Billboard's Latin and Español editors have selected four emerging artists for their monthly On the Radar feature, highlighting newcomers poised to make waves in Latin music. The December picks include talents from Argentina, the US, and Colombia, each bringing unique blends of traditional and modern sounds. These artists were discovered through networking, showcases, and social media.
Every month, Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors identify rising artists they believe deserve attention, describing them as 'diamonds in the rough' yet to reach mainstream success. The latest December edition features Ángela Leiva, Santy y Su Estilo Único, Rebolú, and Miranda del Sol, showcasing a diverse range of Latin influences.
Ángela Leiva, from Argentina, has built a solid following in tropical music at home and is now venturing into the Mexican market. She appeared on Los Ángeles Azules' album De Buenos Aires Para el Mundo and collaborated with Grupo Cañaveral on the 2025 track “Regresa Mi Vida.” At year's end, she released a Tex-Mex version of “Amiga Traidora” as a tribute to her idol Selena. Looking to 2026, Leiva will drop her debut regional Mexican album, supported by tours in Mexico, the US, and Central America. Recently signed to Fono—a Universal Music label—as its first international artist, she shared with Billboard: “I listen to a lot of Mexican music. I love it. It’s a big influence on me—I’m a huge fan of Grupo Frontera, Grupo Firme, and Banda El Recodo. But I also know it’s a big responsibility to perform that kind of music.”
Santy y Su Estilo Único, based in Ridgewood, Queens, fuses traditional Mexican regional music with New York City's urban edge. Led by 18-year-old singer and tololoche player Santy, the group draws from his childhood experiences with chinelo dances and his father's cumbia sonidera and banda DJ sets. Inspired by corridos tumbados artists like Herencia de Patrones and Legado 7, they began experimenting during the pandemic. Releases include the EPs Straight Outta NYC and En Vivo desde Nueva York, Vol. 1 and 2, plus the single “5 Condados,” which nods to New York's Mexican community through references to bodegas, subway graffiti, and the Virgin Mary. Santy told Billboard in a recent report: “New York is culture. Even just going to a deli, you can connect with everyone in a single neighborhood. I see this and it fills me with pride, and I know that thousands of people who are from here, or at least have walked here, feel the same way.”
Rebolú, formed in New York by Colombian natives including Johanna Castañeda, Ronald Polo Herrera, Moris Cañate, and Erica “Kika” Parra, mixes cumbia with traditional percussion, flute, Latin jazz, and energetic live shows. After building a fanbase that led to a Tiny Desk concert this year, they signed with indie label AP Records and released the album El Reto. In 2026, the group will represent Colombia at the Viña del Mar festival's folkloric competition.
Miranda del Sol, an independent singer-songwriter of Argentinian-Cuban heritage raised in Miami and now in New York, crafts ethereal alternative pop, R&B, and early 2000s Latin pop with layered vocals and bilingual lyrics on love and attraction. Her September EP When You Were Asleep (Vol. I) features the single “aguardiente,” which landed on Spotify’s “Best of Fresh Finds Latin 2024” playlist. She is preparing new material for the coming year.
These selections reflect the vibrant, evolving Latin music scene, blending heritage with innovation.
