Manuel Turizo is the name on everyone’s lips. At just 22 years old, this hitmaker has cemented himself as a mainstay in the global music scene. Revered for his addictive tunes, silky-smooth vocals, and Latin musicality – Turizo has captured the ears of many. Having just unleashed his third studio album 2000, the young artist is adding fuel to the already blazing fire. Spreading out over 15 tracks, his unparalleled talent and transcending of linguistic barriers is laid out on display.

Who can forget the first single “La Bachata”? It was everywhere, spending a whopping 21 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and 31 weeks on the Spotify Top 50 – among countless other accolades. That said, the album has so much more to offer than just that. There’s “Éxtasis,” a romantic single featuring María Becerra that’s been taking over the Latin Airplay chart, and “El Merengue,” a unique cross-genre track with Marshmello. On every single track, Turizo’s versatility as an artist shines.

Wielding an impressive roster of collaborators on the project, from the likes of Jorge Emiliano and Slow Mike, it’s clear that Turizo is a force to be reckoned with. That said, his catapult into the spotlight was as quick as ever; we had the opportunity to zoom in on this rise to stardom. From his beginnings in music, and dream collaborations, to the importance of mixing genres – we covered it all.

Head below to listen to Manuel Turizo’s album 2000…

Head below to read the interview…

Hey Manuel! What’s the first thing you thought about this morning?
That I was hungry.

What did you end up eating?
Scrambled eggs.

In different Spanish speaking countries there’s different words for ‘friend’ or ‘bro’. In Spain they say ‘qué pasa tío?/que pasa tía?’ In Mexico, it’s ‘wey’, and in Chile it’s ‘weon’. What would you say in Colombia?
There’s different ways, it depends on which part of Colombia you’re from. For example, if you’re from the coast you can say, bro. But, we’d say ‘chino’ in the capital.

Who are some artists that you’re listening to a lot right now?
I listen to lots of different things. Sean Kingston, Coldplay, R&B – a mix. It depends on my mood.

Did you always know that you wanted to make music? Or was there a lightbulb moment where you were like, ‘This is what I want to do’?
I always knew that. I love music. When you’re a child, a kid maybe you don’t feel like it’s a possibility, you know? My father used to come home from work, and starting playing the guitar or sax. So I started to try and do the same, you know?

Is your family is supportive of your career?
Yes. Since I started considering music as something serious in my life, from the age of 12 – they were the ones who supported me to try it.

Your career was jumpstarted by the track “Culpables”. What was that experience like releasing it and receiving all that acclaim?
It was like my dream. I started out very young, and for my first song to be that well received was amazing.

You have an amazing roster of collaborators on your previous album Dopamina. What was that experience like? And, how do you approach collaborations?
I feel very grateful, especially very thankful to collaborate with the big artists that I’m fond of. It’s pretty cool.

Are there any artists that you’d like to collaborate with that you haven’t yet?
There are many. Shakira, Sin Bandera, Justin Bieber, Dua Lipa, Rema – they span lots of genres.

One of your singles from 2000 is “El Merengue”. What was the inspiration behind that? Where did you get the idea?
I feel like Latin rhythms are in our roots, it’s part of us. I like to try to do different things with each song, and I don’t like to just do one type of music. I wanted to bring back Merengue, to give people something different.

How important is it for you to not be confined by just one genre?
It ties into the music I listen to. I don’t listen to just one genre, so I don’t want to make one genre. Sometime you wake up in a different mood, and you want to put on a different kind of song. When you’re expressing different things, they won’t necessarily sound the same.

You’re very young, but if you were to give any advice to young artists who are just starting out, what would it be?
Trust in yourself. You have to believe in what you are doing. You have to trust your ideas.

To finish off, where do you see yourself headed? This time next year, where would you like to be?
I want to keep growing. Like you said I’m very young, so I feel like I could grow a lot more but, just doing the same – enjoying making music.