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Prince Royce | |
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 Royce in 2012 | |
| Born | Geoffrey Royce Rojas (1989-05-11)May 11, 1989 (age 36) New York City, U.S. |
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| Years active | 2008–present |
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Musical artist | |
| Website | princeroyce |
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Geoffrey Royce Rojas (born May 11, 1989), known professionally asPrince Royce, is an American singer. At an early age, Royce took an interest in music, and in his teenage years began experimenting with music and writing poetry. By age nineteen, Royce met Andrés Hidalgo, who became his manager. Hidalgo later introduced Royce to record producerSergio George, who immediately signed him to his label after hearing three of his demos.
In March 2010, Royce released hiseponymous debut studio album, which generated two commercially successful singles, "Stand by Me" and "Corazón Sin Cara". In the United States, both songs reached number-one on theBillboardTropical Songs chart, while "Corazón Sin Cara" reached number-one on theBillboard Hot Latin Songs chart. The album itself reached number-one on the USBillboard Top Latin Albums andTropical Albums charts. Royce received three awards at theBillboard Latin Music Awards in 2011, which includedTropical Album of the Year. In 2012, Royce released his second studio album,Phase II, which reached number-one on both the US Latin Albums and Tropical Albums charts. The album featured the singles "Las Cosas Pequeñas" and "Incondicional" and was nominated for theLatin Grammy Award for Best Tropical Fusion Album.
His third studio album,Soy el Mismo, was released in 2013, preceded by the single "Darte un Beso". The album earned Royce his second nomination for theLatin Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Tropical Album. In 2015, Royce released his fourth studio album,Double Vision, his first primarily in the English language. The album included the singles "Stuck on a Feeling" featuringSnoop Dogg and "Back It Up" featuringJennifer Lopez andPitbull, with both charting on theBillboard Hot 100.
Five was released as Royce's fifth studio album in 2017.[2] It became Royce's fourth number-one album on theBillboard Top Latin Albums chart. The album's last single, "Déjà Vu", withShakira, became its most successful commercially and was certified 9× Platinum (Latin) by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in the US.
Geoffrey Royce Rojas was born and raised inThe Bronx, a borough of New York City.[3] He is the second oldest of four children, born toDominican parents. His father, Ramón Rojas, drove a taxicab and his mother, Ángela de León, worked at a beauty salon.[4] When he was young, Royce participated in choir in elementary school, competed in talent shows and, at the age of thirteen, began writing poetry, which turned into songwriting. Recalling his first time performing before a crowd, he said: "[In] elementary school, I was singing aChristmas song. I felt really comfortable on stage."[5]
At age fifteen, Royce had begun making music with a partner named José Chusán, better known as "Jino". The duo was also known as "Jino and Royce, El Dúo Real". At the age of sixteen, Royce adopted the stage name "Prince Royce" and started making music with longtime friend andrecord producer Donzell Rodríguez, and Vincent Outerbridge, known together as "L Snipe & Vinny". The duo eventually had a meeting withAtlantic Records in early 2007. With the decline ofreggaeton music in theLatin music industry at the time, Royce made the ultimate decision to focus on makingbachata music. At age nineteen, Royce met producer Andrés Hidalgo, who after hearing hisdemos, instantly became his manager.[5][6] Hidalgo began helping Royce work hands-on with bachata music. That was the turning point that helped Royce decide that he wanted to pursue a musical career.[5] Hidalgo later introduced Royce to record producerSergio George, who immediately signed Royce to his label,Top Stop Music, after listening to three of his demos.[4]
