# Ryan Castro

Source: https://www.popfiltr.com/artist-profile/ryan-castro
Published: 2026-09-22T17:11:27.104Z
Language: en

> Colombian reggaeton artist Ryan Castro rose from street busking in Medellín's Pedregal neighborhood to global hits such as "Mujeriego," "Jordan" and "Quema."

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Artist profile

## Ryan Castro

Colombian reggaeton artist Ryan Castro rose from street busking in Medellín's Pedregal neighborhood to global hits such as "Mujeriego," "Jordan" and "Quema."

## Quick facts

- **Origin:** Colombia
- **Genres:** reggaeton, perreo, trap latino, latin dance
- **Awards:** 1 Heat Latin Music Awards won · 2 Premios Juventud nominations
- **Audience:** 31M Spotify monthly listeners, as of April 30, 2026

![Ryan Castro official artist profile image](https://www.popfiltr.com/artist-profile-assets/v1/1045417/edbf066f2a8a36ecafd2f284adac1ec552b97a3d27dee1be5c271516bc072b21.jpg)

*[Artist image via Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/artist/7j6DKwmjbxvpQO8h914uEz)*

- **Spotify monthly listeners:** 31M (No. 201 by Spotify monthly listeners)
- **TikTok tracked video views:** 32.4B (No. 125 by TikTok top-video views)
- **YouTube total views:** 4.4B
- **Pandora lifetime streams:** 27.1M
- **Total platform audience:** 24.8M
- **Spotify followers:** 5.3M (No. 824 by Spotify followers)
- **YouTube subscribers:** 4.5M (No. 1244 by YouTube subscribers)
- **TikTok followers:** 8.4M (No. 549 by TikTok followers)

Figures as of April 30, 2026.

Data

## Audience, reach and discovery

Figures as of April 30, 2026.

### Platform audience

- **Spotify monthly listeners:** 31M (No. 201 by Spotify monthly listeners)
- **Spotify followers:** 5.3M (No. 824 by Spotify followers)
- **YouTube subscribers:** 4.5M (No. 1244 by YouTube subscribers)
- **Instagram followers:** 6.2M (No. 1492 by Instagram followers)
- **TikTok followers:** 8.4M (No. 549 by TikTok followers)
- **Deezer fans:** 295.9K (No. 2277 for Deezer fans)
- **Pandora 28-day listeners:** 28.3K

### Consumption and discovery

- **YouTube total views:** 4.4B
- **YouTube daily views:** 7.8M
- **YouTube monthly views:** 198.2M
- **TikTok likes:** 191.7M (No. 652 for TikTok likes)
- **TikTok tracked video views:** 32.4B (No. 125 by TikTok top-video views)
- **TikTok track posts:** 23.2M (No. 190 for TikTok track posts)
- **Pandora lifetime streams:** 27.1M
- **Shazams:** 22.2M
- **Genius pageviews:** 487.8K

### Playlist footprint

- **Spotify playlist reach:** 245.1M
- **Spotify editorial playlist reach:** 121M
- **Spotify playlists:** 359.8K
- **Spotify editorial playlists:** 237
- **Apple Music playlists:** 291
- **Apple Music editorial playlists:** 112
- **Deezer playlists:** 195
- **Deezer editorial playlists:** 26
- **YouTube playlists:** 196
- **YouTube editorial playlists:** 31

### Top listener markets

Leading cities by Spotify monthly listeners.

| Rank | City | Listeners |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Bogotá CO | 2.2M |
| 2 | Medellín CO | 1.4M |
| 3 | Mexico City MX | 1.4M |
| 4 | Santiago CL | 1.1M |
| 5 | Lima PE | 780.2K |

Biography

## Ryan Castro: from Pedregal busking to global reggaeton

### Early life in Medellín

Bryan David Castro Sosa was born on 14 January 1994 in Bello, Antioquia, and grew up in Pedregal, a neighborhood in northern Medellín. He was raised largely by his mother's cousins and the wider community of the barrio, and from an early age he gravitated to rap, freestyle and dancehall. Hip-hop biopics such as Eminem's 8 Mile and 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin' gave him a template: young men who picked up a pen instead of a gun.

After finishing high school at 17, Castro sang on buses and at bus stops with a portable stereo, using the tips to clothe himself, help support his household and pay for his first recordings. He graduated from the street to bars, clubs and local music events, and the neighborhood gave him the handle he still answers to: friends and fans named him the cantante del ghetto, the singer of the ghetto.

