Qué chimba Sueños

Sueños is Chicago’s biggest annual Latin music event. More than a summer festival, Sueños is a big party that celebrates all aspects of Latin culture! The event brings the best reggaeton and Latin artists to Grant Park for a weekend of music, delicious food, and perreo.

This year, being the third year since the festival became a Chicago staple, Sueños brought Rauw Alejandro, Álvaro Díaz, Young Miko, Rels B, and many more artists that have been leading the genre. From the moment the doors opened, Grant Park became una rumba entera. Each performer's unique style showcased the genre's diversity and dynamism. Let's go over some of the best acts! 

Starting the weekend right, the indie band Latin Mafia took over the stage. Of all the acts, this is by far one of the ones I was most excited to see. The trio of brothers has developed such a unique sound that can't be pinned down to just one genre. Their music blends reggaeton, trap, R&B, house music, and dream pop, among other sounds. Their music is melancholic, dreamy, emotional, and bold.

With a discography of 12 singles, the Mexican band left their soul on the stage. Milton, lead vocals, ended their set screaming, “Que viva Mexico cabrones,” and the crowd collectively screamed. That’s the beautiful thing about Sueños: the Latin pride is tangible.

Julietota (2023)

“Sale con su vape de cerecita

El licor de tamarindo es lo que necesita”

Patatas de Ahogado (2023) 

“Dale, Abrázame otro rato

Apapáchame la vida entera”

The best-dressed award goes to the Puerto Rican artist Álvaro Díaz, who chose a futuristic black suit that made everyone gasp. His music combines rap, reggaeton, and EDM with sprinkles of soul and funk. His albums are cohesive and incredibly creative. His album covers and performance graphics are among the coolest I’ve ever seen.

Felicilandia (2021) 

And his latest album, which was released earlier this month! SAYONARA (2024)

I fell in love with him earlier this year when I saw him at Vibra Urbana in Miami. I hadn't heard his music before, and seeing him perform made me a fan immediately. He has an incredible stage presence, and you can see how much he loves performing and sharing his art with others. My favorite song of his is "Close Friends," which I find so fun. It talks about how we tend to add and delete people from our 'close friends' story on Instagram; he talks about a girl who added him to her 'close friends' story and wonders if it's because she just broke up with his boyfriend.

“Me mete y me saca de sus close friends,

Será que se dejo de su boyfriend,

Me envió un mensaje y le dio unsend

Es pa’ti el caption que yo posteé”

"Problemón" is up there fighting for first place. Listen to this song, especially if you have feelings for someone you shouldn't, and it is a whole problem.

“Porque esto de nosotros es un problemón,

Y aún me acuerdo de aquel día y esa canción

Que si se llegan a enterar va a ser un papelón”

Rels B took over and reminded us of how pretty love sounds! The Spanish rapper blends trap, reggaeton, and soul majestically. His songs will make you feel emotions you didn’t even know you had in you. I had never seen him in concert before, and I was impressed by his dreamy performance. Rels B, also known under the names Rels Beats, Daniel Vidal, Flakk Daniel, and Skinny Flakk, released his first EP, Change Or Die, which led to his quick popularity on social media and streaming platforms. This song is no longer under his Spotify music profile, and his style has changed quite a bit since then, but if you do some digging, you should be able to find it.

His 2019 single "A mí" is something else. It is a romantic challenge in which he declares his love to a woman while also boldly stating that he knows she can have many potential suitors, but she still prefers him. 

“Baby me he dao cuenta que te amo,

Que no sé lo que hago sin ti

Yo sé que unos cuantos te hablaron

Pero me prefieres a mí”

Bizarrap is a DJ like no other. The Grammy-winning, multi-platinum Argentine DJ and record producer Bizarrap has revolutionized Latin trap. He gifts us one of his BZRP Music Sessions every so often, and each features a different artist, style, and beat. He is so talented that he can adapt his beats to various artists! My favorite session is, without a doubt, Villano Antillano: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol.51 (2022) “Dale, Biza,  explotame la pista.” If you haven’t heard it, this is your chance. I can’t hype it up enough. This song leaves me speechless every time. Hopefully, for an upcoming Sueños, we will see both Bizarrap and Villano Antillano perform this hit live. 

“Una vampiresa, soy una sanguinaria

Carmilla la de Styria, soy inmune a tus plegaria'

Yo soy la principal y tú la secundaria

Yo soy la principal de esta secundaria

Yo soy la jefa y tú eres la secretaría

No estás a nivel pa' ser mi adversaria”

His collaboration with Quevedo, "BZRP Music Sessions, Vol. 52" (2022), became diamond-certified and was his first Billboard Hot 100 entry. Soon after, he released "BZRP Music Sessions, Vol. 53" with international artist Shakira, which peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and broke a series of Guinness World records. Bizarrap won Best Urban Song Song of the Year and Best Pop Song at the 2023 Latin Grammy Awards with these collaborations.

Fun Fact: Shakira used this session to relaunch herself into a new era of music as a single, successful woman. And as anyone would do, she channeled the frustration she felt after finding out her ex-partner, Gerard Piqué, was cheating on her to inspire some of the lyrics on the session. 1. The audacity to cheat on Shakira. 2. Piqué didn’t love the song.

