With the arrival of 2026, Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors predict some of the trends we expect to see in the Latin music realm this year. 

Last year, the Billboard team got many of our predictions right, starting off with salsa’s music growth. While the tropical genre is far from dead, artists such as Christian Alicea and Luis Figueroa gave it a refreshing boost, leading to a wave of reggaetón artists also experimenting with the genre — including Bad Bunny with “Baile Inolvidable,” Rauw Alejandro with his cover of Frankie Ruiz’s “Tú Con El,” and J Balvin’s “Misterio” in collaboration with salsa icon Gilberto Santa Rosa. 

Additionally, when Fuerza Regida and Grupo Frontera dropped their five-track set Mala Mía in December 2024, we were hopeful to see more joint albums in the Música Mexicana space in 2025. Indeed, powerhouses and real-life besties Peso Pluma and Tito Double P released their 15-track joint album Dinastía last December. The set debuted No. 1 on Top Latin Albums and Regional Mexican Albums Charts on Jan. 6. 

For 2025, we also predicted the rise of Latin and Afrobeats fusion, powered by artists such as Beéle, Kapo, Ozuna, Elena Rose, Boza, and Greeicy; and predicted a return to the roots layered by authenticity and nostalgia, as Bad Bunny did on his Debí Tirar Más Fotos album and as Karol G did on her Tropicoqueta set.

Now, based on the momentum other trends had in 2025, here’s what we believe will take off this year. Read our staff predictions below: