by While Cardi B hasn’t publicly revealed her definitive top 3 favorite singers, she has shown admiration for artists throughout her career that have clearly influenced and inspired her. Two singers in particular that Cardi B has expressed appreciation for are Argentine singer-songwriter Nathy Peluso and Tejano music legend Selena Quintanilla. Let’s take a closer look at Cardi B’s connections to these two influential female artists.
Nathy Peluso
Nathy Peluso is an Argentine singer, songwriter, rapper, and dancer based in Spain. She blends elements of hip hop, jazz, soul, and Latin music into her unique sound. Peluso first gained recognition in 2018 with the release of her debut album “Esmeralda.” Since then, she has established herself as one of the most exciting new voices in Latin music with her powerful vocals and genre-bending style.
Cardi B first took notice of Peluso in 2020 when the Argentine singer released her single “Buenos Aires.” Cardi B shared a video on her Instagram story listening to the track, showing her appreciation for Peluso’s talent. “Buenos Aires” is a sultry trip hop song that highlights Peluso’s seductive vocals over atmospheric beats. The song pays homage to Peluso’s hometown of Buenos Aires, Argentina, with lyrics like “I was born in Buenos Aires, the city that never sleeps.”
Beyond just sharing the video, Cardi B’s actions signaled that she was a true fan of Peluso’s work. For a major superstar like Cardi B to give shine to an up-and-coming artist shows she was genuinely impressed by Peluso’s artistry. It helped further introduce Peluso to Cardi B’s massive worldwide fanbase. The co-sign from Cardi B was a big career boost for Peluso, as it elevated her profile internationally.
In 2021, Peluso’s star power continued rising with the release of her second album “Calambre.” The album received widespread acclaim for its genre-bending sound that blended hip hop, soul, jazz, and tango influences. Singles like “Buenos Aires” and “Relato de Una Mujer” showed off Peluso’s dynamic vocal range and lyricism. With “Calambre,” Peluso established herself as one of the leading voices of her generation pushing Latin music in new directions.
Like Cardi B, Peluso is redefining expectations of female artists in the Latin music industry. Both refuse to be confined by gender norms and push creative boundaries with their music. They also celebrate their sexuality and femininity unapologetically through their art and personas. Cardi B seeing the similarities in their approaches no doubt deepened her appreciation for Peluso’s talent and perspective.
In 2022, Peluso’s star continued rising when she was featured on the single “Beautiful” from Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” album. The collaboration was a major career milestone that introduced Peluso to an even wider global audience. It’s clear that Peluso’s genre-bending style and refusal to be boxed in resonated with Beyoncé in the same way it did earlier with Cardi B. Both superstars recognized Peluso as a fellow rule-breaker elevating Latin music.
While they have yet to collaborate musically, Cardi B’s early co-sign shows she recognized Peluso as a kindred creative spirit years before the rest of the world. Cardi B has arguably played a role in introducing Peluso to new fans and helping accelerate her rise. It’s a testament to Cardi B’s ability to spot emerging talent before they break big. Peluso credits have given Cardi B credit for being an early champion of her work. Their connection displays the power of crossover appreciation between English and Latin music markets.
Selena Quintanilla
As one of the most iconic Latin artists of all time, Tejano music legend Selena Quintanilla left an indelible mark before her tragic death at age 23 in 1995. Widely called the “Queen of Tejano Music,” Selena was breaking barriers as a Mexican-American artist blending pop, cumbia, and norteño genres in the male-dominated Tejano scene. She became the best-selling Latin artist of the 1990s and helped introduce Tejano music to a wider American audience.
In multiple interviews, Cardi B has cited Selena as an influence and someone she looks up to. While growing up, Cardi B’s mother would play Selena’s music, exposing her to the iconic singer from a young age. Even though Cardi B raps in English while Selena sang primarily in Spanish, she connects to Selena’s boundary-pushing approach and the obstacles she overcame as a female artist of color.
Like Selena, Cardi B is redefining what it means to be a female rapper with her unapologetic persona and mass appeal across genres. They both embraced their Latina heritage and femininity in a male-dominated industry. Despite facing prejudice, they refused to change themselves to please others. Selena’s precedent helped pave the way for Cardi B to achieve mainstream success while staying true to herself.
In particular, Cardi B admires Selena’s ability to crossover to both the Latin and American pop markets simultaneously with songs like “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” and “I Could Fall in Love.” She was one of the first Latin artists to achieve this level of bicultural popularity. Cardi B sees Selena as the blueprint for how she has also found success in both English and Spanish-language music.
Cardi B paid tribute to Selena’s legacy by sampling her song “Como La Flor” on her own hit “I Like It” featuring J Balvin and Bad Bunny. The interpolation of Selena’s vocals into the track honored her immense influence. It was Cardi B’s way of acknowledging the role Selena played in paving the way for her own bicultural pop dominance.
In 2019, Cardi B portrayed Selena in the Netflix series “Selena: The Series.” Taking on the role of an icon she admired was clearly meaningful for Cardi B. It allowed her to dive deeper into Selena’s story and understand her impact even more. Cardi B brought her own flair and heart to the role, showing her deep appreciation for Selena.
Fans also noted similarities between Cardi B and a young Selena in terms of their charisma, work ethic, and ability to connect with audiences. Both overcame doubters to achieve superstardom through sheer talent and force of personality. While their styles were different, their approach to the music industry shared common threads of determination and refusal to conform to expectations.
Cardi B continues Selena’s legacy of representing Latinas unapologetically in mainstream American pop culture decades later. She ensures Selena’s example lives on for new generations through her own boundary-pushing career. Their connection displays how important cross-generational appreciation and influence can be between Latin artists, even those from different eras.
In conclusion, while Cardi B hasn’t publicly named her top 3 favorite singers, she has shown clear admiration for Nathy Peluso and Selena Quintanilla through her actions and words. Both artists left an imprint on Cardi B with their genre-bending styles challenging expectations of female Latin artists. Peluso and Selena refused to conform to industry norms, paving the way for Cardi B to achieve her own success on her own terms.
By spotlighting up-and-coming acts like Peluso early and paying tribute to icons like Selena, Cardi B exemplifies the power of cross-cultural appreciation. She understands the importance of acknowledging those who broke barriers before her. Her connections to Peluso and Selena demonstrate how Latin artists across generations continue inspiring each other to push creative boundaries. Their legacies will surely influence new generations of artists to come.
