Anthony "Romeo" Santos (born July 21, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer who is best known as the frontman and lead vocalist of the

bachata Bachata may refer to: * Bachata (music), a musical genre which originated in the Dominican Republic ** Traditional bachata, a subgenre of bachata music ** Bachata (dance), a dance form * Bachatón, a hybrid bachata/reggaeton music style * "Bach ...

group Aventura. In 2002, the song " Obsesión" was number one in Italy for 16 consecutive weeks. He released several albums with Aventura before the group broke up in 2011. Since then, Santos has embarked on a solo career which has included seven number one songs on Billboard's

Hot Latin Songs The ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Songs (formerly Hot Latin Tracks and Hot Latin 50) is a record chart in the United States for Latin music, Latin songs, published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' magazine. Since October 2012, chart ranki ...

chart and seventeen number ones on the Tropical Airplay chart. He has sold over 24 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling Latin artists ever.

Early life

He was born and raised in

the Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...

, New York City, on July 21, 1981, to a Dominican father and a Puerto Rican mother. He had a humble upbringing, with his father, who worked in construction, being underpaid but being able to make ends meet for his family. His mother was a stay-at-home mom who took care of him and his siblings. Santos attended public school in the Bronx, and Santos began his career by singing in a church choir at a young age. Romeo was exposed to Latin genres of music including salsa, merengue, and bachata, listening to it at a young age because of his parents' love for it.

Music career

Early career, Los Tinellers, and Aventura (1994–2011)

Romeo was the lead singer, songwriter and co-producer of Aventura. He formed the group in 1994 with his cousin Henry Santos "Hustle Hard", and friends

Lenny Santos Lenny Santos a.k.a. Len Melody (born October 24, 1979) is an American guitarist, composer, producer and entrepreneur. He rose to global fame as the co-founder of the bachata group Aventura where he served as producer, lead guitarist, vocalist, c ...

"Len Melody", and Max Santos "Mikey a.k.a. Max Agende". Romeo and Henry met Lenny and Max in 1993. The following year, they formed a band and called themselves Los Tinellers. In 1995 they met a man by the name of Elvin Polanco who would eventually manage and help them record their first album titled '' Trampa de Amor'' (1996). Polanco went through some health problems which ended things between him and the group. Later on they met Julio César García, who would become their manager and would re-invent them as Aventura. In 1998, they signed with Premium Latin Music with Franklin Romero. Aventura released their debut album in 1999 titled '' Generation Next'' with the hopes of bringing bachata into the mainstream from its traditional base and fuse it with

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

and R&B. The album included the single " Cuándo Volverás", which is one of their signature songs. In 2002, the song " Obsesión" achieved huge success in many countries, topping many international charts in France, Germany and Italy. It was part of their second album, '' We Broke the Rules''. Aventura released three more studio albums and three live albums in a decade, spawning many top 10 internationally famous hits like " Hermanita", " Ella y Yo" featuring

Don Omar William Omar Landrón Rivera (born February 10, 1979), known professionally as Don Omar, is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is also known as the " King of Reggaeton" by music critics and fans alike. The ...

which elevated the group's success in 2005, " Un Beso", " Los Infieles", " El Perdedor", " Por un Segundo", " Dile al Amor", and many others. They were the first bachata act to sell out

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...

in 2007. They broke multiple records in arenas and stadiums worldwide. In 2009, Aventura was invited to perform for the 44th President of the United States

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...

. In 2011, Aventura took a hiatus. According to Romeo, the group was "on pause to do individual projects".

Solo career, signing with Sony Music, ''Formula, Vol. 1'', and live release (2011–2013)

In April 2011, after his success as a songwriter and lead singer for Aventura, Romeo announced he was leaving the band to pursue a solo career. Romeo Santos signed with

Sony Music Latin Sony Music Entertainment US Latin LLC (often referred to as Sony Music Latin) is an American record label owned by Sony Music. The label focuses on artists of Latin music. Sony Latin was also a division of the Sony Discos label. History In ...

on April 7, 2011. On May 9, 2011, Santos released his first single off his debut album '' Formula, Vol. 1'', called "

You In Modern English, the word "''you''" is the second-person pronoun. It is grammatically plural, and was historically used only for the dative case, but in most modern dialects is used for all cases and numbers. History ''You'' comes from ...

". The song peaked at 97 on the ''Billboard'' 100 and at number 1 on the Hot Latin and

Tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the equator, where the sun may shine directly overhead. This contrasts with the temperate or polar regions of Earth, where the Sun can never be directly overhead. This is because of Earth's ax ...

Songs ''Billboard'' charts. The music video was released on May 9, 2011. The second single, "

Promise A promise is a commitment by someone to do or not do something. As a noun ''promise'' means a declaration assuring that one will or will not do something. As a verb it means to commit oneself by a promise to do or give. It can also mean a capacity ...