### Curaçao and the first recordings

A move to the Caribbean island of Curaçao, to live with his mother, redirected his sound. Castro performed in hotels, restaurants and clubs, and the island's reggae, dancehall, danzón and kizomba seeped into his writing. He uploaded early songs, including the romantic reggae of "Morena" and the breezy "Mi Styling," to SoundCloud and YouTube, funding the productions himself.

When "Morena" caught fire in Colombia in 2017, Castro returned to Medellín to find an audience already waiting. His reach brought him to Kevin Roldán, the Colombian singer he credits as the first artist to support his music, and to the Kings Records operation. Singles such as "Entre Nos," "Miami" and "Cositas Al Oído" kept him productive, while "Lejanía" in 2020 widened his recognition across the Andean region.

### International breakthrough, 2021–2022

"Monastery," a November 2021 duet with Feid, and the merengue-charged "Mujeriego," released later that month, changed Castro's scale. Both "Mujeriego" and "Jordan" entered the Billboard Global 200 and logged weeks on Spotify's Global Top 50, and "Mujeriego" became a durable short-video sound. In January 2022 Sony Music Colombia announced a deal with him, and his releases thereafter carried Sony Music Latin distribution.

The run that followed was dense: the seven-track EP Reggaetonera in August 2022, the SOG collaboration Los Piratas later that year, opening slots for Karol G, and a performance of "Nivel de Perreo" with J Balvin at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards that BMI called his U.S. television debut. He won the Heat Latin Music Award for best new artist, earned two Premios Juventud nominations, and toured the United States and Europe.

### The King Records dispute

Progress came with litigation. In June 2023 Billboard reported that Castro had filed two breach-of-contract complaints in Medellín against King Records, the label owned by Kevin Roldán, covering management and recording agreements, with a third publishing suit expected. The complaints alleged that financial statements were withheld and that funds were moved out of Awoo King Records, a joint company formed in 2021 in which Castro was to hold a 50 percent interest. His lawyer and manager said the legal fight did not prevent him from working.

### From "Quema" to El Cantante del Ghetto

"Quema," recorded with Peso Pluma and SOG and released in July 2023, pushed Castro onto the Billboard Hot 100, where it debuted at No. 92, and onto Hot Latin Songs. He spent two months touring Europe that autumn and kept the collaborations coming, including "Ghetto Princess" with Bad Gyal and Ovy on the Drums. Peso Pluma, in turn, chose Castro for Rolling Stone's Future 25 class.

El Cantante del Ghetto, Castro's debut album, arrived in May 2024 on Sony Music Latin. The 18-track set is an ode to Pedregal, folding salsa, dancehall and rap into a reggaeton foundation, and it gathered already-known songs such as "Quema" and "Ghetto Star" alongside collaborations with Arcángel, Blessd, Yandel, Jowell & Randy and Rich the Kid. Later in 2024 he joined Chris MJ for a surprise appearance at one of Karol G's Santiago Bernabéu shows in Madrid.

On 8 June 2024 he released "El Ritmo Que Nos Une," built with members of the Colombia national football team, among them Luis Díaz and Juan Fernando Quintero, who deliver verses. The single sits beside his music work as a statement of the sports-and-culture overlap he has pursued since, including an equity interest in the Paisas Basketball Club of Medellín.

### Caribbean return and continued output

Sendé, released in 2025, turns Castro's attention back to Curaçao, with dancehall and reggae at the center and guests that include Shaggy, Manuel Turizo and the Curaçaoan rapper Dongo; the companion album Hopi Sendé goes further into Caribbean styles. In 2026 he and J Balvin released Omertà, a collaborative album grounded in their shared Medellín upbringing.

Castro has said he wants to carry the barrio with him "so I don't forget where I come from," and he frames his platform as a duty to the next generation of Colombian artists, crediting J Balvin, Karol G, Maluma, Feid and Blessd for the path they cleared. He continues to release music, tour, and pursue ventures outside the studio, describing his aims as filling bigger venues and crossing borders.