Young Miko holds a special place in my heart because I grew up with Latin music. I was 15 years old, singing reggaeton songs from beginning to end; it was an essential part of my culture. However, a man sang every single song, and it was always about a woman, all the things he wanted to do with her, and all the feelings he had for her. Even when I was graduating from high school, I hadn’t seen any type of queer representation in the genre, and then out of nowhere came Young Miko to the scene, a young queer woman.

Young Miko is a pleasure to see in concert. She has a strong stage presence and incredible dance moves. Everyone in the crowd is dancing. It melts my heart knowing that now Latin kids will have her and many other queer artists to see their identities and experiences represented! Someone give a queer hero award to Young Miko asap. Thank you for being who you are and making the world fall in love with your authenticity. In an interview with Pop Sugar, she stated, "I was born at the right time . . . this generation goes hard, and we're a generation that wants change," she says excitedly. "We're [in a time] where people want to see women triumph and be empowered. I'm happy to be a part of that."

Before bursting into fame, Young Miko, also known as Baby Miko, was a tattoo artist growing up in Anasco, Puerto Rico. Could you imagine having a tattoo by her now?! Her first Spotify single, "105 Freestyle" (2021), is, in my opinion, extremely underrated and don't even let me get started on "Vendetta" with Villano Antillano (2021). Give this song a listen because this should be the opening of all her shows! This song should play at every single function. 

“Toy activa, vamo’ a ver quien me reta 

La' paca' pesan demasia’o

Ya me tiene hasta el bolsillo estira’o 

To’ lo' hombre' a mi vida pega’o 

Mala mía, no tiro pa’ ese la’o”

Of course, check out her latest album, att., released early April. Listen to "offline" featuring Feid. This song has quickly become her most-listened-to song on Spotify.

“Me desconcentro si tú no estás

Pero estar cerca de ti me distrae igual”

Headlining the night was Rauw Alejandro, who did not disappoint; the Puerto Rican artist brings a fun and creative blend of smooth melodic vocals and beats that simply force you to dance. Starting the night with a banger, he played "Punto 40" (2023) along with other hits like "Desenfocao" (2021) and "Tiróteo Remix" (2021), and the crowd was lucky enough to enjoy the live debut of his recent release "La Nena" with Lyanno (2024). Another highlight was seeing both Álvaro Díaz and Rauw Alejandro performing BYAK on stage together to wrap up the night. This song has been playing on my head on repeat since it was released two months ago. What a good song! Give it a listen.

“Por qué mientes?

Si cuando conectamos se siente diferente

He tratado de entenderte pero a ti

Quién te entiende?”

The second day started late and ended early due to the severe weather. The acts of Delilah, Dani Flow, Alexis y Fido, Bad Gyal, Gabito Ballesteros, Manuel Turizo, and Peso Pluma were canceled. Heartbreaking. In response to the unfortunate change of plans on Sunday, Sueños announced a refund of 25% for all ticket holders. 

Although all of these artists are amazing, I was devastated that I wouldn’t be able to hear reggaeton classics from Alexis y Fido’s discography. I think we should all manifest that they headline Sueños next year. They truly are the kings of the genre, and their music was essential to the essence of reggaeton. If you haven’t listened to them already, this is your chance.

Mala Conducta, Perreología (2011)

5 Letras, Sobrenatural (2007) 

La Trampa, Perreología (2011)

I had heard that one of the best songs you can ever see performed live is "MODELITO" by Mora. My expectations were high, and the Puerto Rican reggaeton singer, songwriter, and music producer did not disappoint. As he performed "MODELITO" alongside other songs like "Tuyo" and "LA INOCENTE," the crowd jumped with bursting energy and screamed their hearts out.

A song that I must highlight in his extensive discography goes back to his album PARAÍSO (2022). The track "CÓMO HAS ESTAU?" is both a devastating heartbreak song and a grand gesture of love. In Latin America, serenades are common, which I can't understand why they are not as common in the U.S! But, when someone wants to surprise you, ask for forgiveness, or reappear in your life with a grand gesture, they surprise you with a group of mariachis and wake you up. Although this song has no mariachis, the vibes remind me of that feeling of surprising someone with a "Hey, how have you been?" followed by an "I still love."

One of my favorite things about Sueños is that it feels like a trip back home. You can feel the Latin solidarity all around you. Everyone is dancing and singing with a little drink in their hand. As a Colombian, I was so excited to see Maluma! The vibes were just right at the time, and his set, although cut short, gave us a good overview of his discography and incredible talent. His stage had his signature huge silver statue of a European Doberman that resembled his two dogs, Karma and Buda. This is, above anything, such a sweet gesture that portrays the big heart of the now father of a baby girl called Paris. Closing such a wonderful weekend with Maluma feels wholesome. I have had the chance to enjoy and see his career grow since he performed at smaller venues in our home country, and it is always so heartwarming to see another Colombian reach great heights!

I left the festival feeling uplifted and looking forward to next year’s Sueños. The festival is a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in a vibrant celebration of music and community. There is a unique sense of camaraderie in the community, and that’s what sueños is about. Qué chimba Sueños.