Royce released hiseponymous debut studio album on March 2, 2010.[7] The album was produced primarily by Hidalgo and Sergio George, with co-production duties by Royce.[8]AllMusic's Jason Birchmeier credited Hidalgo for the "crisp production job, which is often spare but adds touches of urban beats here and there."[9] Shortly after its release, the album debuted on theBillboardTop Latin Albums chart at number fifteen.[10] The lead single from the album, "Stand by Me" (a cover ofBen E. King's 1961 song) peaked at number-one on the USBillboardTropical Songs chart, and also reached number eight on the USBillboardHot Latin Songs chart.[11][12] The album's second single, "Corazón Sin Cara", was released in February 2010 and peaked at number-one on both the US Hot Latin Songs and Tropical Songs charts.[13] The album itself eventually reached number-one on the USBillboard Latin Albums chart and was certified double platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[10] In December 2010, Royce recorded a song with Sergio George called "El Campo de los Sueños", which was used as the theme song for the television programDomingo de Grandes Ligas on American TV sports networkESPN in its 2010 season.[14]
The album earned Royce a nomination forBest Contemporary Tropical Album at theLatin Grammy Awards of 2011.[15] At the awards ceremony, Royce performed "Stand by Me" alongside the song's original performer Ben E. King. At the 2011Premio Lo Nuestro Awards, Royce won three awards in the Tropical genre, including Male Artist of the Year, New Soloist or Group of the Year, and Song of the Year for "Stand by Me".[16] Royce was also nominated for six awards at the2011 Latin Billboard Music Awards.[17] Ultimately, he won three of them: Tropical Airplay Solo Artist of the Year, Tropical Album of the Year forPrince Royce, and Tropical Albums Solo Artist of the Year.[18] In April 2011, Royce collaborated with Puerto Ricanreggaeton artistDaddy Yankee on the song "Ven Conmigo", which was included on the latter's album,Prestige (2012).[19] The song became Royce's third top-ten hit in the US Hot Latin Songs chart, peaking at number nine. In May 2011, Royce signed withAtlantic Records to release English-language albums in a joint partnership with the Top Stop Music label. Royce then began working on his secondstudio album, which was said to be mostly in English withLatin music influences.[20] That same month, Spanish pop starEnrique Iglesias announced that Royce and American rapperPitbull would be joining him as special guests during a concert leg of hisEuphoria Tour, which began in mid-September 2011.[21] Then, in October, Mexicanrock bandManá remixed their single "El Verdadero Amor Perdona" into a bachata version with Royce as a featured artist. The song, from the deluxe edition of the band's albumDrama y Luz (2011), topped theBillboard Hot Latin Songs chart in late 2011, becoming Royce's second number-one single on the ranking.[22]
On April 10, 2012, Prince Royce released his secondstudio album,Phase II.[23] The 13-track album incorporated a variety of music styles, from bachata tomariachi.[24] The album contained songs in both English and Spanish, as well as melodies atypical to traditional bachata music.[25] "Las Cosas Pequeñas" debuted at number-one on theBillboard Tropical Songs chart, and eventually reached number-one on theBillboard Latin Songs chart.[26] The week ofPhase II's release, Royce attended four autograph signing events in the United States. His appearance at af.y.e. location inChicago broke an attendance record for most visitors to an in-store music event.[26] Later in 2012, he was featured as one ofPeople en Español's "Sexiest Men Alive".[27] Royce's second album was certified platinum in the US six months after its release.[28] It was later nominated forBest Tropical Fusion Album at theLatin Grammy Awards of 2012, making Royce a three-time Latin Grammy-nominated artist.[29]
In November 2012, Royce's label decided to release a collection of his hits thus far; titled#1's, the compilation album was released on November 19, 2012, and debuted at number three on theBillboard Latin Albums chart.[30] Included on the album are the songs "Stand by Me", "Corazon Sin Cara", "Las Cosas Pequeñas", "Incondicional", and "Te Me Vas". It peaked at number three on theBillboard Latin Albums chart and was certified platinum by RIAA.[28] The album was later nominated for Tropical Album of the Year at the2014 Latin Billboard Music Awards.[31]
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In April 2013, it was announced that Royce had signed a record deal withSony Music Entertainment to release his third Spanish-language studio album underSony Music Latin and debut English-language recording underRCA Records. This came after the fizzled relationship between Royce and Top Stop that ended in two lawsuits, in which Royce was sued by the label for breach of contract.[32] In a statement, Peter Edge, the CEO of RCA Records, said: "We are thrilled about the opportunity to work with such a dynamic Latin artist on his first English album. Prince Royce's early successes have paved the way for the next generation of Latin music and we are eager to join forces with our partners Sony Music Latin to fully maximize his music and career."[32] That same year, Royce was honored with the BMI Latin Songwriter of the Year.[33] Royce was also one of the three coaches onTelemundo'sLa Voz Kids, a singing competition featuring children aged 7–15 with a $50,000 prize for their education. He became the winning coach for the first season with his team member Paola Guanche, and again in the second season with Amanda Mena. He was replaced byDaddy Yankee for season three.[34]
