Mexican singer Peso Pluma is YouTube’s most-viewed artist of the year in the United States, beating out Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Drake and NBA YoungBoy to take the top spot.
The 24-year-old from Jalisco, Mexico, amassed more than 8.5 billion YouTube views globally this year.
“I feel humble and grateful that my music has made it to the top spot on YouTube. A huge thank you to my musicians and team, my fans, everyone at YouTube and all the people who have made this project possible,” Peso Pluma told the Hollywood Reporter.
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This recognition comes during a year filled with wins for the Mexican singer, whose real name is Hassan Emilio Kabande Laija.
His breakthrough song, “Ella Baila Sola” with Eslabón Armado, ranked third on YouTube’s Top 10 Songs list in the U.S., while “La Bebe (Remix)” with Yng Lvcas took the fourth spot.
“Ella Baila Sola” made history as the first regional Mexican song to reach the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 5. The song also reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Global 200 and spent 19 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart. The song, now certified 21-times platinum, won top Latin song at the Billboard Music Awards.
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Peso Pluma and Eslabón Armado performed their song at the Latin Grammys, where it was nominated for two awards, regional Mexican song and song of the year.
Peso Pluma’s third album, “Genesis,” received a Grammy nomination for música Mexicana album.
Peso Pluma continued to make history at the 2023 MTV Music Video Awards, becoming the first Mexican regional star to perform at the event. He kicked off his performance with an orchestral twist made popular on TikTok that mixed Antonio Vivaldi‘s “Winter” with his own hit “Lady Gaga,” a collaboration with Gabito Ballesteros and Junior H.
“El Tiny” completed its third annual takeover of NPR’s Tiny Desk concert series during Latinx Heritage Month. Produced by the Alt.Latino team, “El Tiny” featured eight acts from various corners of the Latino community.
Peso Pluma scored eight wins at the Billboard Latin Music Awards in October and launched nine Top 40 hits on the Hot 100 chart and 15 Top 10 hits on the Hot Latin Songs chart, including the No. 1s “Lady Gaga” and “Qlona” with Karol G.
YouTube also released its list of trending topics that defined 2023; among them was Peso Pluma at No. 8.
“In 2023, Peso Pluma soared on YouTube, leaving an indelible mark with content that resonated and inspired a generation,” AJ Ramos, YouTube’s head of artist partnerships, Latin music and culture, told the Hollywood Reporter. “A featherweight in name but a heavyweight in impact, Peso Pluma’s journey on YouTube became a testament to the transformative power of authentic storytelling and creative expression.”
