Lenier

Overview

Cuban singer-songwriter Álvaro Lenier Mesa, known professionally as Lenier, earned a Latin Grammy Award mention in 2022 in the Best Tropical Song category for "Mala," his collaboration with Marc Anthony. His 2020 single "Como Te Pago," released on Mr. 305 Records, was certified platinum and has garnered over 100 million views on YouTube. Lenier has collaborated with a wide range of artists, including Pitbull, 6ix9ine, Yandel, Tito El Bambino, Farruko, Neyo, and Gente De Zona. In 2023, he was featured on three songs from American rapper 6ix9ine's album Leyenda Viva. His album Blanco Y Negro was released in September 2024. Lenier maintains a significant digital presence, with approximately 1.2 million monthly listeners on Spotify, over 1.4 million followers on Instagram, and more than 1.1 million subscribers on YouTube.

Early life and origins

Álvaro Lenier Mesa, known professionally as Lenier, was born in Güines, Cuba. At the age of 15, he emigrated to Miami with his father. During his early years in the United States, where he lived for 18 years, he focused on making rural music before beginning his professional career.

Career

Lenier began releasing music in the mid-2010s, with his album Que Nochecita appearing in late 2017. In August 2018, he released the single "Te Toqué Sin Querer" with Diana Fuentes; its video has earned more than 20 million views on YouTube. He followed this with another successful collaboration in April 2019, "Me Extrañarás" with Álvaro Torres, which has over 15 million YouTube views. That same year, he collaborated with Jowell & Randy on "pobre corazón" and joined Pitbull and Yandel on the track "Cantare."

In 2020, Lenier signed with the record label Mr. 305 Records and released the single "Como Te Pago." The song was certified platinum and its official video has accumulated more than 154 million views on YouTube. His work has led to performances at the Latin American Music Awards and nominations for the Tú Música awards. In 2022, he received a mention at the Latin Grammy Awards in the Best Tropical Song category for "Mala," his collaboration with Marc Anthony. Other notable collaborations during this period include "La Bendición" with Farruko in 2021.

Lenier has continued to work with a wide range of artists. In 2023, he was featured on several tracks from American rapper 6ix9ine's album Leyenda Viva, including "Bori," "Dueño," "Papa," and "Wapae." His collaborators have also included Tito El Bambino, Neyo, Chacal, and El Micha. In September 2024, Lenier released the album Blanco Y Negro, which features the track "La Diferente" with Gente De Zona.

Style and influences

Cuban singer and songwriter Lenier works across a variety of Latin and Caribbean genres. His music is primarily categorized as latin pop, but also incorporates elements of salsa, bachata, reggaeton, cubaton, and other Caribbean dance and pop styles. According to Wikipedia, he performed rural music in his youth after emigrating to Miami.

As a songwriter, Lenier is credited on much of his own material, sometimes under his full name, Albaro Lennier Mesa. His lyrical themes often touch on personal subjects, such as his song "Como Te Pago," which is a tribute to his mother.

He has collaborated with a wide range of artists throughout his career. His collaborators include Pitbull, 6ix9ine, Marc Anthony, Yandel, Tito El Bambino, Farruko, Neyo, Jowell & Randy, Gente De Zona, Chacal, and Micha. His work with Marc Anthony on the song "Mala" was mentioned in the Best Tropical Song category at the Latin Grammy Awards in 2022, and he was featured on three songs from 6ix9ine's 2023 album,`Leyenda Viva`.

Recent highlights

In September 2024, Lenier released the album Blanco Y Negro, which includes the track"La Diferente."This followed several other singles from the same year, such as"Tu Foto"and"Dime Que No."In 2023, he was featured on three songs from American rapper 6ix9ine's album Leyenda Viva. The previous year, Lenier received a Latin Grammy Awards mention in the Best Tropical Song category for"Mala,"his collaboration with Marc Anthony. According to Chartmetric data, Lenier maintains a significant digital presence with approximately 1.2 million monthly listeners on Spotify, 1.4 million followers on Instagram, and 1.1 million subscribers on his YouTube channel.

Recognition and awards

Lenier was recognized at the 2022 Latin Grammy Awards in the category for Best Tropical Song for"Mala,"his collaboration with Marc Anthony. He has also received nominations for the Tú Música awards and performed at the Latin American Music Awards. His 2020 single,"Como Te Pago," earned a platinum certification.

Similar artists

Lenier is often compared to a number of his peers in the Latin music scene. These include artists such as El Chacal, El Taiger, Jacob Forever, Bebeshito, Charly & Johayron, Leoni Torres, and El Micha. The list of similar artists also features El Chulo, Dany Ome, Wow Popy, Divan, Nesty, DJ Conds, Alex Duvall, Ernesto Losa, Dale Pututi, Gatillo, El Carli, El Bandolero, and El Metaliko.