Don Omar

His first album, The Last Don (2003), arrived with a single that became an instant hit: «Dale Don dale». It was not a planned success, but the result of a song that sounded like an anthem from the first note. The following year, the live version of that album proved his music worked just as well on stage as in the studio, with an audience chanting every word. But where he truly left his mark was with King of Kings (2006), an album that not only sold millions but brought reggaeton to places it had never reached before. Tracks like «Salió el sol», «Conteo», and «Angelito» became benchmarks, and his collaborations with artists like Tego Calderón or Aventura on «Ella y yo» showed he could move between genres without losing his identity.

That same year, his involvement in Los Bandoleros—a project that gathered key voices of the moment—confirmed his influence went beyond his own songs. Later came albums like El Pentágono (2007), where he blended reggaeton with hip-hop touches and even a track like «Calm My Nerves» that ended up being a dance routine in Spanish TV shows. But perhaps most striking was his foray into unexpected fusions, such as «Tigy Tigy» with Hakim, recorded at the pyramids of Egypt, or the tribute to Héctor Lavoe with «El Cantante», where he proved he could adapt his style to rhythms that weren’t his own.

Beyond the numbers—which include sales records and appearances on lists like 100 Greatest Reggaeton Songs of All Time by Rolling Stone—what remains is the idea that Don Omar did not just follow a trend; he helped define it. His music sounds like Puerto Rico, like the streets of Bayamón and the churches where he once sang, but also like packed stadiums and collaborations with international pop stars. And though time has passed, songs like «Dile» or «Aunque te fuiste» still sound fresh, as if the rhythm never aged.