Where reggaeton comes from
Reggaeton developed in Puerto Rico and Panama in the 1990s, combining Jamaican dancehall rhythms with Latin hip hop. Artists such as Daddy Yankee and later Bad Bunny made it one of the most streamed genres in the world.
What makes a track sound like reggaeton
- The dembow pattern
- Heavy low end
- Catchy coro hooks
- Club-ready energy
Typical structure
Intro, verse, pre-chorus, chorus (coro), second verse, chorus, outro, with drum breaks between sections.
Vocals in reggaeton
Reggaeton vocals mix rap-like flow with melodic, auto-tuned hooks, often in Spanish. Ask for "Spanish-language reggaeton vocals with a melodic coro" and keep the hook short and rhythmic.
Prompting tips
Say "dembow rhythm" explicitly. Adding "Spanish guitar" or "perreo" changes the flavour noticeably.
Without dembow the result is generic Latin pop. Name the rhythm.
Prompts to start from
Reggaeton at 94 BPM, classic dembow rhythm, deep 808, synth pluck melody and a catchy coro
Romantic reggaeton with a Spanish guitar loop, soft dembow, warm pads and a slow groove
Club perreo track, hard dembow drums, distorted 808 and a chant hook, high energy