With a succession of chart hits spanning 14 years and a signature sound blending aggressive raps and soulful vocals, Wisin & Yandel have become reggaetón’s most successful duo. They’re also genre pioneers — the first to collaborate with pop acts — and branding forces who have partnered with Pepsi and AT&T. After a five-year hiatus, during which they proved their clout as solo artists, the reunited pair (who headline Sony/ATV’s songwriter panel during Billboard’s Latin Music Week) are back — and bigger than ever.
Big Breakthrough
In 2005, the duo drops Pa’l Mundo on WY Records/Machete. The LP becomes its first No. 1 on the Top Latin Albums chart thanks to bangers like “Rákata,” “Mayor Que Yo” (with Baby Ranks, Daddy Yankee, Tony Tun Tun and Héctor El Father), “Llamé Pa’ Verte” and “Noche de Sexo” (featuring Aventura). All reach the top five of Hot Latin Songs, while the album is the pair’s longest-charting title on the list, at 100 weeks.
Hot Streak
Trending on Billboard
In 2006, Wisin & Yandel concurrently place four tracks in the top 10 of Hot Latin Songs — the first act in the chart’s history to do so, breaking Selena’s previous three-song record. Between 2007 and 2011, the duo lands three albums in the top 20 of the Billboard 200, including Wisin vs. Yandel: Los Extraterrestres, which wins the 2009 Grammy Award for best Latin urban album.
Solo Success
Starting in 2013, Wisin & Yandel go on hiatus, amicably. During their five years apart, they prove that even as solo artists, they’re chart forces. Wisin racks up 31 entries on Hot Latin Songs, including a 14-week No. 1 with his feature on Enrique Iglesias’ “Duele el Corazón.” Yandel logs 28 titles on the tally, 11 of which reach the top 10, including the No. 3 hit “Encantadora” in 2016.
Reunited and Back on the Road
Last October, Wisin & Yandel get back together on “Reggaetón en lo Oscuro,” the lead single off their 10th studio album, Los Campeones del Pueblo/The Big Leagues (which debuts at No. 2 on the Top Latin Albums chart). In November, their tour titled Como Antes (“Like Before”) — their biggest arena trek yet — kicks off with eight nearly sold-out dates at Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, a record for a single act at the venue. A continental U.S. leg starts May 15 in Texas.
This article originally appeared in the April 20 issue of Billboard.