Matt Hunter

A Latin pop singer and songwriter with a smooth delivery, Matt Hunter began his career as a teenager with 2013's EP Right Here, Right Now. Concentrating on singles throughout the rest of the decade, he made his major-label debut with "Amor Real" in 2017. The following year, he racked up tens of millions of streams with "Dicen," a duet with Lele Pons, and found further success with collaborations such as 2020's "Suave" with Corina Smith. Born in New York to parents with Colombian and Italian heritage, Matthew Hunter began singing almost as soon as he could talk. Growing up in New Jersey, he learned instruments including piano, guitar, and drums, and appeared on the TV series <I>Baby Einstein as a grade schooler. In 2009, he landed the role of Diego on the animated children's series <I>Dora the Explorer, soon joining the cast of spin-off <I>Go, Diego! Go! During his couple of years with the franchise, Hunter began uploading videos in which he sang and played guitar, eventually growing a substantial fan base in Latin America. Leaving television for the music industry, he released his first single, "Mi Amor," in 2011. The EP Right Here, Right Now followed on Plaza Independencia in 2013. That year, Hunter sold out an arena show in Chile as part of a headlining tour of South America. 2015 saw his song "Mas Que Tu Amigo" garner millions of streams, and as an 18-year-old in 2016, Hunter was lauded by singer Marc Anthony in the American press. He made his Universal Music Latino debut with "Amor Real" in 2017. A string of popular collaborations followed, including "Dicen," a 2018 duet with Venezuela's Lele Pons. "Cazador" (featuring Lenny Tavárez) and "Una Vez Más" (featuring Tommy Boysen) both arrived in 2019, as did "Problemas," a collaborative track with hip-hop artists GASHI and Big Soto. He remained busy in 2020, collaborating with Carla Fernandes on "Entera" and on "Toca" with Byron Salas and Kobi Cantillo. That September saw the release of "Suave," a duet with Corina Smith. ~ Marcy Donelson, Rovi