Reik

Reik are nothing if not resilient. The Latin pop group formed in Mexicali, Mexico, in 2003; originally a duo, vocalist Jesus Navarro and guitarist Julio Ramírez added guitarist and backing singer Bibi Marín to form a trio in 2004. The group garnered attention in their early years for club favourites like “Levemente” and “Ahora Sin Ti”, thanks to an acoustic-guitar-driven sound that had a distinctly border-crossing vibe, and they soon found compatriots in artists like Jesse & Joy. It was a time when heartfelt pop-rock dominated the radio, and their 2005 self-titled debut spawned three ecstatically emotional No. 1 hits: “Yo Quisiera”, “Qué vida la mía” and “Noviembre Sin Ti”. Reik featured balladry at its most vibrant and cathartic: Navarro had a clear and elastic voice with a healthy falsetto that helped him breathe real emotion into each song. Subsequent albums, including Un Día Más (2008) and Peligro (2011), built on their success, but by 2015 the trio felt that Latin pop was stagnating. A full decade into their career, they decided to reinvent themselves, reaching out to reggaetón stars—only to find that their disparate genres had, in a way, converged: reggaetón now craved romantic sung hooks. Their way with sweet melodies has since found a new home in cross-genre collaborations with the likes of urbano greats like Maluma, Ozuna, Wisin, J Balvin and Sebastián Yatra, promising that Latin-pop audiences will continue to hear from Reik for years to come.