In His Feelings: How Feid Became the Sad Boy of Reggaeton

Nowadays, whether you're chilling on the beach or at your favorite local Miami club, there's one man who has taken over the airwaves: Feid.

Real name Salomón Villada Hoyos and known as El Ferxxo by his fan base, Feid (pronounced like the English word fade) has come a long way from being a songwriter for Colombia's reggaeton superstars, including J Balvin, Maluma, and now girlfriend Karol G. After working behind the scenes, a few years ago the 31-year-old started putting more energy into his own career and music to eventually become the heir apparent to the reggaeton throne.

So how did Feid creep his way to the top of the música urbana pantheon?

It really started with the release of his 2021 album, Inter Shibuya – La Mafia, and its deluxe edition, Inter Shibuya Ferxxo Edition, which included features from Ryan Castro, Sky Rompiendo, Mora, and, of course, Karol G, who collaborated on the hit song "Friki." Filled with club bangers that pay homage to pioneers like Tito El Bambino, Zion y Lennox, and Daddy Yankee, the project brought him some mainstream attention.

It was around this time that he started refining the sad-boy-reggaeton vibe he would eventually become known for with songs like "Tengo Fe," "Si Tu Supieras," and "Amor de Mi Vida." It continued with his Álvaro Díaz collaboration, "Llori Pari," where the pair sing about a girl they barely know while contemplating whether she thinks about them. "Es que me gustas, pero no sé na' de ti/Y hoy me estaba preguntando si aún piensas en mí, yeah."

While Inter Shibuya introduced fans to Feid's sad-boy sound, it wouldn't be until the release of 2022's Feliz Cumpleaños Ferxxo Te Pirateamos el Álbum that he perfected his craft. The album's rollout was more chaotic than he was used to, thanks to the tracks leaking months ahead of the December release date, forcing Feid to have the entire record mixed and released the same week.

Around this time, he started to don the green fitted cap and white Oakleys that have become his sartorial calling card.
With the single "Castigo," Feid continued his string of club bangers, but "Normal" and "Si Te La Encuentras Por Ahí" showed he could pen emotional tracks worthy of being played at hot spots like Perro Negro. His choice of instrumentals and delivery helped usher in the pairing of upbeat reggaeton beats mixed with melancholic lyrics. It mirrors what happened with hip-hop in the early 2010s when Kanye and Drake took over the airwaves with tracks like "Heartless" and "Find Your Love." (It's also worth noting that Feid considers both of them to be significant musical influences.)

In December 2022, Feid and reggaeton veteran Yandel came together for "Yandel 150." The song has amassed 800 million streams, most likely due to the combination of bumping beats and Auto-Tuned vocals, making it an easy track to play at any party or function.

That was followed by "Classy 101," featuring Puerto Rican rapper and singer Young Miko, which was quickly one of the biggest songs of summer 2023. On the track, Miko and Feid trade bars about a girl they meet who is a combination of classy, freaky, and not at all romantic. The pair spit out lyrics over the lusty ambiance of the track.

On his next album, 2023's Mor, No Le Temas a la Oscuridad, Feid expands his musical palette, exploring themes of heartbreak, love, and lust over house music and Afrobeats. Collaborating with Icon on track "Ferxxo 151," Feid, like Drake before him, hops on a track that wouldn't be out of place at a club in Mykonos or Ibiza.

There's also "Bubalu," his collaboration with Nigerian artist Rema, who's had his own recent success in the form of a viral hit, "Come Down." The duo released a great track that combined urbano flow with Afro-instrumentals in a well-balanced package.

Unfortunately, the album wasn't as well received by fans, who gave the project a lukewarm reception, complaining that Feid's usual collection of perreo and reggaeton bangers was missing. In response, Feid released the ten-track Ferxxocalipsis EP, which treated listeners to an adrenaline rush from the get-go in the form of the opening track "Alakran." On the minute-and-31-second song, Feid turns it up to 11 with a chorus that gets the listener hyped immediately after the build-up.
"Luna," produced by hip-hop hitmaker ATL Jacob, is the EP's standout track. It reminds everyone what makes Feid's music so great, thanks to the raw and honest lyrics of looking back on lost love and confusion over a past relationship.

His appearance on Bad Bunny's song "Perro Negro," named after the famous Medellín nightclub, only cemented his spot as the new face of reggaeton, trading verses with the artist who used to hold the title for so long. He's continued to prove he's earned the title thanks to singles like "Brickell" and "Sorry 4 That Much," the latter of which was teased with an anime-inspired trailer that took the fandom by storm.

"Brickell" is part of the Manifesting 20-05 EP that Feid just released with Yandel, which was filled with other great tracks such as "No Digas Na." It helped prove that he can stand toe-to-toe with a legend.

With so many hits in such a short time, Feid has grown from a background character in the Latin music industry to the cover of countless playlists. His songs are infectious while also being embued with tales of love and heartbreak. He's changing the sound of modern reggaeton, adding a hint of sorrow — not too dissimilar to the kind of sorrow found in a drunk 3 a.m. voicemail you leave on your ex's phone — and beats meant to keep everyone dancing the pain away. It's almost as if his music has become the soundtrack of the fraught reality of dating and relationships in these modern times.

Feid. 8 a.m. Saturday, July 6, at Hard Rock Stadium, 347 Don Shula Dr., Miami Gardens; 305-943-8000; hardrockstadium.com. Tickets cost $60 to $295 via ticketmaster.com.