Ozuna | |
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 Ozuna in 2019 | |
| Born | Juan Carlos Ozuna Rosado (1992-03-13)March 13, 1992 (age 33) |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2012–present |
| Spouse | Taina Marie Meléndez |
| Children | 2 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Labels |
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Musical artist | |
Juan Carlos Ozuna Rosado (Spanish pronunciation:[xwaŋˈkaɾlosoˈsunaroˈsaðo]; born March 13, 1992),[1][2] known professionally asOzuna, is a Puerto Rican singer.[3] Five of his studio albums have topped theBillboard Top Latin Albums chart, withAura (2018) reached number seven on theBillboard 200. His musical style is primarily defined asreggaeton andLatin trap, although he has collaborated with several artists from different genres and his music takes influences from a wide variety of genres, includingpop,rock,hip hop,R&B,reggae,bachata,dembow, andelectronic, amongst others.[1][3][4][5][6][7]
Born and raised inSan Juan,Puerto Rico, he decided to become a singer at age 12. He was later discovered by Puerto Rican producer Fernando “Damian” Acevedo from Element Music and Damian Music in Santurce La Placita, Puerto Rico, where he made his first recordings. Ozuna has mentioned in interviews that Acevedo also told him to use his last name as his artist name. Drawing influence from the Latin American genres ofreggaeton,salsa, andbachata, he made his musical debut in 2012 with the song "Imaginando", which attracted the attention of recording labels and led to collaborations withDaddy Yankee andAnuel AA. He released several singles before signing withSony Music Latin in 2017, who funded the recording of his debut albumOdisea. His second studio albumAura, released on August 24, 2018, debuted at number seven on the USBillboard 200. His 2018 collaboration withDJ Snake,Cardi B, andSelena Gomez on "Taki Taki" was certifiedquadruple platinum by theRIAA. He released his third studio album,Nibiru on November 29, 2019. His fourth studio album,ENOC, was released in September 2020.
Since the beginning of his career, he has sold around 15 million records, making him one of thebest-selling Latin music artists of all time.[8] On 1 February 2019 Ozuna had the most one billion-view videos onYouTube of any artist[9][10] and he has won twoLatin Grammy Awards, fiveBillboard Music Awards, twelveBillboard Latin Music Awards, fourGuinness World Records, amongother accolades.[11][12] In 2019,Time included him on theirannual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.[13] He made his acting debut in the filmQue León.[14] He appeared inF9, the ninth film in theFast & Furious franchise.[14]
In 2022, he played the song "Arhbo" for the2022 FIFA World Cup along withGIMS, which they also performed during the closing ceremony.[15]
Ozuna was born inSan Juan to aDominican father and aPuerto Rican mother.[16][17] He grew up listening to traditional Latin genres such as salsa and bachata, which have influenced his musical style.[17] He additionally enjoyed reggaeton artistsDaddy Yankee,Don Omar, andWisin y Yandel, which he refers to as "the real, real reggaeton", as well as fellow American hip hop and R&B artistsJay-Z andUsher.[18] As stated in the eponymous opening track from his albumOdisea, he grew up poor and was mainly raised by his paternal grandmother. His father, who worked as a dancer for reggaeton performerVico C for three years, was fatally shot when Ozuna was three years old, and his mother was not financially stable enough to raise him.[19]
Ozuna was raised in his grandmother's three-bedroom apartment built above a bodega in San Juan.[20] His grandmother instilled a strongChristian faith in him. He explained that her philosophy centered around the ideal "that nothing is given to us, that you have to work for what you get...a pair of sneakers—we bought those with sacrifice. She would say the same of a pencil, an eraser, simple things. We had to sweat in order to get it."[20] Drawing influence from the Latin music he grew up on, he decided to pursue a singing career at age twelve.[17] That same year, his uncle, who served as a father-figure since his father's death, gifted him his first microphone.[20] His uncle often played music byDaddy Yankee, Don Omar andDe La Ghetto, and the teenager would rap along with the songs on the microphone.[20]