On July 15, 2013, the lead single from Royce's next studio album was released, "Darte un Beso". It reached number-one on multiple Latin charts and was certified three-times platinum in the Latin field.[28] His third album,Soy el Mismo, was released on October 8, 2013, and reached number fourteen on theBillboard 200.[35] The album earned Royce his second nomination forBest Contemporary Tropical Album at theLatin Grammy Awards of 2014.[36] He was then nominated for three awards at the2014 Billboard Music Awards, for Top Latin Artist, Top Latin Album forSoy el Mismo, and Top Latin Song for "Darte un Beso".[37] The latter won the award for Streaming Song of the Year at the2014 Latin Billboard Music Awards.[31]
In April 2014, Royce and Brazilian musicianMichel Teló recorded a Portuguese-language version of "Darte un Beso" under the title "Te Dar um Beijo". On November 24, 2014, Royce released "Stuck on a Feeling" featuringSnoop Dogg as the first single from his fourth studio album,Double Vision.[38] The single is Royce's best-performing single in the United States to date, having reached number forty-three on theBillboard Hot 100.[39] In early 2015, he contributed the song "My Angel" to thesoundtrack album for the blockbuster filmFurious 7 (2015).[40] On March 24, 2015, Royce released "Qué Cosas Tiene el Amor", a co-lead single with Dominican Republic singerAnthony Santos.[41] In March 2015, it was announced that Royce would joinAriana Grande'sThe Honeymoon Tour as the opening act for 40 dates in the United States.[42] Royce's first album primarily in the English language,Double Vision was released on July 24, 2015,[43] preceded by the album's second single, "Back It Up" featuringJennifer Lopez andPitbull, which was released in May 2015.[44] The single reached number ten on the US Latin Pop Songs chart and number ninety-two on theBillboard Hot 100. The Spanish-language version of the song was nominated for theLatin Grammy Award for Best Urban Song, making Royce an eight-time Latin Grammy-nominated performer.[45]
In November 2015, Royce released the single "Culpa al Corazón", at the time from his forthcomingfifth studio album.[46] The music video for the single, which was released in January 2016, featured actressEmeraude Toubia, whom Royce had been romantically linked to since 2011.[47]
On January 29, 2016, the single "Solo Yo" was released as a vocal duet credited to Mexican singerSofía Reyes and Royce. At thePremios Lo Nuestro 2017 awards ceremony, the song received a nomination forPop Song of the Year.[48] On March 11, 2016, "Nobody But Me", an English version of "Solo Yo", was also released as a single.[49] On March 20, 2016, Royce starred asSaint Peter in theFox Broadcasting Company live musical production of the Biblical storyThe Passion.[50] Also in 2016, he had a recurring role as dancing coach Vincent on the fourth season ofHulu's teen drama seriesEast Los High.[51] In July 2016, Royce embarked on a North American concert tour with Pitbull, titled The Bad Man Tour.[52] Also that July, Royce became one of approximately 27 artists to lend their voices to "Hands", acharity single recorded as a tribute to victims of theOrlando nightclub shooting. All of the song's proceeds benefited the families affected during the shooting, and helped cover medical costs and counseling efforts.
Five, Royce's fifth studio album, was released on February 24, 2017, bySony Music Latin.[2] The album included collaborations with artists such asShakira,Chris Brown,Zendaya,Farruko,Gerardo Ortíz,Gente de Zona andArturo Sandoval.[53] Although the album contains some lyrics in English, it was Royce's first mainlySpanish-language album sinceSoy el Mismo in 2013.[54]Five also became Royce's fourth number-one album on theBillboard Top Latin Albums chart in the US. Between 2016 and 2017 four singles were released to promote the album: "La Carretera", "Moneda", "Ganas Locas", and "Déjà Vu". This last single became the album's most successful commercially and was certified 9× Platinum (Latin) by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in the US.
