CNCO: The Latin Boy Band with Global Plans

Latin America's latest boy band represents for a new generation of fans

CNCO: The Latin Boy Band with Global Plans
Jason Joven
Jason Joven
December 19, 20179 min read
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Chartmetric data as of: Dec 20, 2017 | Chartmetric’s 3-minute podcast series is live!

“Despacito” was really big. Got it.

CNCO: Pronounced as “see-en-see-oh”, a Latin American powerhouse from Univision’s La Banda music competition (Simon Cowell, Ricky Martin)

But to say that Latin music is having a “resurgence” is like saying the sun is having a “comeback” the next morning: Latin music has always been strong, present, and loved by millions. There’s been lots of fans screaming for more…some of us just weren’t listening.

What’s different now is simple, public music data: most digital music users can easily understand the amount of Spotify streams or YouTube views an artist has and why it matters to their popularity, and that’s important. While Nielsen Soundscan sales were the domain of music business wonks and RIAA records pressed in precious metals made for great press photos, Billboard charts have long been the popular measure of “making it” by the numbers. But with the arrival of digital streaming, even that methodology has since grown convoluted.

So what does Latin boy band sensation CNCO have to benefit from this? The same that Korean group BTS does: data-based bona fides in the US, the #1 music market in the world. Even for those who don’t like the music or the numbers themselves, it is undeniable how they can open doors for international artists knocking on USA’s door.