Jay Wheeler

On the romantic side for the 2010s Latin hitmaker, Puerto Rican singer Jay Wheeler uses his lush, crooning vocals to deliver melodic and catchy ballads across styles from Latin pop to reggaeton. 2020′s Myke Towers-assisted “La Curiosidad” became Wheeler’s most dominant hit, peaking at number five on the Billboard Latin charts and racking up over a billion streams in just two years. A prolific string of albums and EPs followed including 2022′s El Amor y Yo and Emociones, and 2023′s TRAPPii. Born José Ángel López Martínez to a working-class family in Salinas, Puerto Rico, Wheeler began learning the piano at a young age before transitioning to beatmaking once he got a computer. After a breakup in his teenage years, a close friend persuaded him to post his first material online: 2015′s “Ahora Estoy Mejor,” a fusion of singing and rapping styles, racked up half-a-million views as it became an overnight sensation. A subsequent million-viewed cover of Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself” gave López Martínez confidence in his future career. Taking the first part of his stage name from his first initial, he crowdsourced a surname from his fans, settling on Wheeler in 2017. The conflicted “No Me Engañas” and dismissive “Equivocada” built Wheeler’s fan base ahead of the breakout track “Por Tu Culpa” (2018), which brought him to the attention — and onto the roster — of Dynamic Records. Live performances afforded by his new label, alongside major singles like “Te Soñé” and “Mensaje de Voz,” led to his discovery by legendary reggaeton producer DJ Nelson, who offered to host and produce his debut album. Titled Platónico, his DJ Nelson-produced debut featured a slowed-down, ballad-like take on reggaeton, finding particular success with the faster-paced “Dime Que Sí” and Farruko-assisted “Otra Noche Más Remix” alongside sentimental closer “Me Enamoré.” After an Unplugged live album, which demonstrated his raw vocal talent, Wheeler moved into 2020 with a collaborative run of singles, working with the likes of Lenny Tavárez, Nio Garcia, Darell, Lary Over, Javiielo, and Noriel. Among the year’s highlights were the Brytiago-assisted remix to “Sin Ti,” the tropical “Quiereme Mientras Se Pueda (Remix)” (with Manuel Turizo and Miky Woodz), and an appearance on Cauty’s 100-million-streamed “Lloras Remix.” Wheeler’s sophomore studio album, produced once again by Nelson, arrived that summer. Titled Platónicos, the project fell a little closer to Nelson’s reggaeton roots and took a more collaborative approach with features including Brytiago, Nio Garcia, Miky Woodz, and Casper Magico. The album’s fourth track, the Myke Towers-assisted “La Curiosidad,” soon eclipsed Wheeler’s hits thus far — peaking at number five on the Billboard Latin charts, the more seductive smash hit eventually surpassed a billion streams online. Now regarded as one of reggaeton’s most promising new voices, Wheeler returned to collaboration through 2021. As well as two star-studded remixes to “La Curiosidad” (with appearances from Jhay Cortez, Arcángel, Zion & Lennox, Becky G, etc.), he issued successful collaborations with the likes of J Balvin (“Otro Fili”), Juhn (“Fragancia”), Brytiago (“Desnudarte”), and Arcángel (“Si Te Veo”), alongside the strong solo tracks “Viendo el Techo” and “Dos Tragos.” In early 2022, Wheeler issued the De Mí Para Ti EP, which contained his first forays into English-language music (“Take My Life,” “Can’t Figure U Out”). It proved to be a productive period for the artist who released two more full-length albums, El Amor y Yo and Emociones, before the year was out. Wheeler kicked off 2023 with the heartfelt, ’80s pop-leaning “SOS,” then scored another hit with “Pacto (Remix)” featuring Anuel AA, Bryant Myers, Hades66, and Dei V. It anchored his next album, TRAPPii, released that October. ~ John D. Buchanan & David Crone