" was released on September 1, 2011, and featured a collaboration with R&B singer Usher. The single peaked at number 83 on the ''Billboard'' 100 and at number 1 on Hot Latin,

Latin Pop Latin pop () is a pop music subgenre that is a fusion of US–style music production with Latin music genres from anywhere in Latin America and Spain. It originates with List of countries where Spanish is an official language, Spanish-speaking ...

and

Tropical Songs The ''Billboard'' tropical charts began in 1985 when an album chart were introduced as Tropical Albums in the June 29 issue of the magazine. In October 1994, ''Billboard'' then established Tropical Airplay, which initially rank the most-played song ...

''Billboard'' charts. The song was certified

Diamond Diamond is a Allotropes of carbon, solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Diamond is tasteless, odourless, strong, brittle solid, colourless in pure form, a poor conductor of e ...

, 34×

Platinum Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...

as of August 31, 2022, in the United States by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA). The music video was released on October 4, 2011, and it was directed by

Anthony Mandler Anthony Mandler is an American film, television, and music video director and photographer. As a music video director, his most notable and frequent collaborator is Rihanna. The two have worked on sixteen music videos together throughout her car ...

. A full English version in which Romeo is singing in English was also made. He released his debut album Formula, Vol. 1 on November 8, 2011. The album featured collaborations with Usher, La Mala Rodríguez,

Mario Domm Mario Alberto Domínguez Zarzar (born 22 January 1977), known as Mario Domm, is a Mexican singer, songwriter and record producer. A founding member of the pop rock band Camila, he has won four Latin Grammy Awards; four ''Billboard'' Awards; ...

from the trio Camila,

Tomatito José Fernández Torres (born Fondón, 1958), known professionally as Tomatito, is a Spanish roma flamenco guitarist and composer. Having started his career accompanying famed flamenco singer Camarón de la Isla (with Paco de Lucía), he has m ...

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...

and George Lopez. It also featured

legends Antony "El Mayimbe" Santos, Luis Vargas, and Raulin Rodriguez as they united for the song " Debate de 4". In February 2012, he sold out New York City's iconic

three nights of that month. The first night kicked off The King Stays King tour which was the tour of his first solo album. The tour featured artists like Antony "El Mayimbe" Santos, Luis Vargas,

Wisin & Yandel Wisin & Yandel were a Puerto Rican reggaeton duo consisting of Wisin and Yandel. They started their career in 1998 and stayed together until 2023, winning several awards including a Grammy Award in 2009. They became the first and the only regga ...

, P. Diddy, and Usher. On August 20, 2012, a live version of the song Llévame Contigo was released as a single to promote Santos' first live album as a solo artist. On November 6, 2012, Santos' released '' The King Stays King: Sold Out at Madison Square Garden''. It is a CD and DVD based on the three nights at MSG. This is his first live album and concert film as a solo artist. The live album peaked at number 65 on the

Billboard 200 The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists. Sometimes, a rec ...

and at number 1 on both the Top Latin and

Albums

Billboard charts The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ' ...

. In December 2012, he sold out twice in a row at the Félix Sánchez Olympic Stadium in

Santo Domingo Santo Domingo, formerly known as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic and the List of metropolitan areas in the Caribbean, largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean by population. the Distrito Na ...

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...

on the 15th and 22nd of that month. Santos made history selling out two nights at a stadium with a capacity of over 50,000 for concerts. This was the end of the 2012 portion of the tour. In February 2013. He started the 2013 portion of the tour with two nights at the

José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum The ''Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot'' ( English: José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum of Puerto Rico) is the largest indoor entertainment and sports arena in Puerto Rico since its inauguration in 2004. Located in the Hato Rey business ce ...

San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan ( , ; Spanish for "Saint John the Baptist, John") is the capital city and most populous Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality in the Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the ...

on the 14th and 15th of that month. The tour would continue until July 2013.

''Formula, Vol. 2'' and Aventura reunion (2013–2016)

On July 30, 2013, he released the first single off his second album, " Propuesta Indecente". It peaked at number 79 on the ''Billboard'' 100 and at number 1 on the ''Billboard''

chart. As of 2021, it is the second best-performing Latin song of all-time on that chart. It lasted on the chart for 125 weeks in which 4 of those weeks were positioned at number 1. It also peaked at number 1 on the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

and Tropical Airplay ''Billboard'' charts. The song was certified 51× Platinum in the United States by the

(RIAA), making it his most certified song to this day. It received a Lo Nuestro Award for Tropical Song of the Year in 2014. The music video for this single reach over 2 billion views on

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

as of 2023. On January 28, 2014, second single, " Odio", was released. It featured Canadian rapper

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals and creatures * A male duck * Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...

. It peaked at number 45 on the ''Billboard'' 100, making it Romeo's best single in that chart to this day. It peaked at number 1 on the ''Billboard''

chart as well and lasted 13 weeks on that position. It also peaked at number 1 on the

and

Airplay Airplay is how frequently a song is being played through broadcasting on radio stations. A song which is being played several times every day (spins) would have a significant amount of airplay. Music which became very popular on jukeboxes, in n ...

