How ‘Latin’ & Spanish Artists Can Conquer the Charts on Both Sides of the Atlantic

“Today, Spain has accepted being seen as part of the Latin movement, and the Latin movement has accepted being seen as part of the Spanish movement,” said Ferradas, citing collabs like the one between Bizarrap and Quevedo. Years ago, added Ferradas, who has long worked between Spain, the United States and Latin America, the word “Latin” in terms of music didn’t have the positive connotation it has now among Spaniards. “The pandemic allowed people to really listen, and it opened ears and doors.” For Ferrada’s client Camilo, collaborating with Spanish stars Dani Martín and Pablo Alborán opened the doors to his vast acceptance in Spain, where he now sells out arenas.

Spanish artists sometimes aren’t willing to make the sacrifices needed to “conquer the world,” said Kolm, who manages Maluma, Vives, Wisin and Emilia, among others, via his WK Entertainment. “Look at the Colombians: Vives, Maluma, Camilo, Shakira, Karol G, Fed,” he said. “They made a decision to conquer the world, and that takes commitment. Conquering the world without leaving your country is tough.”

“You need to have desire and a spirit of sacrifice,” added Lagarrigue, who, from her home base in Spain, has managed superstars like Sanz and Mecano in the past. “You have to move, travel, work a lot and get to know the other markets without losing your identity.”

“I identify with how each artist decides to develop his or her career,” said Lauria, noting that an artist like Argentine rapper Duki is playing a stadium in Spain this summer and is only now beginning to play arenas in the United States. “The industry may not always see it, but there’s a young fan that’s engaging strongly in other ways.” Plus, added Ferradas, different cultures embrace different music. When reggaetón came to the forefront, “Youth culture in Spain, Argentina and Mexico responded with their own cultural answer of what they were living in their own countries. Exporting that takes more time.”

There was no clear consensus on how important the U.S. market is to global success. While Lauria has worked his artists first in their local markets, and then in places like Spain and Mexico, Kolm is a big proponent of U.S. success in the global journey. “The U.S. market may not be as profitable unless you sell a lot of tickets, but it’s a major window,” he said. “It’s where the most important award shows take place and it reflects what people are consuming. You have to work it. We did it 10 years ago with Maluma, when he moved to the U.S., and now we’re doing it with Emilia. Things move very quickly in pop and competition is fierce. You have to be ready.”

It sounds obvious, but it’s worth repeating. “There needs to be a strategy,” said Gallardo, noting that in the physical album days, there was a threshold of 100,000 albums that had to be sold before an artist could be exported. Streaming has, of course, changed that. But still, “If a Spanish artist wants to break in America, what does that mean? It’s a giant continent. You need to build a plan and start small where you already have a fan base, whether it’s Argentina or Mexico.” Gallardo, like Kolm, cited Emilia as an example. Originally signed to Sony when she was a brand-new solo artist living in Miami, she moved back to Argentina to build her fan base there. “And now, she sold out 10 Movistar Arenas in Buenos Aires,” and is breaking in the United States, he noted.