Chilean artists FloyyMenor and Cris MJ knew their song was going to be a hit – but no one expected it to be so big.
Nobody really saw The dark, low-key reggaeton track “Gata Only” by FloyyMenor and Cris MJ is coming. The obscure club hit started out shrouded in mystery, in part because before the song’s success, FloyyMenor was a hard-to-pinpoint local Chilean artist whose face and identity were largely hidden from the internet. He first released “Gata Only” as a solo track last December. But in February, he teamed up with fellow Chilean and rising star Cris MJ to release a new version of the song — and they had magic on their hands.
“We knew from the start that this song was special,” says Chris MJ. “It was a huge hit when we recorded it and we knew it would go global. I was confident that it would become the most streamed Latin song in 2024 and would be on major playlists.”
“Gata Only,” with its sinuous reggaeton beat and hushed vocals, became a hit on TikTok with younger fans first. From there, it topped the charts, becoming one of the summer’s most inescapable club songs and making the duo the first Chileans to land a spot in the world’s top 10. BillboardLatin hits in 25 years. It brought attention to the country's music scene, which was filled with new faces – like singer and rapper Acrila – making trap, reggaeton and more.
For FloyyMenor and Cris MJ, this is just the beginning. Both artists are hard at work on new music, and are keen to keep the momentum going. The two recently released a joint EP titled m gor Mala Junta, Which keeps their voice and collaboration front and center.
“A lot of this has shown how rich Chilean music is,” says Chris MJ, who is preparing to release more songs or his own soon. He is quick to say that the Chilean music scene needs more movement and that the process is evolving as artists tap into stronger lyrics and sounds. But he is proud to represent Chile through the hit song: “It shows the talent we have and that we are able to make everyone dance.”
