Lenny Tavárez

Lenny Tavárez first gained notice as half of the reggaeton duo Dyland y Lenny before launching a solo career that positioned him as a key voice in Latin trap. His early hits include the 2016 “Fantasias Remix” with Arcangel and De la Ghetto, the 2017 tracks “Caviar” and “Pop Porn,” and the 2021 summer romance ballad “A 100.” Although he is fundamentally a romantic reggaeton artist, his trap recordings remain bright and melodic; his refined phrasing and lightly reedy tenor give him the profile of a pop or R&B vocalist rather than an MC. This crossover appeal quickly made him a preferred guest on other artists’ charting releases. The 2019 single “Bellaquita,” recorded with Dalex, climbed the Latin charts, as did its subsequent remix that added Anitta, Natti Natasha, Farruko, and Justin Quiles. Later, “Elegi” (2020) united him with seven fellow reggaetoneros—Rauw Alejandro, Anuel AA, Sech, and Dimelo Flow among them. Early that same year he and Quiles issued “Pared 360,” the first of nine consecutive singles that led to the 2021 album Krack and its 2022 expanded edition Krack Deluxe, which supplied additional tracks.

Born Julio Manuel González Távarez in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1987, the singer did not initially pursue music professionally. Outside of casual singing at home or among friends, he focused on basketball from childhood. Only after he and longtime friend Carlos Castillo Cruz abandoned plans for basketball careers did the pair form Dyland y Lenny in 2007. They recorded dozens of demos and videos that attracted Sony’s attention; the label signed them in early 2009. Their debut single “Nadie Te Amará Como Yo” reached the U.S. Top 30 on the Hot Latin Songs chart, and that year they also joined Ana Barbara on her Latin-pop chart-topper “Rompiendo Cadenas.”

Luny Tunes produced the duo’s first album, My World, released in 2010. It yielded two further charting singles, among them “Caliente” featuring Arcangel, and peaked at number 13 on the Top Latin Albums chart. Dyland y Lenny began headlining clubs while supporting major tours throughout the Caribbean, South America, and the United States. At the close of 2012 they issued the promotional track “Pégate Más” to preview My World 2, which arrived in February 2013 and included appearances by J Álvarez, Pitbull, Cosculluela, and Victor Manuelle. The partnership ended amicably at the end of 2013. Tavárez opened his solo account with “Mas No Puedo Amarte,” which charted modestly, then issued a steady stream of singles that year: “Donde Estás” (feat. RKM), “Tiemblo,” and “Pa’ Que Te Enamores” (feat. Omar Acedo).

Although “Fantasías” was positioned in 2015 as the lead single for an ultimately unreleased debut album titled Ultimatum, Tavárez continued releasing remixes with De la Ghetto and J Alvarez that performed well at radio, along with the charting “Tortura” alongside Pusho. The “Fantasias Remix” remained on the charts well into 2016, the year he fully embraced trap with “No Se que Fue” in April and the romantic trap single “Como Tu No Hay” in July. September brought the urbano ballad “Si Tu Cama Hablare” with Cosculluela, which gained traction through streaming; November’s Top 20 collaboration “No Quiere Amor” with Farruko produced a video that exceeded 85 million views.

Tavárez returned in February 2017 with the charting solo release “Caviar,” whose blend of dub effects, ballad elements, and reggaeton distinguished it from prevailing urbano sounds. It inaugurated a year in which he dropped a dozen singles. While collaborations such as the Top 30 “Secreto” (feat. Noriel) and “Marihuana” (feat. Sencillo Rap) appeared, his solo efforts—“Pop Porn,” “Mientete,” and “No Se Nada”—tended to fare better on radio and charts.

In 2018 he was featured on Alex Rose’s hit “Toda (Remix)” with Cazzu, Lyanno, and Rauw Alejandro; the track reached the Top Ten across nearly every Latin chart, and its video surpassed one billion views. That success initiated another sequence of roughly a dozen featured or solo singles. He paired with Ronald El Killa on “Empezar de Cero,” Kobi Cantillo on “Perfecta,” and Shadow Blow on “Tu.” He also assembled Cauty, Alejandro, and Lyanno for the erotic urbano ballad “Hoy” and enlisted Miky Woodz for the sultry, nocturnal dance-floor track “No Me Equivoque.”

Most of 2019 found Tavárez working as a featured artist while preparing the debut album he had been writing since 2017. January brought “A Prueba de Balas” with Dayme y El High, Jeeiph, and Ele a El Dominio; later he appeared on Feid’s “Badwine” remix and Nio Garcia’s “Mirame” alongside Darell, Myke Towers, Alejandro, and Casper Magico. Two Top Ten singles with Dalex—“Bellaquito” and the “Hola” remix—followed, and he closed the year with Icon and Darell on “Dificil.”

February 2020 saw the release of “La Pared 360,” a duet with Justin Quiles that served as the first pre-release single for his forthcoming album. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Tavárez maintained a regular release schedule. He contributed to Cauty’s “Lllora” remix, joined Nio Garcia and Bryant Myers on “Nocturno,” issued the solo track “Acerola” (feat. Rafa Pabon and Cauty), and released “La Mujer Traiciona” with Beele. The reggaeton streaming charts were led by his appearance on “Elegi” alongside Farruko, Anuel AA, Sech, Rauw Alejandro, Dimelo Flow, Justin Quiles, and Dalex. October brought a chart-topping duet with Tito El Bambino, “Por Ti.”

Between January and April 2021 he continued the pandemic-era pace with eight singles, including the charting “A 100” and “Sorpresa.” In May the 14-track debut Krack finally arrived, five years after he began work on it. Its stated aim was to “do different music without changing the genre.” Chiefly produced by King Swift, the set featured Nicky Jam, Natanael Cano, Zion y Lennox, Dimelo Flow, Cauty, and Madmusick. Krack registered on streaming charts in more than a dozen countries; Krack [Deluxe], containing three bonus tracks, followed in 2022 and also charted.

Over the ensuing years Tavárez released more than half a dozen singles under his own name and appeared on numerous additional tracks. Among the most successful were the Top Five “La Pared” (feat. Justin Quiles and Brray), “TBT Remix,” “CXO (A Quien No Le Gusta)” with Chenco Corleone and Piso 21, “Felicidades,” and “El Yate” (feat. Sergio George). He opened 2024 with the Feid collaboration “Epelotica,” which accumulated more than 30 million streams in its first week and debuted inside the Top Ten on the Hot Latin Songs chart.