Meet FloyyMenor & Cris MJ: The Chilean Artists Making Billboard History With ‘Gata Only’
Chilean newcomers FloyyMenor and Cris MJ are behind “Gata Only”— the latest trend on TikTok with two official sounds collectively garnering more than two million video creations on the app. Its viral success has also skyrocketed the track to No. 6 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart, becoming the first time a Chilean artist enters the top 10 in 25 years.
This week’s biggest gains in performance (jumping 10 to 6 after five weeks on the chart) and also placing No. 98 on the all-genre Hot 100 chart, the punchy reggaeton finds the two rising acts, originally from La Serena (located on the coast of Chile), singing about all the things they will do to the girl they like.
“I was performing some shows in another region of the country when I wrote this song,” FloyyMenor tells Billboard of the track he released on his own eight months ago. “I knew it was going to be a hit, and it feels amazing that people are supporting it.”
In February, Cris MJ—who comes on the heels of his massive banger “Una Noche en Medellín,” which also counts with a Karol G and Ryan Castro-assisted remix—was captivated by the local boom “Gata Only” was having that he decided to jump on the track.
“His flow was similar to mine,” he notes. “I decided to support him and do the song with him. I worked on [a new version of] the track in my house. Gave it all my love. We did a new music video, we mixed it. I added second voices. He was very excited.”
“Gata Only” marks the first time any Chilean artist enters the Top 10 on the Hot Latin Songs chart since La Ley and Ednita Nazario’s “Tu Sabes Bien” peaked at No. 8 in 1999. Prior, it was Myriam Hernández’s “Huele a Peligro,” which peaked at No. 5 in 1998.
“For us, this is very important. It’s a pride for all Latinos to be on that chart,” Cris MJ expresses. “In fact, before we released the song, I knew it was going to be a global hit. I’m proud because it’s not only helping my career but also the one of my colleague.”
Below, learn more about FloyyMenor and Cris MJ:
Meet Cris MJ
In 2018, the artist born Christopher Andres Alvarez Garcia began uploading Spanish covers of some of his favorite English rap and trap songs on social media. A self-taught artist, he filmed his own music videos on his iPhone and uploaded his own music on the platforms, but it wasn’t until 2020 that he moved from La Serena to the capital, Santiago, to pursue his music career. A fan of artists such as Lil’ Baby, Travis Scott, The Weeknd, Daddy Yankee, Anuel AA, Ñengo Flow, and Jory Boy, Cris MJ can navigate from rap to reggaeton with ease. In the past four years, the now 22-year-old artist has won the respect of the streets and the barrio, and of renowned acts such as Karol G and Ryan Castro, who jumped on the remix of his hit “Una Noche en Medellín.” Cris first performed the song live with Karol during her Viña del Mar set last year. He’s currently making the rounds with his sophomore studio album Partyson.
Meet FloyyMenor
Also inspired by the trap movement and artists such as Anuel AA, Travis Scott, and Bryant Myers, Floyy—whose artistic name is inspired by boxing legend Floyd Mayweather—is an 18-year-old artist who began making his own music when he was only 15. As a teen, he doubted releasing his tracks for the fear of what others might think and say. But it wasn’t until 2023 that he unleashed all his creations including songs such as “Por Ti Jalo Gatillo,” “gabanna,” “pa la europa,” “un star,” and “Llegamos,” to name a few. His dream is to one day attend (and be a finalist) at the Billboard Latin Music Awards, but for now, he’s working on a lot of new music and an album to, primarily, support his family. “The urban movement in Chile right now is very strong, and we have to pay attention. There is a lot of talent,” he says.
Jessica Roiz
Billboard