5 “Must Know” Reggaeton Songs in Medellin

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If you go to many of the venues listed on the nightlife page, chances are you will hear a lot of the same music across Medellin. So, you’ll feel more at home if you recognize a few of tunes, especially if you can bust out with some of the lyrics.

Everyone will be proud of you, especially if you’re a foreigner who can sing in Spanish.

So here are some songs you’ll recognize if you walk into a club that plays reggaeton, along with the lyrics and translations of the popular refrains.

1. Voy A Beber by Nicky Jam

The Puerto Rican artist is absolutely blowing up in Medellin. This is currently an incredibly popular song.

The refrain you want to know is:

Voy a beber / I’m going to drink
Y sé que voy a enloquecer / And know, that I’m gonna get crazy
Te llamaré despues… / I’ll call you afterwards
Pa’ hacerte mi mujer / To make you my woman
Es que no sé por que / It’s just, I don’t know why
Cuando tomo pienso en usted / When I drink, I think of you
Te quiero comer, te quiero comer / I want to eat you up, eat you up

2. Yo Te Lo Dije – J Balvin

A hugely popular song among both men and women, when this reggaeton song comes on you’ll often hear shouts of female delight.

The chorus is pretty easy:

Yo te lo dije no me iba a enamorar / I told you I wasn’t going to fall for you…
Te lo adverti a ti, my girl / I warned you, my girl
Que el otro dia nos ibamos a olvidar / That the other day we were gonna forget
Que no nos ibamos a llamar / That we were not going to call each other again

3. Danza Kaduro – Don Omar

If you haven’t already learned this one by now, you should. It first became popular a few years ago (now has over 500 million views on YouTube), and continues to be played in clubs all over Medellin.

FYI, part of the song is also in Portuguese and ‘Kaduro’ is just a name of a dance.

Learn this:

La mano arriba / Hands up
Cintura sola / Hips only
Da media vuelta / Turn halfway around
Danza kaduro / Dance the kaduro
No te canses ahora / Don’t get tired now
Que esto solo empieza / This is only just starting
Mueve la cabeza / Move your head
Danza kaduro / Dance the Kaduro

4. Monalisa – Alkilados

It sounds to me like Alkilados took the beat of one of their popular songs (Solitaria) and made it into a second one. Nevertheless, the ladies love this song.

Check this:

Me encanta tu sonrisa, Monalisa / I love your smile, Mona Lisa
Tiene algo que hipnotiza, Me echiza… / It has something that hypnotizes me, enchants me…
Me encanta tu mirada, / I love your look,
Tu cara enamorada, / Your lovely face,
Y el sabor de tu boca / And the flavor of your mouth
Cuando te beso, cuando te beso / When I kiss you, when I kiss you

5. Junto Al Amanacer – J Alvarez

This song has been popular for a couple of years, but is still a crowd favorite. It’s a very suave song, and the music video features a paisa model.

Here’s how the refrain goes:

Y ver el sol saliendo, junto al amanecer / And seeing the sun coming out, together at the sunrise
Mientra la brisa acaricia tu pelo / While the sun caresses your hair
Yo te hare mi mujer / I’ll make you my woman

If you learn a few of the lyrics, you may find yourself singing along like a local!

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6 COMMENTS

    • I’ve had that happen in Medellin too. Some women find the lyrics distasteful and misogynistic (similar to criticism of American hip hop).

      But I don’t think I’ve ever dated a Colombian girl who didn’t enjoy listening or dancing to it at least a little bit. They’ll usually enjoy it at the club, but unlike me, won’t be listening to it at home or outside of a social environment.

      • I think Cali has a bit of a “salsa or nothing” attitude. I’m not sure if it is authentic or if it’s just to maintain the “Salsa Capital of the World” status. I personally hate salsa music (which doesn’t go down too well with the locals either). I have been to all of the salsa clubs here and within 30 minutes I’m ready to leave. There are a few reggaeton/hip-hop clubs here which I much prefer to be in. The music has a better beat and you don’t have to be professional level dancer to dance to it.

        • Reggaeton is certainly more accessible to the average gringo than salsa, but the latter can be learned if you like the music and you don’t need to be a superstar to impress the average Colombian girl. Most don’t expect foreigners to dance well.

  1. #2 is my fav of the group, as for Cali, mostly Sala music but if you hit the right clubs you will hear reggaeton, at least 4 years ago when I use to go almost every weekend to hang with friends there, as I don’t care much for Medellin’s club scene