''Billboard'' charts. This song was the first time Drake sang in Spanish. It was certified

, 34×

as of August 31, 2022, in the United States by the

(RIAA). His second album, '' Formula, Vol. 2'', was released on February 25, 2014. It featured collaborations with

Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian rapper, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as the "Queen of Rap" and one of the most influential rappers of all time, she is noted for her ...

Marc Anthony Marco Antonio Muñiz (born September 16, 1968), known professionally as Marc Anthony, is an American singer and actor. He is the top selling salsa artist of all time. A four-time Grammy Award, eight-time Latin Grammy Award and twenty-nine-tim ...

Carlos Santana Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist, best known as a founding member of the Rock music, rock band Santana (band), Santana. Born and raised in Mexico where he developed his musical background, he r ...

Tego Calderón Tegui Calderón Rosario (born February 1, 1972) is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer and actor. He began his musical career in 1996 (as Tego Tec) and was supported by the famous Puerto Rican rapper Eddie Dee, who invited him on his second studio a ...

, and

Kevin Hart Kevin Darnell Hart (born July 6, 1979) is an American comedian and actor. The accolades he has received include the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor and nominations for two Grammy Awards and four Primetime Emmy Awards. After winning se ...

. ''Formula, Vol. 2'' became the best-selling Latin album of 2014. In 2020, the album was awarded ''Billboard'' Top Latin Album of the decade at the 2020 ''Billboard'' Latin Music Awards. It is his most certified album to this day as it was certified 27× Platinum in the United States by the

(RIAA). In July 2014, he sold out an entire double-header show at

Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx in New York City. It is the home field of Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. The stadium opened in April 2009, replacing the Yankee S ...

on the 11th and 12th of that month. Santos was the first Latin artist to headline at the stadium. The Fania All-Stars last did so, one block south at the old Yankee Stadium on August 24, 1973. This show featured a special Aventura reunion to close out night two. On November 6, 2014, Santos would perform for a second time at the White House to co-headline an event in honor Veteran's day for war veterans. This was his first performance as a solo artist. He would perform the song "Jose", which is a song from Aventura. This event was hosted by 44th President of the United States

and former first lady

Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama ( Robinson; born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as the first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017, being married to Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United Stat ...

. The event aired the next day on

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

in a special titled '' A Salute to the Troops: In Performance at the White House''. In July 2015, he sold out three nights at the

Barclays Center Barclays Center ( ) is a multi-purpose list of indoor arenas, indoor arena in the New York City Boroughs of New York City, borough of Brooklyn. The arena is home to the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association and the New York Liber ...

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

on the 10th, 11th, and 12th of that month. On December 1, 2015, it was announce that Aventura would reunite to have a series of concerts for the whole month of February 2016 at the United Palace Theater in New York City. Their first concert since their split began in front of a sold-out crowd on February 4, 2016, with the final concert on February 28, 2016. After that, Romeo continued with his Vol. 2 tour until August 2016.

''Golden'' (2017–2018)

On February 10, 2017, he released the song " Héroe Favorito". It is the lead single for his third studio album '' Golden''. Santos partnered with

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...

to design the art cover for the single. It debut at number 2 on the

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

chart and lasted 13 weeks on that position. It also debut at number 1 on the

Latin Airplay Latin Airplay is a chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It was established on October 20, 2012. This chart lists the 50 most-played songs on Spanish-language radio stations across the country ...

Chart It also debut at number 1 Tropical Airplay chart and lasted 8 weeks on that position. The music video was released 4 days later on Valentine's Day 2018. It was shot in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. It featured American actress Génesis Rodríguez, who voiced

Honey Lemon Honey Lemon (Aiko Miyazaki) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is commonly associated with the Japanese team known as Big Hero 6. Created by Steven T. Seagle and Duncan Rouleau, she first ...

in Disney's 2014 film '' Big Hero 6''. On June 23, 2017, he released his second, " Imitadora". It peaked at number 5 on the

chart. It also peaked at number 1 on the

Charts, which lasted four weeks on that position, and on the Tropical Airplay chart, which lasted 10 weeks on that position. The music video was released on July 18, 2017. It was directed by Carlos Pérez and won Best Bachata Video at the Videoclip Awards 2018. He released his third studio album titled '' Golden'' on July 21, 2017. It featured collaborations with

Swizz Beatz Kasseem Daoud Dean (born September 13, 1978), known professionally as Swizz Beatz, is an American rapper and record producer. Born and raised in the Bronx borough of New York City, Dean embarked on his musical career as a DJ in 1994. At the age ...

Juan Luis Guerra Juan Luis Guerra Seijas (born 7 June 1957) is a People of the Dominican Republic, Dominican musician, singer, composer, and record producer. Throughout his career, he has won numerous awards including 28 Latin Grammy Awards, three Grammy Awards, ...

