Ivy Queen (real name: Martha Ivelisse Pesante Rodríguez) is celebrating her birthday on Monday (March 4), and to celebrate, Billboard is highlighting some of her biggest Hot Latin Songs hits in a fan poll.
In 1997, Ivy made a strong statement with her song “Pongan Atención” (pay attention), on which she loudly and proudly declared: “Pay attention, country, nation, association, the queen has arrived.” The Puerto Rican artist and rapper kicked off her career as part of the all-male collective The Noise, and through her unapologetic, powerful bars, mainly about self-love and being a strong-minded woman, she ultimately earned her crown as the Queen of Reggaeton.
Ivy first arrived on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart in 2005 with her timeless track “Quiero Bailar” (originally released in 2003), a song about a woman whose provocative dance moves demand nothing but respect on the dance floor and don’t mean anything more than having a good time.
Seven other of her tracks earned a spot on the Hot Latin Songs chart, including “Te He Querido, Te He Llorado” (2005), “Que Lloren” (2007) and “Dime” (2008), all of which hit the top 10. Additionally, she has 20 entries on the Latin Rhythm Airplay chart, among other accolades.
The Boricua star was recently honored with the Women in Music Icon award at the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards, where she opened up about her challenging road to success.
“When I fell in love with music, I found myself constantly battling to earn my spot, to earn my own lane, and to find my own identity between the guys,” she said in her acceptance speech. “The movement was underground, then turned reggaeton. I traveled around the island of Puerto Rico measuring my skills against male MCs. Bars became my self-defense mechanism. Through lyrics, I encouraged other Latinas that stand around me to stand for themself and also to not stay quiet when something hurts.”
As Ivy continues to flaunt her proud roots, trendy fashion transformations and ability to evolve from reggaeton to bachata and other genres, Billboard asks fans to vote for their favorite Ivy Queen hit on the Hot Latin Songs chart below:
