The new year is already paving the way for new talent. Breakthrough Mexican American singer Xavi became the first artist of Mexican descent to reach No. 1 with a solo song on the global Spotify chart.
The 19-year-old from Phoenix topped the Spotify chart on Jan. 2. with his single “La Diabla.”
This is the fourth time that a song with a Mexican artist has reached No. 1 on Spotify’s global chart, following Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma’s “Ella Baila Sola”; Grupo Frontera’s “Un 100xto” with Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny; and Peso Pluma‘s music session with Argentine producer and DJ Bizarrap.
The music video for “La Diabla,” which was released in late November, has garnered more than 68 million views on YouTube. The song also reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart, toppling Bad Bunny’s “Monaco.”
Xavi, whose real name is Joshua Xavier Gutierrez, first reached popularity following the release of his debut single,“La Víctima,” in August 2023. The heartbreak song went viral on TikTok and peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart. Now, he has more than 17 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
Xavi has been playing the guitar since he was 10 years old, according to his Spotify profile. In 2023, he performed at the Viva Pomona festival at the Glasshouse.
After releasing music independently, Xavi was discovered on social media by Interscope Records, which also manages artists like Karol G, Kali Uchis and Selena Gomez.
The Latinx experience chronicled
Get the Latinx Files newsletter for stories that capture the multitudes within our communities.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
