How FloyyMenor went from the clubs to the Billboard charts
Meet the 18-year-old hitmaker from Chile with relatable lyrics and boyish charm
FloyyMenor started rocking clubs in Chile before he was old enough to drink. At 17, he had crowds singing every word of his regional hit “Pa La Europa,” a heartfelt song about leaving Chile for Europe in search of a better life. “The word of mouth was there’s this kid that sings and raps really well, selling out every single nightclub show. That’s how it started. No one knew his name. People knew his face from the shows,” said Adrian Mainou, Artist Marketing Manager, Latin/US at UnitedMasters. For early fans who didn’t get to see him at his club performances, Floyy’s music was connecting before they ever saw his face. For his initial songs that he uploaded to YouTube, he used cars and Fairly Oddparents-inspired cartoon images as his cover art, opting for a bit of mystique while letting his music speak for itself.
With his honest songwriting and versatility, Floyy is able to resonate with fans not just in Chile, but internationally. “What set him apart was definitely the writing and his way of being able to go from doing a street record, to a romantic record, to a commercial one” said Mainou. His latest single “Gata Only,” featuring Cris MJ, recently earned Floyy his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100. The music video currently has over 70 million views on YouTube. The song is an upbeat, melodic tune about yearning for your special someone. The relatable message in the lyrics is a major factor in the virality of the song. On TikTok, the song has been used over 1.5M times as of April 2024.
Another factor in the song’s success is the massive Cris MJ co-sign. With Cris, Floyy was able to secure a feature from arguably the biggest artist in Chile, whose 2022 song “Una Noche in Medellin” earned him props from superstars such as Karol G, Feid and J. Balvin. Floyy and Cris MJ’s collaboration on “Gata Only” is the product of two young stars in the Latin urban music scene joining forces and creating a global hit in the process.
With Chile’s emergence as a hotbed of talent in the Latin urban space, UnitedMasters A&R Gerardo Mejía has long been tapped into their underground scene. After hearing about Floyy from a friend, he went to Chile to go check him out for himself and immediately saw Floyy’s ability to connect with an audience. “He’s a global star,” said Mejía. “There’s something about that kid that you just see him and you like him. When you see him on stage, what you see is what you get and people love him. I got a chance to hang out with him over there going to the malls. Seeing all the young kids coming, wanting to take pictures with him. I can’t explain it.”
With Latin music’s growing popularity, it’s a unique time to be an artist in the game. There are more opportunities for collaboration and creativity and less limits in terms of genre and language than in previous eras. “There’s no language barrier. I just want him to be honest, said Meija.” “I don’t want him to try to speak English. I want him to be him. He’s so huge in Latin America. Our next move is to make him that guy in the U.S. for the Latin people. To be that voice.”
Floyy is currently working on an EP, with plans to record his debut album in the states. The 18-year old from La Serena is already making quite a name for himself. Look out for the rising star to continue climbing up the charts this year and beyond.
Listen to “Gata Only” here and license from FloyyMenor to soundtrack your next project.