To further his career, Ozuna took a job at a local bar called El Corozal, where his earliest musical performances took place.[20] Hoping to escape the violence and poverty of his neighborhood, he moved to theWashington Heights neighborhood ofManhattan inNew York City in 2010.[21][17] While there, the artist learned how to produce and promote his own music videos, and made his first video with a budget of under US$100.[22] However, he viewedWashington Heights to be equally violent and impoverished as his hometown, and returned toPuerto Rico with his wife and two children after three years inNew York.[17]
Ozuna debuted as a singer in 2012 with the song "Imaginando". He previously went by the name J Oz. He worked with Musicólogo & Menes before gaining popularity. In 2014, he signed a recording contract with Golden Family Records and began to publish his songs onYouTube. The following year, he focused on gaining a following by performing more than 300 shows in Puerto Rico.[23] That same year, he started his ongoing popular streak with his breakthrough hit "Si Tu Marido No Te Quiere", originally featuring D.OZi when released to streaming platforms and websites, though he was taken down when the song hit radio. The song achieved success on radio and was eventually well known acrossLatin America. He has since performed in many shows across South America.[24]Manager Vicente Saavedra heard Ozuna's music playing at a basketball game in Puerto Rico, inspiring Saavedra to pursue and eventually sign the artist.[25] Saavedra strategically focused on radio hits to build a following for Ozuna.[25] In early 2016, Ozuna gained further prominence for his appearance in the single "La Ocasión", a collaboration withDJ Luian, Mambo Kingz,De La Ghetto,Arcángel, andAnuel AA. The single reached number 22 on theBillboardHot Latin Songs chart. In March, Ozuna released a remix of his song "No Quiere Enamorarse", featuringDaddy Yankee. In September, he released his most popular single at the time, "Dile Que Tú Me Quieres", which earned him a place at number 13 on theBillboard Latin chart at the end of the year. Ozuna also had two other songs that made it to the ranking, "Si Tu Marido No Te Quiere (Remix)" featuring Arcángel andFarruko and "En La Intimidad", which reached the top 30.[26] Ozuna regarded the single as his "big break" and credited Farruko and Arcángel with allowing him to gain recognition by including them as featured artists.[25]
In June 2017, VP Entertainment and Dímelo Vi president, Vicente Saavedra, signed an agreement withSony Music Latin. The deal included distribution for all artists represented by Saavedra agencies, starting with Ozuna's first studio album,Odisea, released on August 11.[27] The album featured collaborations withJ Balvin,Zion & Lennox andNicky Jam.[23] Leading up to the release of the album, Ozuna had eight singles charting concurrently on theBillboard Hot Latin Songs chart.[17]Odisea spent 46 weeks at the top of theBillboard Latin Albums chart, the second-longest run of all time afterGloria Estefan'sMi Tierra.[25] The Odisea tour began on May 26, 2017, inAtlanta, and included over 25 cities, among them,Chicago,Miami,Houston, andLos Angeles.[28][29] Eventually, it was renamed the Odisea World Tour, with Ozuna visiting European cities and Latin America.[30] The single "Te Vas" reached more than 710 million views onYouTube, making it Ozuna's most played song on the website at the time.[31]
In 2017, Ozuna released many singles, including "Dile Que Tú Me Quieres (Remix)" featuringYandel, "Después de las 12" and, in April of that year, "Tu Foto", which reached the 10th spot on the LatinBillboard list, and reached more than 780 million views onYouTube. He also released several collaborations, including "La Rompe Corazones" featuringDaddy Yankee, "Escápate Conmigo" featuringWisin, "Ahora Dice" withChris Jedi,J Balvin andArcángel among others. "Escápate Conmigo" topped the Latin Airplay chart and reached number 76 on theBillboard Hot 100 in October 2017.[32] "Se Preparó" was released on August 10, 2017, and, as of October 2019, has more than 1.2 billion views onYouTube.Odisea spent over 30 weeks at number one on theBillboardTop Latin Albums chart, surpassing the 29-week record held byLuis Miguel'sSegundo Romance as the longest-charting number one album by a male artist.[33]