Ozuna Juan Carlos Ozuna Rosado (; born March 13, 1992), known simply by his surname Ozuna, is a Puerto Rican singer, born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico to a Dominican father and a Puerto Rican mother. Five of his studio albums have topped ...

Nicky Jam Nick Rivera Caminero (born March 17, 1981), known professionally as Nicky Jam, is an American singer. He is best known for hits such as " X", " Travesuras", " El Perdón", " Hasta el Amanecer", and " El Amante"; the latter three are from his 20 ...

Daddy Yankee Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez (; born February 3, 1976), known professionally as Daddy Yankee (), is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor who rose to worldwide prominence in 2004 with the song "Gasolina". Dubbed the "Honorific ...

Julio Iglesias Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva (; born 23 September 1943) is a Spanish singer and songwriter. Iglesias is recognized as the most commercially successful Spanish singer in the world and one of the top List of best-selling music artists, reco ...

, and

Jessie Reyez Jessica Reyez (born June 12, 1991) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Her 2016 single, "Figures", peaked at number 58 on the Canadian Hot 100 and received triple platinum certification by Music Canada (MC) and platinum by the Recording Industry A ...

. This was his first studio album to not be part of the Formula series. It was nominated for Best Latin Album in the

Billboard Music Awards The ''Billboard'' Music Awards are honors given out annually by '' Billboard'', a publication covering the music business and a music popularity chart. The ''Billboard'' Music Awards show has been held annually since 1990, with the exception of ...

2018. In February 2018, Santos would kick off the Golden Tour, which was the tour for the album '' Golden'', the same way he did for The King Stays King tour in 2012. He once again sold out

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

's famous

three nights in a row on the 15th, 16th, and 17th of that month. The tour would end in February 2019 with two nights at

on the 8th and 9th of that month.

''Utopía'', second live release, and Aventura reunion tour (2019–2021)

On April 5, 2019, he released his fourth studio album '' Utopía'' where he united with pioneers and legends of traditional modern bachata. El Chaval de la Bachata,

Frank Reyes Frank Reyes (born June 4, 1969) is a Dominican singer. Known as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, Prince of Bachata, he is regarded as one of the best known bachata (music), bachata artists of all time and famous throughout Latin America ...

, Raulin Rodriguez, Elvis Martinez, Kiko Rodriguez, Teodoro Reyes, Joe Veras, Zacarias Ferreira, Luis Vargas, Monchy & Alexandra, and Anthony "El Mayimbe" Santos all participated in the album to show that unification within bachata is possible. The band Aventura, as a group, released an official song within this album titled " Inmortal". It was released as the lead single for the album. On the

charts it peaked at 95 on the

Billboard Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), ...

, at number 5 on

, and at number 1 on both

and

s. Later on, the other songs from the album all got music videos with the exception of the song "Bellas". On September 21, 2019, Romeo Santos sold out

MetLife Stadium MetLife Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States, 5 mi (8 km) west of New York City. It opened in 2010, replacing Giants Stadium, and serves as the home for the ...

making him the first Latin artist to do so. The concert was based on the album '' Utopía''. It featured almost every bachata artist from the album, including the other members of Aventura. Not only did each artist sang the songs from the album, but also got to sing one or two of their greatest hits. This concert celebrated the history of bachata. The concert also featured artists from other genres like

Cardi B Belcalis Marlenis Cephus (; born October 11, 1992), known professionally as Cardi B, is an American rapper. Noted for her unfiltered public image and lyrics, Cardi B is one of the most successful female rappers. From 2015 to early 2017, she ga ...

, and

. In the same year, Santos decided to do a tour around Dominican Republic during November and December. These shows were free to watch and went to different towns and cities. On December 8, 2019, Romeo Santos posted a video saying that Aventura would go on tour around the United States in 2020 called Gira Inmortal ( Inmortal Tour) They would eventually tour until the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to cancel. On July 22, 2020, he released the single, "

Nuestro Amor ''Nuestro Amor'' (English: ''Our Love'') is the second studio album by Mexican Latin pop group RBD. The album was released on September 22, 2005, in Mexico, selling over 127,000 units in its first seven hours of release in the country, and 160, ...

" with Dominican singer,

Alex Bueno Alex Bueno, originally born as Alejandro Wigberto Bueno López (born 6 September 1963), is a singer and guitarist from the Dominican Republic, specializing in Merengue music, merengue and Bachata (music), bachata music, but also having ties in Sa ...

. This song is a remix and a duet version of a one of Bueno's songs. The original solo version by Bueno was released back in 2007 as part of the studio album, ''Queda Algo''. The duet version was supposedly planned to be part of Santos' fourth studio album, but was not added to it, thus being released as separate single a year later. On June 25, 2021, a film based on the MetLife concert premiered on PPV and then on

HBO Max Max (known in other countries as, and soon to be reverted globally to HBO Max) is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. It is a proprietary unit of Warner Bros. Discovery Streaming on behalf of Home Box Of ...

on July 30, 2021. On August 3, 2021, Aventura released the song Volví with

Bad Bunny Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio (; born March 10, 1994), better known by his stage name Bad Bunny, is a Puerto Rican rapper and singer. Known as the " King of Latin Trap", Bad Bunny is credited with helping Spanish-language rap music achieve m ...

. On August 20, 2021, he released a live version of the song " Inmortal". It's from the MetLife concert film and became a single for Santos' second live album titled '' Utopía Live from MetLife Stadium''. The live album was released on September 10, 2021. It was named after the concert film released earlier that year. In 2021, he would return with the group to finish the tour. But instead of performing in the venues originally schedule, they would perform at stadiums instead. They performing 4 shows in the United States. These stadiums were the

Hard Rock Stadium Hard Rock Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in the Southeastern United States, located in Miami Gardens, Florida. The stadium is the home field for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL) and the Miami Hurricanes, the Univers ...

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a ballpark on the North Side, Chicago, North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charl ...

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

Dodger Stadium Dodger Stadium is a ballpark in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the home of the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a ...

, and at MetLife Stadium

East Rutherford, New Jersey East Rutherford is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is an inner suburb, inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan. As of the 2020 Unit ...

. They ended the tour with two nights at the Félix Sánchez Olympic Stadium in

on December 18, and 19, of 2021.

''Formula, Vol. 3'' (2022–2023)

Como-liga-romeo-santos-sex-symbol-claves-hormiguero-30 104

On February 8, 2022, Romeo Santos announced that he would release a new album. It was first rumored, but then confirmed by Santos himself through YouTube and social media. It was also confirmed that it is part of the Formula series as this album is titled '' Formula, Vol. 3''. Fans expected the third volume to have been his third studio album. However, his third studio album ended up being titled '' Golden'' and then '' Utopía'' for his fourth. After those two albums, fans never thought Fórmula would get a trilogy, until now. Its first single, Sus Huellas was released on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2022. It peaked at number 10 on the

chart. It also peaked at number 1 on the

and Tropical Airplay charts. On July 22, 2022, Santos performed on NBC's

Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * The current day and calendar date ** Today is between and , subject to the local time zone * Now, the time that is perceived directly, present * The current, present era Arts, entertainment and m ...

as part of the

Citi Citigroup Inc. or Citi (stylized as citi) is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company based in New York City. The company was formed in 1998 by the merger of Citicorp, the bank holding company for Citibank, and ...

Summer Concert Series. He said that he was planning to release the album on September 1, 2022, which is on his first born son's birthday. He did not confirm at the time that it would be the official released date, but he said he was working on it. On August 15, 2022, he posted a teaser and confirmed that the official release date was going to be on the date he had mention at the concert series. On September 1, 2022, '' Formula, Vol. 3'' was released. It was released along with the music video for the single " Sin Fin" which featured American singer

Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, and dancer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Prince of Pop", ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' honored him as the b ...

. His fans were confused when on that day at midnight the album wasn't available. Later in the morning, Santos announced on social media that the album would be released at 11pm, which was 23 hours after the expected release time. The album featured collaborations with

Rosalía Rosalia Vila Tobella (born 25 September 1992), known mononymously as Rosalía (, ), is a Spanish Pop music, pop and flamenco singer. She has been described as an "atypical pop star" due to her genre-bending musical styles. After being enthral ...

veteran Luis Miguel Del Amargue,

Christian Nodal Christian Jesús González Nodal (born January 11, 1999) is a Mexican singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Sonora, he is mainly known for popularizing "mariacheño", a fusion genre between mariachi and Norteño (music), norteño music. Nod ...

, Chris Lebron, Lapiz Conciente, and Katt Williams. It also featured merengue legends Fernando Villalona, Rubby Pérez, Toño Rosario, and Ramon Orlando as they united for the song " 15,500 Noches" ("15,500 Nights"). Santos included his manager Johnny Marines,

requinto The term requinto is used in both Spanish and Portuguese to mean a smaller, higher-pitched version of another instrument. Thus, there are ''requinto'' guitars, drums, and several wind instruments. Wind instruments ''Requinto'' was 19th-century ...

guitarist ChiChi, and producer MateTraxx for a skit which featured a special character. He also included his three sons in the intro along with Williams. Santos mentioned that one of the reasons this album is his most personal one is because of his sons being involved. In February 2023, Santos started his Formula, Vol. 3 Tour with four sold-out shows at the

National Stadium of Peru The National Stadium of Peru (, ) is a multi-purpose stadium in Lima, Peru. Its current capacity is 50,086 seats as stated by the Peruvian Football Federation without the lodges for some thousands more. The stadium was first inaugurated on 27 Oct ...

Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...

on the 10th, 11th, 12th, and 14th of that month. Santos would once again make history selling out four nights at a stadium with a capacity of over 43,000. This wasn't the only time in this tour that he sells out multiple nights in the same venue. In March 2023, he sold out nine nights at the

Movistar Arena Movistar Arena refers to: * Movistar Arena (Madrid), an indoor arena in Spain * Movistar Arena (Bogotá), an indoor arena in Colombia ** Movistar Arena (TransMilenio), a bus rapid transit station near the arena * Movistar Arena (Buenos Aires), an ...

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

. He performed from March 21 to the 30th every night except on the 27th. In May 2023, Romeo would once again make history in

as he performed 2 nights at Hiram Bithorn Stadium on the 20th, and 21st of that month. He sold out all both nights in a stadium with a capacity of 35,000 for concerts. On June 9, 2023, Santos performed at the home stadium of the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...

Citi Field Citi Field is a baseball park, baseball stadium located in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, in the Boroughs of New York, borough of Queens, New York City, United States. Opened in 2009, Citi Field is the home of Major League Baseball's New York M ...

, in

Queens Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

. He made history by becoming the first Latin act to sell-out the stadium. It featured DJ Mad as the opening act. The show included numerous Dominican artists like the new up and coming bachata singer El Nephew, urban music artist,

Natti Natasha Natalia Alexandra Gutiérrez Batista (born December 10, 1986), better known by her stage name Natti Natasha (stylized all caps), is a List of people from the Dominican Republic, Dominican singer, songwriter and composer. She was signed to Don Om ...

, and merengue veterans Fernando Villalona, Rubby Pérez, Toño Rosario, and Ramon Orlando. He performed his greatest hit songs and songs from Aventura as well. He ended the show with the songs Sus Huellas and Propuesta Indecente, and with the announcement that he will have a show in October 2023 at the world's most famous arena

. However, he did not perform at MSG in October. Instead, he performed at the

, in front of a sold-out crowd on November 10, 2023. On November 16, 2023, Formula, Vol. 3 won Best Merengue/Bachata Album at the 2023 Latin Grammys, making it his first win in his career.

Final reunion tour with Aventura and possible group album (2024–present)

On February 25, 2024, Romeo posted a social media story about something that he was going to post the next day. The next day, Romeo, along with the other members of the group, posted a video that indicated that they were back. The following day, they announced dates for their tour, Cerrando Ciclos, which is considered the group's final tour. On April 2, 2024, they released their first single since 2021 and first bachata song since 2019, " Brindo Con Agua". It was released under his cousin Henry's record label Hustlehard Entertainment LLC. It is also the fifth song and first single from the group in which Henry is the lead vocalist. This is the second Aventura song to be featured in one of the members solo projects instead of an album by the group as it is the eighth and lead single for Henry's upcoming sixth studio album, 2.0. The album is set to release on May 31, 2024. Aventura have teased a possible group album, but nothing has been confirm, yet.

Concert films and documentary

On November 6, 2012, '' The King Stays King: Sold Out at Madison Square Garden'' was released on DVD by HBO Latino. This is Santos' first concert film as a solo artist. It is based on his 3 night performance at

in February 2012. It is currently available on

as ''Romeo Santos: The King Stays King–Live at Madison Square Garden''. It featured performances by Anthony Santos, Luis Vargas, P. Diddy,

, and Usher. It included behind the scenes footage and clips of Santos talking about a few topics involving his life and career. On June 25, 2021, ''Romeo Santos: Utopía Live from MetLife Stadium'' was released as a PPV event, based on the September 2019 concert in

. Concurrently, a documentary on Santos premiered on the same day titled '' Romeo Santos: King of Bachata'' which traced the history of Bachata, and showed Santos travelling to the Dominican Republic with The Kid Mero. The documentary featured celebraties like

Emilio Estefan Emilio Estefan Gómez (born March 4, 1953) is a Cuban-American musician and producer. Estefan has won 19 Grammy Awards. He first came to prominence as a member of the Miami Sound Machine. He is the husband of singer Gloria Estefan, father of s ...

Thalía Ariadna Thalía Sodi Miranda (; born 26 August 1971), known mononymously as Thalía, is a Mexican singer, songwriter and actress. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Latin Pop", she is considered one of the most ...

and more. To promote the documentary, HBO built an elaborate pop-up promotion in Washington Heights, NYC in the form of a bodega, called House of Bachata, with free haircuts, Presidente beer, and karaoke parties honoring Santos. At its center was a PORTL "hologram" device in which Santos appeared in lifelike, lifesized, volumetric 4K to interact with fans. On July 30, 2021, both films were released on

Artistry

Themes, genres, and musical style

Romeo, along with Lenny, Henry, and Max are the creators of the urban style of Bachata. As Los Tinellers, they started off as a traditional bachata group. In the late 1990, they would re-invent themselves as Aventura and started to add a more Americanized style to the genre. They mixed bachata with different kinds of genres like R&B, pop,

hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...

and

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

. In 2011, when Romeo became a solo artist, he created his own style of bachata to separate his own music from the style he did with the group. His style is a more romantic mix of pop and

contemporary R&B Contemporary R&B (or simply R&B) is a popular music Music genre, genre, originating from African Americans, African-American musicians in the 1980s that combines rhythm and blues with elements of Pop music, pop, Soul music, soul, funk, Hip-hop, ...

