Lenny Tavárez

Initially known as one-half of the successful reggaeton duo Dyland y Lenny, Puerto Rican singer Lenny Tavárez has subsequently struck out as a solo artist, becoming a significant figure of the Latin trap movement with charting singles such as 2016′s “Fantasias Remix” (feat. Arcangel and De la Ghetto), 2017′s “Caviar” and “Pop Porn,” and 2021′s summer romance ballad “A 100.” A truly romantic reggaeton singer, his trap material is bright and tuneful, and with his polished delivery and slightly reedy tenor, he resembles a pop or R&B star more than a rapper. As a result, he has become a first-call collaborator for many charting artists. 2019′s “Bellaquita” with Dalex ran up the Latin charts, as did its remix featuring Anitta, Natti Natasha, Farruko, and Justin Quiles. 2020′s “Elegi” placed him alongside seven other reggaetoneros including Rauw Alejandro, Anuel AA, Sech, and Dimelo Flow. In early 2020 he issued “Pared 360” with Quiles, kicking off a run of nine singles that ultimately resulted in the 2021 full-length Krack, and 2022′s Krack Deluxe offering bonus cuts. The singer was born Julio Manuel González Távarez in San Juan Puerto Rico in 1987. He didn’t focus on music initially. Other than singing at home or with friends for fun, Tavárez was obsessed with becoming a professional basketball player from a young age. In fact, when he and longtime friend Carlos Castillo Cruz formed Dyland y Lenny in 2007, it was after the two had decided against potential careers in basketball in favor of becoming musicians. They made dozens of demos and videos, and Sony came knocking. After signing with the label in early 2009 they issued their debut single “Nadie Te Amará Como Yo” and entered the U.S. Top 30 on the Hot Latin Songs chart. That same year they collaborated with Ana Barbara on her chart-topping Latin pop single “Rompiendo Cadenas.” The duo’s debut album, My World, was produced by Luny Tunes and appeared in 2010. It produced two more charting singles, including “Caliente” featuring Arcangel, and reached number 13 on the Top Latin albums chart. The duo also began playing live, headlining clubs while supporting other artists on tours across the Caribbean, South America, and the U.S. At the end of 2012, they released the promotional “Pégate Más” to introduce their second charting album, My World 2, that appeared in February 2013. It included collaborations with J Álvarez, Pitbull, Cosculluela, and Victor Manuelle, among others. By the end of 2013, however, Dyland y Lenny amicably split. Lenny Tavárez began his solo career with the single “Mas No Puedo Amarte,” which gained some chart recognition. He became a prolific singles artist with other releases that year including “Donde Estás” (feat. RKM), “Tiemblo,” and “Pa’ Que Te Enamores” (feat. Omar Acedo). In 2015 he issued the track “Fantasías” as a pre-release single for his debut album, Ultimatum, but it was never released. He remixed tracks in collaboration with De la Ghetto and J Alvarez that did well at radio, as did the charting “Tortura” with Pusho. The “Fantasias Remix” had legs and stayed on the charts well into 2016, by which time Tavárez had embraced trap with the single “No Se que Fue” in April. In July he released “Como Tu No Hay,” showcasing his signature romantic croon in grand trap style. In September he enlisted rapper Cosculluela as a collaborator on the romantic urbano single “Si Tu Cama Hablare” that charted at streaming. In November Tavárez released a Top 20 collaboration with Farruko titled “No Quiere Amor.” Its video proved wildly successful, garnering more than 85 million views, although Tavárez wouldn’t fully embrace the medium for his own work until a couple of years later. In February 2017, Tavárez released the charting solo single “Caviar.” Rife with dub effects, balladry, and reggaeton, its haunting mix set him apart from his peers. It was the first of a dozen singles he issued that year. While several were collaborations, including the Top 30 “Secreto” featuring Noriel and “Marihuana” featuring Sencillo Rap, his solo cuts did better at radio and on the charts, among them “Pop Porn,” “Mientete,” and “No Se Nada.” The following year Tavárez was listed as a featured guest on Alex Rose’s hit “Toda (Remix)” alongside Cazzu, Lyanno, and Rauw Alejandro. While the track went Top Ten on almost every Latin chart, its video registered more than a billion views. It was the first of a dozen singles to feature Tavárez as either a solo artist or collaborator. He duetted with Ronald El Killa on “Empezar de Cero,” Kobi Cantillo on “Perfecta,” and Shadow Blow on “Tu.” Further, he enlisted Cauty, Alejandro, and Lyanno for the erotic urbano ballad “Hoy” and Miky Woodz on the sultry, breezy, nocturnal dancefloor anthem “No Me Equivoce.” Tavárez spent most of 2019 as a collaborator while doing pre-production for his debut album — one he had been writing since 2017. In January he appeared with Dayme y El High on their single “A Prueba de Balas,” that also featured Jeeiph and Ele a El Dominio. He appeared on Feid’s “Badwine” remix and the Nio Garcia smash “Mirame” with Darell, Myke Towers, Alejandro, and Casper Magico. He collaborated with Dalex on a pair of Top Ten singles, “Bellaquito” and the “Hola” remix. Later that year he worked with Icon and Darell on “Dificil.” In February of 2020, Tavárez released “La Pared 360,” a duet with Justin Quiles as a pre-release single from his forthcoming album. The COVID-19 pandemic hit but Tavárez and his colleagues vowed to continue to release music regularly. He collaborated on Cauty’s “Lllora” remix and with Nio Garcia and Bryant Myers on “Nocturno.” Tavárez released “Acerola” under his own name, featuring Rafa Pabon and Cauty. In August he released “La Mujer Traiciona” with Beele. His collaborative appearance on “Elegi” with Farruko, Anuel AA, Sech, Rauw Alejandro, Dimelo Flow, Justin Quiles, and Dalex, went to the top of the reggaeton streaming charts. In October, Tavárez duetted with Tito El Bambino on the chart-topping “Por Ti.” Between January and April of 2021, Tavárez continued executing his pandemic strategy by releasing eight singles; among them were the charting “A 100” and “Sorpresa.” In May, he finally released Krack, his 14-track debut. Five years in making, his goal was to “do different music without changing the genre.” Primarily produced by King Swift, his many collaborators on the set included Nicky Jam, Natanael Cano, Zion y Lennox, Dimelo Flow, Cauty, and Madmusick. Krack charted at streaming in more than a dozen countries. Krack [Deluxe], offering three bonus tracks, was released in 2022 and charted as well. Over the next couple of years, Tavárez issued more than half-a-dozen singles under his own name and collaborated on many more. Among his most successful at streamning 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). Tavárez kicked off 2024 with the Feid collaboration “Epelotica.” It registered more than 30 million streams during its first week of release and entered the Hot Latin Songs chart inside the Top Ten.~ Thom Jurek