On April 13, 2018, Ozuna featured on a remixed version of "Te Boté" featuringNicky Jam andBad Bunny.[34] Elias Leight ofRolling Stone described the remix of "Te Boté" as "one of the most indispensable songs released this year in any genre — a hit in both old-fashioned media like radio as well as the warp-speed world of YouTube".[35] In December 2017, Ozuna released the single "La Modelo" featuringCardi B.[36] Following the release, the song debuted at number 52 on theBillboard Hot 100 for the chart dated January 6, 2018, becoming Ozuna's first entry to the ranking as a lead act, following his featurings with Wisin's "Escápate Conmigo" andNatti Natasha's "Criminal", while all of them hit number three on the Hot Latin Songs chart.[37]
His second studio albumAura, released on August 24, 2018, debuted at number seven on the USBillboard 200.[38] The record features collaborations with Nicky Jam, Anuel AA, Cardi B, Romeo Santos, andAkon.[39] To promote the album, Ozuna embarked on the Aura Tour,[40][41] which started on July 26, 2018, inMadrid,[42] while the US leg started on September 7 inAtlanta.[40] Upon its release,Aura had the biggest streaming week of any Latin album and reached number seven on the USBillboard 200 chart, remaining on the chart for a total of 41 weeks.[39][43] He was namedYouTube's most-viewed artist globally of 2018, and in October of that year,Time included him on theirannual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.[13][44] He made his acting debut starring in the filmQue Leon, which was also released in the US.[45]
In October 2018, he worked withDJ Snake,Cardi B, andSelena Gomez on the song "Taki Taki". The single reached number eleven on the USBillboard Hot 100. The single became the most-streamed song on Spotify in that month and reached over 20 million views on YouTube in the day following the release of the song's accompanying music video on October 9.[46] "China", released in July 2019 withAnuel AA,Daddy Yankee,Karol G andJ Balvin, became his fourth number one on theBillboard Hot Latin Songs chart.[47] In September 2019, he received fourGuinness World Records awards: the most videos to reach one billion views on YouTube, the mostBillboard Latin Music Award nominations for a single artist in a single year, and mostBillboard Latin Music Award wins for a single artist in a single year.[48]
Ozuna released his third albumNibiru on November 29, 2019. The album features collaborations fromCultura Profética's Willy Rodríguez,Snoop Dogg,DJ Snake andDiddy.[49] In an interview withNational Public Radio, Ozuna explained the significance of the album title by saying, "I chose the name Nibiru from the theory that the world will end [after an interplanetary collision] and I adapted it to my own personal concept: We make music to collide with the world and the public".[50] Also in November 2019, Ozuna performed at theMacy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which he called "a dream, because I've seen it on TV for years".[18]Nibiru reached the peak position of number 41 on the USBillboard Hot 100 on December 14, 2019, remaining on the chart for eight weeks.[43] It also became his third album in a row to top the Hot Latin Albums chart.[51]
In 2020, Ozuna released the singles "Mamacita, with theBlack Eyed Peas, as well as "Caramelo". Both songs topped the USLatin Airplay chart, becoming Ozuna's 19th and 20th chart-toppers, respectively, and putting him in a tie withDaddy Yankee for third most number-ones. "Caramelo" was released as the lead single from his fourth studio albumENOC, which was released on September 4, 2020.[52] In November, he won twoLatin Grammy Awards for his collaboration withRosalía "Yo x Ti, Tu x Mi" in the categoriesBest Urban Fusion/Performance andBest Urban Song.[53]
On January 22, 2021,Anuel AA and Ozuna released a collaborative album titledLos Dioses. In January 2021 Ozuna collaborated with the video gameCall of Duty: Mobile.[54] Ozuna later released his fifth solo albumOzuTochi on October 7, 2022.
