The Evolution of Reggaeton: From Machismo to Mujeres

female reggaeton artists posing

If you’ve been tuned into music for the past few years, you might turn on the radio and hear artists like Bad Bunny and Rauw Alejandro dominating the airwaves with their hit songs. As reggaeton continues to grow in popularity in the Western world, we wondered about the evolution of reggaeton from being male-dominated in the Caribbean and Latin America to the emergence of more and more women artists taking over the headlines.


Reggaeton began in the 1990s with San Juan nightclubs circulating the music. Panamanian artists like Nando Boom and El General were some of the first to perform earlier versions of “reggae en español”, but the genre evolved in Puerto Rico where a then-unknown artist who went by Daddy Yankee dubbed the new genre “reggaeton” in collaboration with DJ Playero in their album “Playero 36” released in 1994. Reggaeton is a cultural pillar for many artists who use it to communicate daily struggles in their neighborhoods while focusing on themes like poverty, love, sex, drugs, and crime.

Despite its popularity, a lot of the Latinx community remains divided on the values of reggaeton. Many criticize it for its anti-feminist themes in calling women derogatory names, while others claim it associates the Latinx community with living lives of crime and violence. The recent "Perra" collab by J. Blavin and Tokischa was a doozy. Others say it retains value based on artists who have mobilized the genre to spread political and societal messages to challenge what we know. Bad Bunny is one of the more modern examples of this. In his music video for “Caro,” he had model Jazmyne Joy replace him in an androgynous switch that challenges a lot of what we think of when it comes to masculinity.

BAD BUNNY - CARO | X100PRE (Video Oficial)www.youtube.com

While this is a big difference in the way reggaeton has been delivered, it is the women who have truly moved the genre into less machismo and more empowerment. From pioneers like Ivy Queen who gained popularity due to her hit “Yo Quiero Bailar”, the artist known as La Caballota paved the way for newer artists like Karol G, Natti Natasha, Anitta, and Becky G to join the ranks of modern reggaetoneras. With Becky G’s “Mayores” introducing the world to her entrance into reggaeton and Karol G’s consistent hits, new artists are paving a new era of reggaeton: one with women spearheading it.

Natti Natasha and Becky G

The women of reggaeton don’t only resign themselves to exclusively producing reggaeton tracks either. Natti Natasha releases a combination of reggaeton and bachata hits inspired from her native Dominican Republic. Karol G combines pop and reggaeton in her releases, even working with American artists like Nicki Minaj on tracks like “Tusa”. This new generation of women working to redefine the genre with themes of strength, love, and power is inviting more female audiences to become more diverse in the genre itself.

Becky G, Maluma - La Respuesta (Official Video)www.youtube.com

Reggaeton more than ever before is becoming as diverse as its performers. With male reggaetoneros like Residente creating tracks to combat political instability in Puerto Rico, reggaeton is being used as a device to be a true cultural movement for everyone involved. Combating machismo in the genre is not just the right thing to do, it’s what reggaeton needs to propel its popularity forward. Redefining reggaeton as a female-led movement with more diverse themes than that of crime and drugs is empowering for everyone and gives us something to really vibe with. With new artists constantly releasing music for us, it’s only up from here.

hands holding up yellow protest signs that say Hands Off Our Bodies
Photo Credit: Gayatri Malhotra via Unsplash

Originally published in Common Dreams. Reprinted with permission.

The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.

In November, abortion rights measures will appear on ballots across ten states, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, and New York, where Latinos make up a significant portion of the electorate. For decades, pundits and politicians have recycled long-held misconceptions about Latino voters and abortion access, citing our conservative and religious beliefs.

Anti-abortion extremists have long fueled these misconceptions through misinformation and disinformation campaigns targeting Latino communities with egregious lies and inflammatory rhetoric about abortion. Yet, polling, focus groups, and direct interactions with Latino communities have debunked these outdated tropes.

The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.

For Latinos, the freedom to decide, a pillar of our American democracy, is critical. Meanwhile, Latinos are being hit directly with anti-abortion efforts that take away that freedom such as the six-week abortion ban put into effect by the Florida Supreme Court and the 1864 abortion ban upheld by the Arizona Supreme Court. In the wake of the Dobbs decision, people of color and Latinas have felt the impact of a lack of abortion access, an element of basic healthcare.

A 2023 report by the National Partnership for Women and Families estimated that nearly 6.5 million Latinas, or 42% of all Latinas of reproductive age in the country, live in a state that either had or was likely to ban abortion. Ironically, it will be abortion access and anti-choice efforts to restrict freedom of choice that will mobilize Latino voters this election.

In a poll conducted by three national reproductive justice organizations, 87% of Latinas named abortion and women’s rights as one of their top priorities as they head to the polls. Another battleground poll conducted by Somos PAC and BSP Research found that 61% of Latino registered voters expressed a more positive/favorable view of Kamala Harris after hearing that she will protect abortion rights, versus only 19% of Latinos who said they had a more negative view of Harris after hearing that.

