Juanes

Whereas many of his Spanish-language contemporaries undertook English-language crossover campaigns at one point or another in their careers, Colombian singer/songwriter, guitarist, and author Juanes won global appeal exclusively in his native language and became perhaps the biggest and most important popular Latin music artist in the world in the early 21st century. After his debut album, Fijate Bien (2000), won him the Grammy for Best New Artist (the first of two-dozen including 20 Latin Grammy Awards and two Grammys), Juanes broke through to global success with his second offering, Un Día Normal (2002). In the United States alone, the album rode the Billboard Latin chart for two straight years, remaining in the Top Ten for a record-breaking 92 weeks. It also notched charting hit singles (six), Grammy nominations (eight), Grammy awards (five), and various other accolades. When he returned with his third album, Mi Sangre (2004), Juanes again garnered all kinds of commercial success and critical acclaim. He tirelessly toured in support of the album, and by 2005 he had begun topping the singles chart in non-Spanish-speaking countries such as Germany, Italy, and Switzerland. By the time he returned with his fourth album, La Vida...Es un Ratico (2007), Juanes had such a global presence, Universal chose to release "Me Enamora," the lead single, to media outlets in 77 countries; it became a number one hit in 14 of them, setting the stage for another cycle of commercial success. Each recording since that time has expanded his fan base and creative reach. His 2017 chart-topping outing Mis Planes Son Amarte, was the first complete audio-visual album. Conceptual in origin, each of its songs was released with a corresponding thematic video, creating an expanded narrative. It took home the Latin Grammy for Best Rock/Pop Album. After again hitting number one on the Latin Pop Album chart with 2019's Más Futuro Que Pasado, Juanes showcased his influences on the 2021 covers album Origen.