How Artists Like Bad Bunny & Rosalia Are Turning Non-English Music Into Grammy Recognition
Multilingual music is no longer an outlier at the awards — and could become an even bigger presence this year.
Bad Bunny's album DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (DTMF) captured the hearts of Puerto Ricans, ultimately winning him major accolades including four Billboard 200 top spots, a headline slot at the Super Bowl Halftime Show, and a 2026 Grammy for Album of the Year — a rare feat for a largely non-English album. Rosalía's multilingual LUX, featuring 13 languages including Spanish, English, Latin and Mandarin, is now a serious contender for Album of the Year.
The success of these albums reflects a growing global appeal for non-English music, with Spanish now comprising nearly 10% of all music streams in the U.S. and casual listenership of Spanish music rising to a record 54% in Q1 2026. This trend, which has been building for years, could signal a paradigm shift in the music industry, as artists who transcend language barriers gain unprecedented recognition and audience engagement.
Written by urgent.news from Billboard's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
