Piso 21

Mixing sleek hi-hat patterns with graceful guitar melodies, Piso 21, along with fellow Medellín artists KAROL G, Maluma and J Balvin, added an urban edge to Colombian pop. The foursome was founded in 2007 when Pablo “Pablito” Mejía, Juan David “El Profe” Huertas, David “Dim” Escobar, and David “Lorduy” Hernández met at a friend’s party. Their band name was inspired by the fact that the festive gathering was held at a 21st-floor apartment. Piso 21 took their time before releasing their well-received eponymous full-length debut, a soothing, sun-kissed, guitar-laden album, in 2012. They drew even more widespread recognition after pivoting toward a more street-style sound with 2014’s “Suele Suceder”, featuring Puerto Rican singer and reggaetón royalty Nicky Jam. The sonic shift couldn’t have been timed better as it put the band in the forefront of the reggaetón explosion that within three years would see the success of Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee’s worldwide hit “Despacito”. That year, the troupe signed with Warner Music, dropped “Me Llamas”, the theme song for Colombian telenovela series La ley del corazón, and demonstrated their sensual trap bravado in their sophomore album, 2018’s Ubuntu, by introducing atmospheric synths to their club-ready sound. Where Piso 21 will go next musically is impossible to predict but exciting to imagine.