After promotion forFive ended, Royce released two additional singles in late 2017. The first was "100 Años", a collaboration with American musical duoHa*Ash. The song served as the first single from the duo's fifth studio album30 de Febrero (2017).[55] Afterwards, Royce appeared in "Sensualidad" together with producersDJ Luian and Mambo Kingz and rappersBad Bunny andJ Balvin. The single became a new top 10 hit for Royce on the US Hot Latin Songs chart, where it peaked at number eight.[56]
Ahead of his forthcoming sixth studio album,Alter Ego, Royce released various singles and collaborated with a number of different artists during 2018 and 2019. Among his most notable releases during this period was "Bubalú", a new collaboration with producers DJ Luian and Mambo Kingz featuring Puerto Rican rapperAnuel AA and American singerBecky G. The single was released on November 6, 2018, and became a Top 30 hit on the Hot Latin Songs chart in the US.
Royce was included as a guest appearance inPitbull's "I Believe That We Will Win (World Anthem)" official music video, in which all proceeds from the song's sales, streaming and views are being donated toFeeding America and theAnthony Robbins Foundation as relief to those affected by theCOVID-19 pandemic.[57]
One of the singles from the album, "Carita de Inocente", spent a record-breaking 29 weeks at number-one on theBillboardLatin Tropical Airplay chart.[58] A remix was made for this song which featured Puerto Rican artistMyke Towers.
In 2021, it was confirmed that Royce was working on his seventh studio album. He released the first single for the album, which is also the first single since theCOVID-19 pandemic, titled "Lao' a Lao'" on August 12, 2021.[59] On theBillboard charts, it peaked at number 23 on theHot Latin Songs chart, and at number 1 on both theLatin andTropicalAirplay charts.[60] It also peaked at number 1 on theMonitor LatinoDominican RepublicBachata and General charts. It was certified platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[61] Royce released an alternate version on December 17, 2021. On December 2, 2021, he released "Veterana" with Dominican Bachata singerElvis Martínez. It peaked at number 7 on theBillboardTropical Airplay charts. It also peaked at number 1 on theMonitor LatinoDominican Republic Bachata and General charts. It is featured on Martinez's tenth studio albumMi Muchachita (2022).
On February 3, 2022, Royce, along withFarruko and Colombian DJ Alex Sensation, released the single "After Party", which featuredMariah Angeliq andVincentiansoca singerKevin Lyttle. On March 3, 2022, he released "Te Espero" with Argentine singerMaría Becerra.[62] The song was a huge success as it became number 1 on tropical radio stations inUnited States,Puerto Rico,Chile,Ecuador, theDominican Republic,Colombia andPanama. It was also number 1 overall on the radio inChile andEcuador. On theBillboard charts, it peaked at number 33 on theArgentina Hot 100 chart, at number 26 on theHot Latin Songs chart, and at number 1 on both theLatin andTropical Airplay charts.[63] On June 23, 2022, he released "Si Te Preguntan..." with Puerto Rican artistsNicky Jam andJay Wheeler. OnBillboard charts, it peaked at number 26 on theHot Latin Songs chart, at number 3 on theLatin chart, and at number 2 on theTropical Airplay chart. It also peaked at number 1 on theMonitor LatinoDominican Republic Bachata and General charts. In the same year, Royce embarked on a tour based on his greatest hits. He called it theClassic Tour.[64] It started on September 16, inMiami,Florida, and ended on November 19, 2022, inGuayaquil,Ecuador. It included two sold out shows at theUnited Palace inNew York City on September 30, and October 1, 2022.[65] On December 8, 2022, Royce released "Otra Vez" as his final single for 2022.[66] On theBillboard charts, it peaked at number 26 on theLatin Airplay chart, and at number 6 on theTropical Airplay chart. On theMonitor Latino'sDominican Republic charts, it peaked at number 2 on the General chart, and at number 1 on Bachata charts.