Selected moments

## Career highlights

1. 2017 **"Morena" goes viral in Colombia** Castro's tropical-reggae single "Morena" found a mass audience on digital platforms after his return from Curaçao, launching his professional career in Colombia.
2. 2021 **"Monastery" with Feid** Released 12 November 2021, the duet with fellow Colombian Feid became one of Castro's signature collaborations and a stepping stone to wider recognition.
3. 2021 **"Mujeriego" and "Jordan" chart globally** The merengue-reggaeton single "Mujeriego" and the follow-up "Jordan" both entered the Billboard Global 200 and appeared on Spotify's Global Top 50.
4. 2022 **Signs with Sony Music** Sony Music Colombia announced its alliance with Castro in January 2022, giving international distribution and marketing support to his rising catalog.
5. 2022 **Debut EP Reggaetonera** Released 5 August 2022, the seven-track debut EP took its name from the genre at the heart of his sound and arrived during a run of touring.
6. 2022 **Heat Latin Music Award for best new artist** Castro took the revelation prize at the 2022 Heat Latin Music Awards and was also named a finalist in the ceremony's Andean-region category.
7. 2022 **MTV VMAs performance with J Balvin** Castro performed "Nivel de Perreo" with J Balvin at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards, which BMI described as his U.S. television debut.
8. 2023 **"Quema" reaches the Billboard Hot 100** The single with Peso Pluma and SOG, released 13 July 2023, debuted at No. 92 on the Hot 100 and entered Hot Latin Songs at No. 21.
9. 2024 **Debut album El Cantante del Ghetto** Released in May 2024 on Sony Music Latin, the 18-track album gathered "Quema," "Ghetto Star" and collaborations with Arcángel, Blessd and Yandel.
10. 2024 **Rolling Stone Future 25 honoree** Rolling Stone included Castro in its 2024 Future 25 class, a selection of promising artists that Peso Pluma spotlighted for the magazine.
11. 2024 **"El Ritmo Que Nos Une" with Colombia's national team** Released 8 June 2024, the single features verses from Colombia internationals Luis Díaz and Juan Fernando Quintero and was made for the national side.
12. 2026 **Omertà with J Balvin** Castro and J Balvin released Omertà in 2026, a collaborative album built on their shared Medellín upbringing and their cities' reggaeton lineage.

Recognition

## Awards and nominations

Ryan Castro's awards recognition accelerated with his 2021–22 breakthrough. Billboard and BMI both report his Heat Latin Music Award for best new artist, and the LOS40 winners list for the 2022 ceremony records him taking the Artista Revelación prize while finishing as a finalist in the Andean-region category.

He also collected two nominations at the 2022 Premios Juventud, for best male artist of the new generation and for best social dance challenge with "Jordan," as Billboard reported at the time.

- **Heat Latin Music Awards won:** 1
- **Premios Juventud nominations:** 2

| Year | Award | Category | Work |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2022 | Heat Latin Music Awards | Artista Revelación (Best New Artist) Winner |  |
| 2022 | Heat Latin Music Awards | Best Andean-Region Artist Nominee |  |
| 2022 | Premios Juventud | Best Male Artist of the New Generation Nominee |  |
| 2022 | Premios Juventud | Best Social Dance Challenge Nominee | Jordan |

Sources

- [Wikipedia — Ryan Castro ↗](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Castro)
- [Sony Music Latin — Ryan Castro ↗](https://www.sonymusiclatin.com/artists/ryan-castro/)
- [Rolling Stone — From Street Busking to International Stardom: The Rise of Ryan Castro ↗](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/ryan-castro-colombia-peso-pluma-1234990235/)
- [Rolling Stone — Ryan Castro Declares Himself 'El Cantante Del Ghetto' With New Album ↗](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/ryan-castro-drops-el-cantante-del-ghetto-album-1235018812/)
- [GRAMMY.com — Ryan Castro On How 'Sendé' Honors His Global Success & Musical Roots ↗](https://www.grammy.com/news/ryan-castro-sende-interview-new-album-curacao-reggaeton/)
- [Billboard — Latin Artist on the Rise: Meet Ryan Castro, From Singing on Buses to Breakthrough Star ↗](https://www.billboard.com/music/latin/latin-artist-on-the-rise-ryan-castro-interview-1235104458/)
- [Billboard — Ryan Castro llega al Hot 100 con 'Quema' ↗](https://www.billboard.com/espanol/noticias/ryan-castro-peso-pluma-quema-hot-100-1235378972/)
- [Billboard — Ryan Castro Sues King Records for Breach of Contract ↗](https://www.billboard.com/pro/ryan-castro-lawsuit-kevin-roldan-king-records-breach-contract/)
- [NME — Ryan Castro: globetrotting superstar on a mission to bring reggaetón back to its roots ↗](https://www.nme.com/features/music-interviews/ryan-castro-reggaeton-interview-columbia-j-balvin-radar-3285580)
- [BMI — BMI Latin Spotlight: Ryan Castro ↗](https://www.bmi.com/spotlight/bmi-latin-spotlight-ryan-castro)
- [LOS40 — Ganadores de los Premios HEAT 2022 ↗](https://los40.com/los40/2022/06/03/musica/1654234037_823246.html)
- [Sony Music Colombia — Ryan Castro se une a la familia Sony Music ↗](https://www.sonymusic.com.co/news/bienvenido-ryan-castro-se-une-a-la-familia-sony-music/)