by musical innovation. So a team-up with K-pop phenomenon, BLACKPINK, could create a unique girl-power collaboration. The iconic Colombian artist would have the opportunity to explore a new genre, dipping her toes into the K-pop world — and from the perspective of BLACKPINK, which has already collaborated with renowned female stars such as Dua Lipa, Lady Gaga, and Selena Gomez, expanding into Latin music would open the doors to an exciting and diverse market. T
he fusion of both acts’ distinctive styles would not only be a celebration of music’s universal message, but would also reaffirm the budding trend of Latin artists collaborating with Korean pop stars, such as J-Hope’s “Chicken Noodle Soup” with Becky G, and Monsta X and Sebastián Yatra’s “Magnetic.” Shakira, already a peerless force in Latin music, could give weight to this innovative crossover of genres and consolidate the trend for Latin music artists.
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Nicki Nicole & Peso Pluma
Why It Would Work: It Couple Nicki Nicole and Peso Pluma already have one collaboration together under their belts, and it came even before they confirmed their relationship. Last year, Peso delivered a remix to “Por Las Noches” with Nicki Nicole as a featured artist. Her delicate vocals offered the perfect balance to Peso’s raw and raspy voice. The chemistry between the the couple on and off the stage is, as Nicki would describe it, unique.
“We have been in the studio together, to be honest, and there’s a lot of chemistry there too,” the Argentine rapper and singer told Billboard in a joint interview with Peso in November. “When you mix the personal and musical sides, amazing things happen. We love each other on a personal level and we really do respect each other on a musical level, so there’s a unique chemistry in the studio. We work together because we enjoy it more so than doing it just to do a song.” Added Peso Pluma, “There are some surprises.” So, while another single would do, we’d love to see the pair deliver an EP that perfectly fuses both their styles: corridos, trap and hip-hop.
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Becky G & Grupo Frontera
Why It Would Work: A Becky G and Grupo Frontera collaboration is long overdue. We’ve already seen how the latter joined forces with some of reggaetón’s biggest names (Bad Bunny, Arcangel) and also other popular acts in música mexicana (Peso Pluma, Carin Leon, Fuerza Regida), so we think it’s time. Becky, on the other hand, entered her regional Mexican era when she dropped her 2023 album Esquinas in honor of her Mexican roots. There, she collabed with Ivan Cornejo, Chiquis, Dannylux and Yahritza y Su Esencia.
Especially since Becky is such a huge Selena Quintanilla fan, it would only make sense to see her and Frontera drop a fun tejano-norteño tune in 2024. In fact, the two acts met for the first time at the 2023 Latin American Music Awards in Las Vegas, and both have worked closely with hitmaker Edgar Barrera, so we know the connection is already there. Let’s hope it happens.
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Bizarrap & Jesús Ortiz Paz (of Fuerza Regida)
Why It Would Work: Fuerza Regida’s frontman Jesús Ortiz Paz (a.k.a. JOP) is known for being unapologetically honest in his music, with a rags-to-riches lyrically blunt approach that reflects his neighborhood’s hustle. An artist with undeniable swag like JOP would nail a Bizarrap music session. While the Argentine hitmaker has worked with mainly trap and hip-hop acts, for hard-hitting and often provocative sessions, the idea of teaming up with JOP doesn’t seem too far-fetched. Last year, Biza tapped Peso Pluma for “BZRP Music Sessions #55,” the producer’s first venture into regional Mexican. And JOP is known for mixing hip-hop swagger into his música mexicana tunes. Now that both artists have worked with Shakira, perhaps the Colombian star can link these two up for a collaboration.
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Karol G & Feid
Why It Would Work: In 2021, after Feid was Karol G’s opening act in her Bichota Tour, the two acts dropped their first collaborative effort called “FRIKI.” The song is accompanied by a music video featuring the two Medallo stars in their element: racing motorcycles, creating music at the studio, and having fun with friends. However, it wasn’t until Spring 2023 that the two Colombianos performed the song live for the first time, at Karol’s Mañana Será Bonito concert in Puerto Rico. They later performed it again at Karol’s closing show in Colombia in December. The crowd, of course, and fans on social media, of course, went crazy.
That’s why, for 2024, we manifest another Karol G and Feid collaboration. “FRIKI” was a mesh of their respective unique styles: coquettish lyrics and hard-hitting perreo. But, this time around, it would be nice to see them drop a romantic slow-tempo reggaetón jam or perhaps an unapologetic, unbothered, and motivating tune that best describes their laid-back personalities. We can only wish for another Bichota and Ferxxo track.
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J Balvin, Maluma & Britney Spears
Why It Would Work: J Balvin shared his admiration and respect for Britney Spears right after that photo of him with Maluma and the pop superstar at a restaurant in New York went viral. And one could only dream of an epic collaboration between the three mega stars. While to some it may seem far-fetched, we can’t forget both Colombian hitmakers have recorded songs with global, non-Latin artists, proving Latin’s influence on the English-language mainstream market. The domination of reggaetón-pop became a worldwide movement when J Balvin and Willy William were joined by Beyoncé for the “Mi Gente” remix. Maluma collaborated with Madonna for “Medellín.” Meanwhile, Spears has also expressed her love of Latin music, with a video she previously shared of her dancing to Maluma and Shakira’s “Chantaje.”