On February 9, 2023, he released "Le Doy 20 Mil" with Dominican rapperEl Alfa.[67] It peaked at number 20 on theBillboardLatin Rhythm Airplay chart. It also peaked at number 2 on theMonitor LatinoDominican Republic Urban and General charts. The following month Prince Royce was introduced as a new coach forThe Voice Chile, season 4.[68] On April 20, 2023, he released "Me EnRD".[69] The song was released at 6pm of that day. A few hours later, he performed the song live at the8th Annual Latin American Music Awards of 2023.[70][71] On theBillboard charts, it peaked at number 4 on theLatin Airplay chart and at number 1 on theTropical Airplay charts. OnMonitor LatinoDominican Republic Dominican Republic charts, it peaked at number 6 on the General chart and at number 1 on the Bachata chart.
On January 16, 2024, he announced the title and released date of his seventh studio album. It is titledLlamada Perdida. One hour later, he released the album's seventh and main single "Cosas de la Peda" with Mexican singer-songwriterGabito Ballesteros. It peaked at number 1 on theBillboardTropical Airplay charts. On February 15, 2024, one day before the album's release, he released the music video for the song "Morfina" featuring Chilean-American singer-songwriterPaloma Mami. The album was released the next day. It features collaborations with Ala Jaza,María Becerra,A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Luis Miguel del Amargue,Gabito Ballesteros,Paloma Mami,Lenny Tavárez,Nicky Jam,Jay Wheeler, andEl Alfa. Three weeks later, Royce, along with Mexican singerCarlos Rivera, released the single Calumnia on March 7, 2024.
Royce citesMarc Anthony,Usher, andJay-Z as his greatest musical influences. He also mentionedGloria Estefan,Ricky Martin,Enrique Iglesias,Jennifer Lopez, andShakira as the artists who influenced American culture with Latin music. In his genre, he citesAventura, who are also his greatest musical influences.[72] In an interview withmitú, he stated: "Looking back and seeing people saying I inspired them to do music, I think that's what you do this for. I look at people like Marc Anthony, Shakira, and Ricky Martin, what they've done, and how I see them as iconic. That's what you do this for. To try to leave that imprint. Try to leave your music and let people remember it forever."[73]
Royce's music style is urban Bachata. He mixes Bachata with other genres, mostlyPop andContemporary R&B. His first three studio albums featured songs with soft and smooth relaxing melodies. Then in 2015, he started to release a more party like type music while still keeping the same guitar sound style he always used. He has also done non-bachata songs inPop,R&B, and evenLatin Urban music as well.
Royce had been romantically linked to actressEmeraude Toubia since 2011,[74][75] and in April 2016, the couple publicly confirmed their relationship.[76] He reportedly became engaged to Toubia in June 2017.[77] The couplecivilly married on November 30, 2018, followed by a small, intimate ceremony in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.[78] On March 7, 2022, the couple filed for divorce. The divorce played a huge role in the making of his seventh studio albumLlamada Perdida (2024).
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | The Voice Kids | Himself | Season 1–2; Coach | [79] |
| 2013 | 11-11: En mi cuadra nada cuadra | Himself | Episode: "Bienvenido a 11-11" | [80] |
| 2016 | The Passion | Saint Peter | Television special | [50] |
| 2016 | East Los High | Vincent | 4 episodes | [51] |
| 2017 | Pequeños Gigantes USA | Himself | Judge | [81] |
| 2018–19 | Elena of Avalor | Prince Marzel (voice) | 4 episodes | |
| 2019 | Lip Sync Battle | Himself | season 5: episode 12 | |
| 2021 | 12 Hours With | Himself | season 1: episode 3 | [82] |
| 2025 | Velvet: El nuevo imperio | Himself | Guest Star | [83] |
Studio Albums
Headlining
Co-headlining
Opening act
"I recorded 100 songs for the album, literally, with R&B, pop and Latin flavors. I was choosing the ones that felt right.
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