20 of the best Latin and pop collaborations

In 2017, Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee already had a hit song to their name with “Despacito.” A few months later, Justin Bieber hopped on the remix, which helped the song become a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, and won several Latin Grammy Awards including Song of the Year and Record of the Year. 

In 2005, Shakira released her second English-language album Oral Fixation, Vol. 2. She teamed up with Fugees member Wyclef Jean on her hit single “Hips Don’t Lie,” a track that is a reworking of Jean’s track “Dance Like This.” In “Hips Don’t Lie,” Shakira describes how her hips can tell if she’s attracted to a potential lover when she sees him on the dance floor. The following year, Shakira won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography in a Video, a fitting feat. 

J Balvin and Willy William scored their first top-10 Billboard Hot 100 hit when they teamed up with Beyoncé on the remix to “Mi Gente.” While the majority of the song is in Spanish, Beyoncé adds an English verse while sprinkling a little bit of Spanish ad-libs. “Mi Gente” became a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart. 

Although Latin rock band Santana has been making music since the ‘60s, they wanted their 1999 album Supernatural to have more of a pop radio feel. They did just that when they teamed up with Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas on their lead single “Smooth.” Thomas’ raspy tone blended perfectly with Santana’s signature guitar sound, making the song a huge hit. “Smooth” was a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 2018, Puerto Rican reggaeton artist Bad Bunny released his debut album X 100pre. On the second single “MÍA” he teams up with rapper Drake, and surprisingly, Drake doesn’t rap at all and instead sings entirely in Spanish. “MIA” became Bad Bunny’s first top-five hit on the Billboard Hot 100 as a lead artist. 

Pitbull scored his first No. 1 hit in 2011 when he released “Give Me Everything” alongside Ne-Yo, Afrojack, and Nayer. It was a time when EDM was becoming quite popular with mainstream audiences, and the song ended up being one of the best-selling singles of the year. On the track, Pitbull describes hoping a lover will give him everything he wants because tomorrow isn’t promised to anyone. 

In 1999, Gloria Estefan teamed up with boy band *NSYNC on their single "Music of My Heart." The ballad was written by Diane Warren and it lyrically highlights a person being grateful for a person being there for them. "Music of My Heart" was a smash hit that peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

Feid may be known as a reggaeton artist, but he ventured into the world of Afrobeats when he teamed up with Rema on their hit song "BUBALU." On the track, the two describe the sweet feeling of romance, and Rema is heard singing in Spanish for the first time alongside Feid. "BUBALU" peaked at No. 1 on Billboard's Latin Airplay, becoming Rema's first appearance on the chart. 

In 2020, Maluma teamed up with singer The Weeknd on the remix to “Hawai." The Weeknd kicks off the track singing in English before he takes on the hook singing in Spanish alongside Maluma. While the original version didn’t crack the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100, the remix peaked at No. 12, making it Maluma’s highest-charting single in the US. 

In 2021, Karol G released her third album KG0516, which featured the Nicki Minaj-assisted single “Tusa.” In pure Minaj form, the MC mixes rapping and singing, but this time she’s singing in Spanish while spitting a verse in English. “Tusa” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart, marking it the first time to do so by two female leads. 

In 2018, Janet Jackson teamed up with reggaeton star Daddy Yankee on the dance-heavy single "Made For Now." Produced by Harmony Samuels, the song pulls elements from Afrobeats and reggaeton, helping to make it an essential dance track. "Made For Now" became a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. 

In 2006, Beyoncé released her sophomore solo album B’Day, and the deluxe edition featured the Shakira-assisted single “Beautiful Liar.” On the track, the ladies realize they’re both dealing with the same unfaithful man, and that he’s not worth fighting over. As they sing on the hook, “Let’s not kill the karma / Let’s not start a fight / It’s not worth the drama / For a beautiful liar.” 

In 2020, emerging Afropop stars Amaarae and Moliy released their track "Sad Girlz Luv Money." However, it was a year later when they released a remix with Kali Uchis, in which the song saw major popularity after gaining traction on TikTok. Uchis adds a bilingual element to the song as her verse incorporates both Spanish and English. On the track, the ladies highlight how much they want to get paid and their love for dancing at parties. 

In 2014, Romeo Santos released his sophomore album Formula, Vol. 2. He teams up with rapper Drake on the second single “Odio,” and Drake surprisingly sings in Spanish before rapping a verse in English. “Odio” spent over three months atop the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart. 

If people weren’t familiar with Santana’s 30-year career before, they certainly got familiar with their 1999 album Supernatural. Santana teamed up with producer Wyclef Jean on their single “Maria Maria,” which featured The Product G&B. Along with Santana’s signature Latin sound, Jean made sure the song added more hip-hop and R&B elements as well. “Maria Maria” won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. 

In 2019, J Balvin and Bad Bunny released their joint album Oasis, which featured the fan-favorite song “Como Un Bebé," On the track, they teamed up with Afrobeats star Mr. Eazi, who also previously opened up for J Balvin on his 2018 Vibras tour. 

Producer DJ Snake knows how to recruit a star-studded cast and makes all of their sounds work perfectly together. In 2021, he teamed up with Ozuna, Megan Thee Stallion, and Lisa of Blackpink on their hit track "SG." In the song, the crew describes their infatuation with a sexy girl and her dance moves. "SG" became a No. 1 on the Billboard Latin Airplay chat. 

Travis Scott gave fans a catchy dance tune when he teamed up with Bad Bunny and The Weeknd on their 2023 single “K-POP.” Unlike Scott’s typical sound, the track has more of a reggaeton feel to it, thanks to co-production from Boi-1da. Scott gives the opening verse, while Bad Bunny raps a Spanish verse, and The Weeknd’s vocals float effortlessly on the hook. 

Shakira is no stranger to collaborating with some of today's biggest pop stars. It was no different in 2014 when she teamed up with Rihanna on her hit single "Can't Remember to Forget You." With elements of rock, reggae, and ska, Shakira and Rihanna use the track to describe how one should forget a lover who is not good for them. "Can't Remember to Forget You" was a top-20 track on the Billboard Hot 100. 

In 2014, Enrique Iglesias released his 10th album Sex and Love, which featured the hit single "Bailando." The original version featured Descemer Bueno and Gente de Zona, however, he added reggae and dancehall star Sean Paul to a second version, which eventually helped the track peak at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.