On the Radar Latin: Omar Courtz, Nashy-Nashai, & More Emerging Artists to Discover

Every month, Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors feature a small group of new, or relatively unknown, artists whose music we love. Think “diamantes en bruto,” or “diamonds in the rough.” These are newcomers who have yet to impact the mainstream — but whose music excites us, and who we believe our readers should make a point to discover.

Our latest edition of On the Radar Latin includes a half-dozen emerging artists, who we might’ve found anywhere from a Spotify playlist to a music showcase. See our recommendations below.

Fifty

Country: Colombia

Why They Should Be on Your Radar: I discovered Fifty a year ago when regional Mexican indie label AfinArte announced the launch of their new urban label, ArteFino Music — Fifty (real name: Freddy Steven Sierra) is one of their first signees. Born in Santa Marta, Colombia, the emerging act has been making music since he was 13 and fuses all of his Caribbean glory with reggaetón music. His singles such as “Sello o Cara,” “Hola,” and latest track “Llora” all have clean, feel-good, and reflective lyrics, and serve as a testament to his “samarian flavor,” which laces Afropop, reggae, and dancehall melodies with the urban genre. The newcomer is slowly building his fan base, which (according to statistics on Spotify) is largely based in Chile, Peru, and his native Colombia. — JESSICA ROIZ

Song For Your Playlist: “Sello o Cara”

Luis Salido

Country: Spain

Why They Should Be on Your Radar: Luis Salido came onto my radar just a few days ago, when my friend from the industry, Josué Ricardo Rivas — Salido’s manager — sent me his first single “Madrid” (in which Rivas, incidentally, makes his debut as executive producer). Co-written by Salido and Iván Feria, this sweet ballad about heartbreak — with a music video filmed between Madrid and Bogota — recalls a long-gone romance lived in the Spanish capital. Salido was born and raised in Montilla, in the province of Córdoba, Spain, and makes his professional debut now at the age of 22. But he started music young: At the age of 4 he began taking drum lessons, and by the age of 12 he was singing and playing the guitar. He’s won me over with his heartwarming, velvety voice, the sweet melody, and the simple, heartfelt lyrics from his first release. I’m looking forward to hearing what he’ll do next. — SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS

Song For Your Playlist: “Madrid”

Nashy-Nashai

Country: Argentina

Why They Should Be On Your Radar: Nashy-Nashai first captured our attention with her gigantic voice as a winner of musical reality competition La Firma, which premiered last month as a Netflix Original. Her impassioned flow — which navigates through whirling R&B melismas and fiery rap bars — and endearing personality shined through early in the series. Her live performances on the show were also some of the most exhilarating from the dozen contestants. The Buenos Aires native commanded the stage with heart-wrenching lyrical delivery and utter devotion, while also revealing her bad-girl antics. As one of the newest signees of Tainy and Lex Borrero’s Neon16 label, Nashy-Nashai continues to showcase her pipes with passion galore — just listen to “Ojalá.” — ISABELA RAYGOZA

Song For Your Playlist: “Ojalá”

Nico Hernández

Country: Colombia

Why They Should Be on Your Radar: Hernández is a talented 22-year-old Colombian singer that I discovered on Instagram reels. Over on TikTok, he’s also all the rage, racking over 2.4M followers (at the time of publishing) thanks to his captivating vocals and música popular covers that are filmed acoustically and during bohemian nights with friends. His sweet vocal range has lent a unique vibe to such classic Latin hits as Aventura’s “El Malo” and “Dile Al Amor,” Duelo’s “Puño De Diamantes,” Los Inquietos del Vallenato’s “Entrégame Tu Amor,” and Binomio de Oro de América’s “Si Tu Amor No Vuelve.” In addition to his two albums, Por Siempre and Por Siempre, Vol. 2, Hernández continues to flaunt his versatility with the release of his new single, “Y Si Me Dejas,” where he ventures into cumbia. — INGRID FAJARDO

Song For Your Playlist: “Y Si Me Dejas”

Omar Courtz

Country: Puerto Rico

Why They Should Be on Your Radar: Omar Courtz’s first single on DSPs traces back to 2018, but it wasn’t until 2020 — in the midst of the Coronavirus quarantine — that he got on the radar with his viral single “En Tu Nota.” The sensual reggaetón track really set the tone for who Courtz is as an artist: versatile and innovative, backed by distinct deep vocals. Signed to Pitbull’s record label, Mr. 305 Records, Courtz (from Carolina, Puerto Rico) landed a major collaboration early in his career with “Ten Cuidado,” alongside Pitbull, Farruko, El Alfa and IAmChino, which entered Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart in 2021. In addition to collaboration with a promising wave of newcomers, such as Young Miko, paopao and Dei V, the Puerto Rican artist has also caught the attention of bigger acts — including Natti Natasha, Lenny Tavárez and Justin Quiles. — J.R.

Song For Your Playlist: “En Su Nota”

Omar Rodriguez

Country: The United States (Mexican-American)

Why They Should Be on Your Radar: A new generation of artists continues to usher in a new era for Mexican music, pushing the genre to the top of the global charts. Part of that new crop of regional Mexican acts is up-and-coming corridos and sierreño singer Omar Rodriguez, who recently scored a record deal with Lumbre Music (indie label home to Yahritza Y Su Esencia and Nivel Codiciado). The 17-year-old singer-songwriter’s story starts with a guitar, which he bought three years ago after discovering artists such as Natanael Cano and Eslabon Armado on social media over the pandemic. Inspired by their music, Rodriguez found his own voice and style, delivering a handful of new songs such as “Eres” and “Me Dejaste En Cero,” which showcase his gentle, almost soothing vocals and masterful guitar skills. Earlier this month, the Los Angeles-born artist delivered his first EP, Incompleto, which serves as a captivating first introduction to this promising young musician. — GRISELDA FLORES

Song For Your Playlist: “Te Fuiste”