In key states to secure the White House and both chambers, Latinos make up large chunks of the electorate: Arizona (25%), Colorado (15%), Florida (20%), Nevada (20%), and New York (12%). In the face of unprecedented attacks on basic healthcare access and targeted attempts by extremists to mislead and divide our community on this issue, this November Latinos will be key deciders on abortion access across the country.

Mari Urbina, Managing Director of Indivisible, Battleground Arizona Lead and former Harry Reid advisor.

Héctor Sánchez Barba is president and CEO of Mi Familia Vota (MFV).

This Viral Video Game Is Changing the Face of Voter Outreach

In 2024, voting campaigns have evolved greatly, to say the least. Creativity is now the name of the game and tongue-in-cheek humor is expertly leveraged to drive action. One example of that is Bop the Bigot, a revival of a viral game created in 2016 by Bazta Arpaio, an Arizona activist group, as part of a campaign to unseat Maricopa County’s Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Arpaio lost his re-election to Paul Penzone that year.

The game has now been updated for the current election cycle and relaunched by On Point Studios, with new features added to enable players to find out what’s on their ballot, confirm voter status, and register to vote.

Much like its former 2016 version, the game allows users to take out their political frustrations by virtually “bopping” GOP candidates in the head. It’s very similar to whack-a-mole, except the mole is replaced by former President Donald Trump, Ohio’s Senator J. D. Vance, and Kevin Roberts, President of the Heritage Foundation, which is spearheading Project 2025.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

B. Loewe, Director of On Point Studios, came up with the concept for this game when working as the Communications Director at Bazta Arpaio in 2016, and is the executive producer of this revamped version. In the first version of the game, Bop the Bigot players used a chancla (flip flop) to “bop” the characters, tapping into Latino culture by leaning on the childhood experience of being set right by a flying chancla from a fed-up mother or grandmother.

This year, the chancla is replaced by a more current element, a green coconut, referencing Kamala Harris’ coconut tree meme. There are also side characters like “the couch,” cat ladies, and more coconuts. All references to jokes about Vice-Presidential candidate Vance, or insults Vance has made about women on the campaign trail.

Another new addition is that Harris’ laugh is immortalized as the game-over sound effect, an unexpected detail that adds even more humor and levity to the game.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump, Kevin Roberts, and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

Bop the Bigot, which is playable on desktop and mobile, is intended not just as a way to vent political frustrations, but also as a tool for activism and securing voter engagement.

For example, the game supports the work of Mexican Neidi Dominguez Zamorano, Founding Executive Director of the non-profit organization Organized Power in Numbers by using the “game over” screen to prompt players to donate to it and support their efforts.

Organized Power in Numbers is focused on empowering workers in the South and Southwest of the U.S. through collective action and comprehensive campaigns. Their mission is to create a large-scale movement that challenges the status quo and advocates for workers' rights, and racial and economic justice.

Currently, Dominguez Zamorano is leading worker outreach to 2 million working-class voters in the South and Southwest through doorknocking, texting, and calls with the help of local groups in North Carolina, Arizona, New Mexico, and more.

“We have been blown away by the enthusiastic reception for the video game. We knew we wanted to be part of its creative approach because our movement needs more fun and laughter. We need more ways to connect with nuestra gente so we can feel joy among all the absurdity we witness every day,” Dominguez Zamorano shared with Luz Media via email.

“Our people are gente trabajadora and we deserve to feel uplifted even in our toughest moments. We are deeply involved in the South and Southwest so we know what’s at stake in this election and we’re happy this can be a resource to mobilize, raise spirits, and get out the vote," she concluded.

Dominguez Zamorano is a committed activist for immigrants and workers' rights, known for her strategist skills and expertise. She played a key role in the campaign to win DACA and has also held roles in major campaigns, including as Deputy National States Director for Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign. In addition to her work with Organized Power in Numbers, Dominguez Zamorano is serving as a Senior Advisor to Mijente’s Fuera Trump Initiative.

Grassroots efforts like these have taken on new life in 2024, with Bop the Bigot adding to the larger, ongoing fight against political apathy and disinformation. Just as it did during the 2016 race, the video game uses humor to soften the serious task at hand—getting people to the polls.

"We want the game to be a fun and comical outlet for anyone who’s been insulted, frustrated, or harmed by Trump in the past and everyone who is ready to move forward as a country after election day," explained Loewe in a press release. "The proposals in Project 2025 and the beliefs of Trump and Vance aren’t just weird, they’re truly harmful. We wanted to give people a humorous and peaceful way to smack down their racism and sexism. We hope it makes people laugh and also feel empowered and motivated to get to the polls on or before election day."

With a mix of satire, sharp political critique, and nostalgia, the game is a call to action. The upcoming election, which is getting closer by the minute, has sparked fierce activism and creative yet grounded initiatives like these aim to ensure voters are engaged, especially young Latinos and disenfranchised groups.