Feid

Colombian reggaeton and cumbia singer/songwriter, rapper, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Feid sings in a smooth, slippery, instantly recognizable tenor style. He’s composed for and recorded with some of the genre’s biggest stars including Reykon, Nicky Jam, and J Balvin. His debut solo effort, 2015′s Asi Como Suena, charted across Colombia. His 2016 single “Morena” was a smash at radio, video, and with club DJs. In 2017, he issued a second album with the title Asi Como Suena; it offered Feid’s songs both solo (the hit singles “Lluvia” and “Ahora”) and in collaboration with others. 2018 brought singles including “Nuestra Canción” and “Sígueme,” and 2019 saw the release of the full-length 19. The digital albums Bahia Ducati and Ferxxo (Vol. 1: M.O.R.). came out in 2020, with Inter Shibuya: La Mafia arriving in 2021. A string of singles, including the hit “Si Te La Encuentras por Ahí,” appeared in 2022, as did the full-length Feliz Cumpleaños Ferxxo Te Pirateamos el Album.
Born Salomón Villada Hoyos in Medellín on August 19, 1992, his artistic name refers to a belief in his talent; the word translates as “sound faith” for the singer, which is faith in God and in himself. His mother, Berta Lucía Hoyos, is a preschool teacher and psychologist, and his father, Jorge Mario Villada, teaches art history at University of Antioquia. Feid’s childhood was saturated in creative activities instilled by his parents. They taught him that art provides necessary tools to approach reality, and the opportunity to be sensitive in approaching the world.
Though surrounded by music at home, his first concrete contact with it was at age nine when he attended music extension courses offered by the University of Antioquia in Medellín. There he learned to read music and play the clarinet. His real love, however, was singing. He was part of the children’s choir at the University extension center; with that group he recorded an album of Christmas carols. The experience proved seminal, and Feid decided to focus on music as a vocation. He sang in choirs throughout high school and began singing solo in college, where acceptance by his classmates and other small audiences provided affirmation.
While still in school, he decided to dedicate himself to reggaetón. To that end he focused his attention on songwriting and recording demos. He wrote compositions for Nicky Jam, Alberto Stylee, Magnate and Valentino, Reykon, and J Balvin.
He recorded his own single debut single, “Morena,” in 2015. Surprisingly, it was a smash at radio, video, and in clubs across Latin America; it upped his credibility as a songwriter in addition to presenting him as a recording artist. He followed with the independently released long-player Asi Como Suena and two more charting singles — “Si Supieras” and “La Repuesta,” and later that year co-wrote the J Balvin smash “Ginza.” Produced by René Alejandro Ramirez and David Cano, it topped the Hot Latin Songs chart and was certified multi-platinum.
In 2016 Feid signed a deal with Universal Music and issued the single “Que Raro,” featuring Balvin as a collaborator. It placed at 16 on the Tropical Songs chart. In November of 2017, he re-recorded Asi Como Suena from scratch. It included new versions of songs from his 2015 debut, recorded both solo and with guests including Jory and Nacho.
2018 brought singles like the Greeicy collaboration “Perfecto” and the solo tracks “Nuestra Canción” and “Sígueme.” In May 2019 he released his second studio album titled 19, which was certified platinum for successful sales and nominated for the Latin Grammy in the Best Urban Album category. Feid issued a dozen singles including the single “Fresh Kerias,” with Maluma and Sky Rompiendo. It went 18 in Colombia and charted in nine countries. Similarly, the follow-up “Porfa” with Justin Quiles, peaked at number two in Argentina and placed on the charts on 13 countries. Between his own singles and collaborations, Feid appeared on the charts 15 times that year.
After worldwide touring and a short break, Feid released two digital outings in 2020. Ferxxo (Vol. 1: M.O.R.) appeared in April, just after the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. It contained his charting 2019 singles as well as “Boraxxa” with Manuel Turizo and “CU U U U UX” with Alvaro Diaz. It peaked at 27 at Top Latin Albums. In September he followed with the ten-track Bahia Ducati EP. With only one cut (“Nea”) performed solo, it proved a showcase for collaborations and remixes. His guest artists included Sech on “Jamaica,” Zion & Lennox on “Fotografia,” and De la Ghetto on “Break Up.” The collection climbed to number 30 on the Top Latin Albums charts.
In 2021, Feid returned to touring. In August he released the long-player Inter Shibuya: La Mafia, a 15-track album recorded almost completely solo. Set producer Sky Rompiendo appeared on the hit single “Chimbita.” In December he released Inter Shibuya (Ferxxo Edition). It included nine extra tracks featuring collaborations with Karol G (“Friki”), Ryan Castro (“Monastery”), Sael (“Mionca Al Bloque”), and the Rudeboyz (“Rudeboyz”). Feid kicked off 2022 with the hit singles “Feliz Cumpleaños Ferxxo” and “Si Te La Encuentras por Ahí.” The full-length Feliz Cumpleaños Ferxxo Te Pirateamos el Album arrived in September, a week earlier than originally planned. The 15-song set placed well inside the Top Ten on Top Latin Albums chart and went to number two at streaming. It was certified gold a week after its release. ~ Thom Jurek