Nathy Peluso: voice, technique and why the Latin soul mezzo-contralto went from Buenos Aires to eighty million views on YouTube

Nathy Peluso is the voice that turned the crossing between Buenos Aires and Madrid into its own genre. Born in Luján in 1996 and raised in Spain since she was ten years old, the Argentine-Spanish singer fuses rap, soul, jazz, salsa and R&B without asking permission from labels. Their debut album Calambre (2020) won the Latin Grammy for best alternative album; Grasa (2024) brought her three more gramophones in a single night – best alternative song, best rap/hip-hop and best long-form video – tying with Mercedes Sosa as the Argentine with the most Latin Grammys (five). On YouTube, Vivir Así Es Morir De Amor and Delito exceed eighty million views each. This profile, the twenty-eighth of Voices that make magic, reviews what makes her instrument unique and why the specialized press describes her as one of the most versatile voices in contemporary Latin pop.

Voice: mezzo-contralto hybrid between rap and soul

Nathy Peluso moves like a mezzo-contralto with a warm and deep timbre: a low-mid register voice with enough high extension for R&B falsettos and soul belts that Audiofemme describes as "sultry and expressive" —capable of going from freestyle to lyrical singing in the same song, according to Audiofemme.

Technically, Peluso masters three different registers: rap flow (influenced by Missy Elliott, Lil' Kim and Dr. Dre), soul/jazz singing (Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James, Ray Charles) and Latin phonomimics (salsa, bolero, tango). In Delito he mixes sensual crooning with salsa phrasing; in Sana Sana explodes into belt over neo-soul; in Learn to love (Grasa) he raps with rhythmic precision. His training in physical theater is noticeable on stage: each note carries a gesture, each verse carries a body.

Compared to Celia Cruz —one of her declared references in boleros and salsa—, Peluso does not compete in high register or in legacy of Cuban son: her magic is in distilling that Latin heritage through hip-hop and Madrid neo-soul. Compared to the Mexican ballad divas of the hub, she opts for lyrical provocation and the crossing of genres over acoustic intimacy.

From Luján to five Latin Grammys

Peluso grew up listening to jazz and soul in Buenos Aires and discovered hip-hop in Murcia and Madrid. Their EPs Esmeralda (2017) and La Sandunguera (2018) anticipated the formula; Calambre catapulted her with Delito, Sana Sana, Buenos Aires and the session with Bizarrap (#36). He signed with Sony Music, sold two Movistar Arenas in Buenos Aires, played Coachella and, in 2024, published Grasa —a darker and more personal album, with Duki, Blood Orange and Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso.

At the 2024 Latin Grammys she made history: three awards in one night —The day I lost my youth (with Blood Orange), Aprender a amar and the feature film Grasa— and the first woman to win best rap/hip-hop song, according to Buenos Aires Herald. His Tiny Desk for NPR (2024) confirmed in acoustic terms what the video clips promised: a voice that breaks formats.

Repertoire that best shows your voice

• Vivir Así Es Morir De Amor — soul-Latin ballad; video above (~80.9M on YouTube).
• Crime — salsa-R&B; video above (~78.4M on YouTube).
• Sana Sana — neo-soul on A COLORS SHOW (~28.3M on YouTube).
• Buenos Aires — tango-nostalgia; nominated for best alternative song at Latin Grammy 2020.
• Learn to love — Grasa rap; Latin Grammy 2024 for best hip-hop song.
• Bizarrap Music Sessions #36 — bridge between trap and soul (~436M on YouTube).

Why it fits into Voices That Make Magic

Nathy Peluso represents the voice that does not fit into a single category—and that is why it redefines Latin pop. She is not an opera virtuoso or a bedroom balladeer: she is the mezzo-contralto who sings Celia Cruz boleros, raps like Missy Elliott and sells out stadiums with the same conviction. In Voices that make magic, his instrument is the argument that the Latin American voice of the 21st century sounds like everything at once.

In summary

Voice? Warm mezzo-contralto, belt soul, flow rap. Technique? Hybrid phrasing, physical theater, R&B falsetto. YouTube? Living Like This Is Dying of Love (~80.9 M) and Crime (~78.4 M). Why does it matter? Five Latin Grammys, Coachella, Tiny Desk. Next step? More profiles in Voices that make magic.