Biography
Born in the Bronx and raised in Florida, pop singer and actress Leslie Grace began performing professionally at age 16 and has since earned Latin Grammy nominations along with consistent chart placements. Her bachata-tinged singles and joint releases have driven both commercial traction and multiple Latin Grammy nods. A 2012 bachata rendition of the Shirelles’ 1961 single “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” simultaneously claimed the top spots on the Tropical Songs and Latin Airplay charts. The self-titled album she issued the following year reached number two on Tropical Albums and number three on Top Latin Albums. A recognized songwriter with entries on the charts, Grace initially teamed with an array of artists that included Mya, Wisin, Noriel, and Joey Bada$$. The 2019 track “Sola,” which united her with Justin Quiles and Play-N-Skillz, climbed into the streaming Top Five. In 2020 she joined the cast of the cinematic adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award-winning musical In the Heights; the next year she was chosen to portray Barbara Gordon in the HBOMax series Batgirl.
Leslie Grace Martínez came into the world in 1995 in the Bronx before relocating with her mother, a businesswoman who owned a hair salon, to Davie, Florida. Although she began singing at two, her first public performances occurred in grade-school musicals and local talent competitions, and she also sang with the church choir. While still in middle school in 2008, she issued the independent Christian album Pasión through CD Baby. At sixteen she made her mainstream Latin pop and bachata entrance with a bilingual version of the Shirelles’ “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” on Top Stop Music, the Delray Beach, Florida boutique label Gregory Elias established in 2008; the single topped both Tropical Songs and Latin Airplay, establishing her as the youngest female artist to achieve that double chart feat. Her 2013 full-length debut, Leslie Grace, reached number four on Latin Albums and number three on Tropical Albums, while the single “Day One” ascended to number one on Latin Pop. Those accomplishments brought a Best Contemporary Tropical Album nomination at the 14th Annual Latin Grammy Awards plus Female Tropical Artist of the Year and Tropical Album of the Year honors at the Premio Lo Nuestro awards. Additional 2014 nominations arrived from the Billboard Awards in the New Artist of the Year and Hot Latin Songs, Artist of the Year, Female categories.
Her first international tour included a performance at the North Sea Jazz Festival, and she also played major U.S. cities and Chile. A Top Ten single, “Odio No Odiarte,” arrived in 2014, followed in 2015 by another number-one entry, “Como Duele el Silencio.” The next year she served as a captain on Univision’s reality program Va por Ti alongside Luis Coronel, Chiquis Rivera, and host Galilea Montijo. Her collaboration with Maluma, “Aire,” peaked at number ten on Tropical and inside the Top 40 on both Latin Pop and Latin Rhythm Airplay; the two artists toured Mexico in support. January 2017 brought a reggaeton cover of Selena’s “Si Una Vez” with Play-N-Skillz, Wisin, and Frankie J. One month later she received a Premios Lo Nuestro nomination for Female Artist of the Year Pop/Rock.
That same year she finalized a distribution agreement with Sony Music Latin and a worldwide publishing contract with Sony/ATV, then released the single “Diganle” with Becky G in the fall. She opened 2018 with “Duro y Suave,” a Noriel collaboration that reached the Top 30 on Latin Pop; Tainy’s September remix turned the track into a dance-floor staple. Further 2018 releases included “Fuego” with Mya, “Lunes a Jueves” with Fuego, and “Still New York” with MAX and Joey Bada$$. In the first half of 2019 she contributed “Call the Shots” to the Miss Bala soundtrack and, in July, issued “Sola” featuring Justin Quiles and Play-N-Skillz. She was again recruited for the 2020 film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award-winning musical In the Heights, and the following year she was cast as Barbara Gordon in the HBOMax series Batgirl while releasing the charting single “Bachatica.”
Leslie Grace Martínez came into the world in 1995 in the Bronx before relocating with her mother, a businesswoman who owned a hair salon, to Davie, Florida. Although she began singing at two, her first public performances occurred in grade-school musicals and local talent competitions, and she also sang with the church choir. While still in middle school in 2008, she issued the independent Christian album Pasión through CD Baby. At sixteen she made her mainstream Latin pop and bachata entrance with a bilingual version of the Shirelles’ “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” on Top Stop Music, the Delray Beach, Florida boutique label Gregory Elias established in 2008; the single topped both Tropical Songs and Latin Airplay, establishing her as the youngest female artist to achieve that double chart feat. Her 2013 full-length debut, Leslie Grace, reached number four on Latin Albums and number three on Tropical Albums, while the single “Day One” ascended to number one on Latin Pop. Those accomplishments brought a Best Contemporary Tropical Album nomination at the 14th Annual Latin Grammy Awards plus Female Tropical Artist of the Year and Tropical Album of the Year honors at the Premio Lo Nuestro awards. Additional 2014 nominations arrived from the Billboard Awards in the New Artist of the Year and Hot Latin Songs, Artist of the Year, Female categories.
Her first international tour included a performance at the North Sea Jazz Festival, and she also played major U.S. cities and Chile. A Top Ten single, “Odio No Odiarte,” arrived in 2014, followed in 2015 by another number-one entry, “Como Duele el Silencio.” The next year she served as a captain on Univision’s reality program Va por Ti alongside Luis Coronel, Chiquis Rivera, and host Galilea Montijo. Her collaboration with Maluma, “Aire,” peaked at number ten on Tropical and inside the Top 40 on both Latin Pop and Latin Rhythm Airplay; the two artists toured Mexico in support. January 2017 brought a reggaeton cover of Selena’s “Si Una Vez” with Play-N-Skillz, Wisin, and Frankie J. One month later she received a Premios Lo Nuestro nomination for Female Artist of the Year Pop/Rock.
That same year she finalized a distribution agreement with Sony Music Latin and a worldwide publishing contract with Sony/ATV, then released the single “Diganle” with Becky G in the fall. She opened 2018 with “Duro y Suave,” a Noriel collaboration that reached the Top 30 on Latin Pop; Tainy’s September remix turned the track into a dance-floor staple. Further 2018 releases included “Fuego” with Mya, “Lunes a Jueves” with Fuego, and “Still New York” with MAX and Joey Bada$$. In the first half of 2019 she contributed “Call the Shots” to the Miss Bala soundtrack and, in July, issued “Sola” featuring Justin Quiles and Play-N-Skillz. She was again recruited for the 2020 film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award-winning musical In the Heights, and the following year she was cast as Barbara Gordon in the HBOMax series Batgirl while releasing the charting single “Bachatica.”
Albums
AMOR, QUIÉN ERES?
2026
Lloviendo Estrellas
2015
Cómo Duele el Silencio
2015
Leslie Grace
2013
Pasión
2009
Singles