Influences

Romeo Santos was inspired by many exponents of music to compose his songs, artists he has admitted having influence of or admiring them includes

Shakira Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977) is a Colombian singer-songwriter. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Latin Music", she has had a Cultural impact of Shakira, significant impact on the ...

Ricky Martin Enrique Martin Morales (born December 24, 1971), known professionally as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter and actor. He is known for his musical versatility, with his Ricky Martin albums discography, discography incorporati ...

Héctor Lavoe Héctor Juan Pérez Martínez (September 30, 1946 – June 29, 1993), better known as Héctor Lavoe, was a Puerto Rican people, Puerto Rican salsa music, salsa singer. Widely regarded as one of salsa’s most important and influential vocalist ...

Camilo Sesto Camilo Blanes Cortés (16 September 1946 – 8 September 2019), known professionally as Camilo Sesto, was a Spanish singer, songwriter and music producer. There are various sales figures for him, ranging from 70 to 200 million records sold, and ...

Rocío Dúrcal María de los Ángeles de las Heras Ortiz (4 October 1944 – 25 March 2006), better known as Rocío Dúrcal (), was a Spanish singer and actress with a career spanning more than four decades. She performed pop music, bolero, mariachi and romanti ...

Celia Cruz Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso (21 October 1925 – 16 July 2003), known as Celia Cruz, was a Cuban singer and one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century. Cruz rose to fame in Cuba during the 1950s as a singer of , earning the nickna ...

Johnny Pacheco Juan Pablo Knipping Pacheco (25 March 1935 – 15 February 2021), known as Johnny Pacheco, was a Dominican musician, arranger, composer, bandleader, and record producer. Born in the Dominican Republic, Pacheco became a leading figure in the New ...

Juan Gabriel Alberto Aguilera Valadez (; 7 January 1950 – 28 August 2016), known professionally as Juan Gabriel (), was a Mexican singer-songwriter and actor. Colloquially Honorific nicknames in popular music, nicknamed Juanga () and El Divo de Juárez, ...

José José José Rómulo Sosa Ortiz (17 February 1948 – 28 September 2019), known professionally as José José, was a Mexican singer. Also known as ''El Príncipe de la Canción'' (The Prince of Song), his performance and vocal style have influenced ma ...

Manuel Alejandro Manuel Álvarez-Beigbeder Pérez (born 21 February 1932), better known as Manuel Alejandro, is a Spanish composer of Latin love songs, which are better known as ''ballads''. He has written, composed, and arranged songs for the likes of Luis Migu ...

, Fania All-Stars and particularly within his genre are artists like Anthony Santos,

, Luis Vargas, Raulín Rodríguez, and

. Romeo Santos started in music when he was a teen. At first, he wasn't concentrating on bachata until one day his father bought an Anthony Santos cassette. Romeo saw the cassette and noticed that the artist had the same name as him. He played the cassette and immediately fell in love with his music. Thus, inspiring him to become a bachata singer.

Acting career

Santos' first film appearance was in the 2007 Dominican film '' Sanky Panky'' as himself alongside his fellow band members from Aventura, performing live at Altos de Chavón in the Dominican Republic. In 2013, he appeared on an episode of the 44th season of ''

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational television, educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation, and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Worksh ...

''. He sang a song titled "Quiero Ser Tu Amigo". It is a song about asking someone if they want to be their friend. Romeo Santos made his Hollywood debut in the film ''

Furious 7 ''Furious 7'' (also known as ''Fast & Furious 7'') is a 2015 action film directed by James Wan and written by Chris Morgan. It is the sequel to ''Fast & Furious 6'' (2013) and '' The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift'' (2006) and the seventh i ...

'', released April 2015, alongside

Vin Diesel Mark Sinclair (born July 18, 1967), known professionally as Vin Diesel, is an American actor and film producer. One of the world's highest-grossing actors, he is best known for portraying Dominic "Dom" Toretto in the '' Fast & Furious'' fra ...

Dwayne Johnson Dwayne Douglas Johnson (born May 2, 1972), also known by his ring name The Rock, is an American actor and professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on a part-time basis. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional w ...

, and

Paul Walker Paul William Walker IV (September 12, 1973 – November 30, 2013) was an American actor. He was best known for his role as Brian O'Conner in the ''Fast & Furious'' franchise. Paul Walker began his career as a child actor in the 1980s, gainin ...