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Ozuna has been described as the "New King of Reggaeton".[55][56] He is known as "el negrito de los ojos claros" ("the black guy with light eyes").[22] His logo is a teddy bear in a hoodie, which Lawrence Lowe ofBillboard described as having an "approachable sweetness".[20] Eduardo Cepeda ofBillboard stated that despite Latin urban music "presently veering away from its Afro-Latino roots" Ozuna is "one of the only, and certainly the most famous, Afro-Latinos to hit the mainstream".[22] Ozuna has more than ten songs exceeding 200 million views onYouTube, echoing the beginnings of other successfulUrbano artists, likeFarruko andMaluma.[57][58] Elias Leight ofRolling Stone opined that "If he sang in English, he'd be on the cover of every magazine in America".[35] In a 2017 interview with theNew York Times, Ozuna stated that he was practicing his English in the hopes of achieving crossover success.[23]
Despite being primarily a reggaeton and trap artist, Ozuna cites Dominican-Puerto Rican-American bachata singerRomeo Santos as his favorite singer.[23] Ozuna also greatly admires salsa artistFrankie Ruiz.[17] He is also a fan of rock music, and expresses an affinity for the electric guitar.[59] While many of his songs feature explicit sexual lyrics, he has avoided lyrics that explicitly objectify or disrespect women, and Ozuna himself has stated that his music is appropriate for "the whole family".[16][20] He has compared himself to Canadian artistDrake, explaining that they are both "very careful not to denigrate women or to hurt young people" and that they both often alternate between singing and rapping.[20] His songs often discuss relationships and heartbreak, inspired by the overt sentimentality of the bachata and salsa genres.[17]
As described by aNew York Times article, Ozuna "can work across all these genres at the same time is a testament to the current fluidity of Latin pop, but also to the effectiveness of his singing. He has a sweet, nimble voice that he sometimes deploys like a balladeer, and sometimes like a rapper."[23] Elias Leight ofRolling Stone described Ozuna's voice as "slim but slicing, precise and hard to imitate".[35] Joey Guerra of theHouston Chronicle observed that Ozuna "isn't quite as adventurous as contemporaries J Balvin or Bad Bunny. His songs stick to a more traditional formula...but Ozuna is earnest and sincere in his songs and performance".[60]
Ozuna describes himself as a "typicalboricua with Dominican blood."[61] He is married to Taina Marie Meléndez[62] and they have two children, Sofía and Jacob Andrés.[63] He is a collector of watches, a hobby that began when his grandmother gave him aToy Story watch as a child. He calls his watch collection his "greatest investment," and in 2017 alone, he spent over $800,000 USD.[citation needed]
On October 17, 2022, Ozuna became the owner of the basketball teamOsos de Manatí (Manatí Bears), in Puerto Rico's National league (Baloncesto Superior Nacional de Puerto Rico).[64]
In 2017, he started the charity organization Odisea Children.[65] Aside from supporting the hospital with financial donations, Ozuna visited sick children in the San Jorge Hospital, inSanturce, San Juan atChristmas time in 2019, along with other reggaeton artists that he called to action.[66]
On January 5, 2017, he was arrested along with his work team at theEl Dorado International Airport inBogotá, Colombia, by immigration agents. The incident occurred after he and his producer acted violently in the presence of the agents, which caused the reprogramming of a concert scheduled inManizales. On July 30 of the same year, during a concert at United Palace, New York, Ozuna struck a security guard on the head, with his microphone, for being on stage.[67] After receiving criticism for what he did, he expressed regret through Facebook.
In August of the same year, he witnessed Carlos "Tonka" Báez Rosa, a drug trafficker, being murdered. He said he heard the shooting and fled the scene leaving his vehicle, aRange Rover truck, and that the victim was his close friend. He was linked to the investigation of the crime when the police found his truck near the scene. On August 7, the car was seized by police, and he received a death threat from a group of drug traffickers. A few days later, police said there was no direct link between his car and the shooting.[68]
In January 2019, Ozuna confirmed he had been the victim of anextortion scam involving an explicit video filmed of him when he was a minor. The FBI investigated the case, and Ozuna's lawyer confirmed thatKevin Fret, atrap singer, was the person extorting Ozuna. Kevin Fret was murdered, and police said that Ozuna was not a suspect in the murder. For the video, which had been edited to cause Ozuna more damage, Ozuna apologized to his fans and family.[69]
Solo studio albums
Collaborative studio albums
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | NY Sex Chronicles | Himself | Additional role | [70] |
| 2018 | Que León | José Miguel León | Main role | |
| 2019 | Los Leones | |||
| 2021 | Tom & Jerry | Assistant Hotel Staff | Cameo | |
| F9 | Young Santos | Main Role | [71] | |
| 2022 | Father of the Bride (2022) | Himself | Cameo | [72] |
| 2025 | Odisea (2025) | Himself |
Ozuna has received numerous awards, including twoLatin Grammy Awards—both for "Yo x ti, tú x mí"—from ten nominations, as well as fiveBillboard Music Awards, twelveBillboard Latin Music Awards, sixLatin American Music Awards, eightLo Nuestro Awards, and fourGuinness World Records.
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