. He was nervous about acting in ''Furious 7'' but the cast made him feel welcome. In 2016, Santos was the voice of the cartoon character Early Bird in the 2016 film ''

The Angry Birds Movie ''The Angry Birds Movie'' is a 2016 animated comedy film based on Rovio Entertainment's ''Angry Birds'' franchise, produced by Columbia Pictures and Rovio Animation, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. The film was directed by Clay Kay ...

''.

Legacy

Santos has been dubbed the "King of Modern Bachata". Romeo, along with the other members of Aventura, are considered the main reason why bachata is recognized worldwide and made it more appealing to younger audiences, with their 2002 single '' Obsesión'' launching their careers. The group is credited with creating urban bachata-inspired artists like

Prince Royce Geoffrey Royce Rojas (born May 11, 1989), known professionally as Prince Royce, is an American singer. At an early age, Royce took an interest in music, and in his teenage years began experimenting with music and writing poetry. By age nineteen ...

and

Leslie Grace Leslie Grace Martínez (born January 7, 1995) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. For her work as a singer, she has received three Latin Grammy Award nominations. She starred as Nina Rosario in Jon M. Chu's film adaptation ''In the H ...

, as well as groups like Xtreme, Bachata Heightz, 24 Horas, Optimo, among others. In Santos' solo career, his success continued as he would collaborate with more mainstream artists and eventually feature some of them in bachata. His collaborations with Usher and

led to the songs ''

'' and '' Odio'', both of them being certified Diamond by the

(RIAA). Additionally, the song '' Propuesta Indecente'' is his best charted and most certified song of his solo career and career overall, as it was certified 51× Platinum, which also means it has been certified 2× Diamond. Santos continued to break records by selling out

3 nights in a row in February of both 2011 and 2018, and Chile's

in March 2023. He has been the only bachata act to sell-out stadiums like the Félix Sánchez Olympic Stadium twice in

in 2012,

twice in New York City in 2014,

in New Jersey in 2019,

National Stadium Many countries have a national sport stadium, which typically serves as the primary or exclusive home for one or more of a country's national representative sports teams. The term is most often used in reference to an association football ...

four nights in a row in February 2023, the Hiram Bithorn Stadium twice in

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

in May 2023 and more. His historic collaborations in '' Utopía'' brought unity into bachata and introduced to a bigger international audience the pioneers that made the genre what it is today. His fifth studio album, '' Formula, Vol. 3'', has become a huge success with every song in the album being certified Platinum and gold. Overall, Santos is not only considered by many to be one of the greatest bachata artists of all time, but one of the greatest artists in Latin music history.

Personal life

Santos has four children. He had a son, Alex Damian, in 2002. Santos later said he was scared at the time and ran away from the situation. Two years later, he became a part of Damian's life and has had an improved relationship since. Santos has three other sons with a long-time girlfriend. Santos mentioned on social media that his fourth son's heartbeat was heard in the intro of his 2022 album '' Formula, Vol. 3''.

Discography

*'' Formula, Vol. 1'' (2011) *'' Formula, Vol. 2'' (2014) *'' Golden'' (2017) *'' Utopía'' (2019) *'' Formula, Vol. 3'' (2022)

Tours Single

* The King Stays King (2012–2013) * Fórmula, Vol. 2 Tour (2014–2016) * Golden Tour (2018–2019) * Utopía Tour (2019) * Fórmula, Vol. 3: La Gira (2023)

Filmography

Live concerts

*'' The King Stays King: Sold Out at Madison Square Garden'' (2012) *'' Utopía Live from MetLife Stadium'' (2021)

Documentary

* '' Romeo Santos: King of Bachata'' (2021)

Movies

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Santos, Romeo 1981 births Living people American bachata musicians American male singer-songwriters American musicians of Puerto Rican descent African-American male singers American singers of Dominican Republic descent Dominican Republic people of Puerto Rican descent Aventura (band) members Musicians from the Bronx Hispanic and Latino American musicians Latin music songwriters MTV Video Music Award winners RCA Records artists Singers from New York City Sony Music Latin artists Spanish-language singers of the United States 21st-century American singer-songwriters African-American songwriters Puerto Rican people of Dominican Republic descent Singer-songwriters from New York (state) Latin music record producers Bachata singers Latin Grammy Award winners People from Morrisania, Bronx

Early life

Music career

Early career, Los Tinellers, and Aventura (1994–2011)

Solo career, signing with Sony Music, ''Formula, Vol. 1'', and live release (2011–2013)

''Formula, Vol. 2'' and Aventura reunion (2013–2016)

''Golden'' (2017–2018)

''Utopía'', second live release, and Aventura reunion tour (2019–2021)

''Formula, Vol. 3'' (2022–2023)

Final reunion tour with Aventura and possible group album (2024–present)

Concert films and documentary

Artistry

Themes, genres, and musical style

Influences

Acting career

Legacy

Personal life

Discography

Tours Single

Filmography

Live concerts

Documentary

Movies

Awards and nominations

See also

References

Further reading

External links