CNCO Splits After 7 Years of Music
Latin American boy band CNCO announced their decision to disband after seven years of making waves in the Latin pop genre. The announcement was made last July 21 during the award show for Spanish-speaking celebrities, Premios Juventud.
Perhaps it wasn’t that big a surprise since just a little over a year ago, band member Joel Pimentel was the first to leave due to a desire to “grow and explore new artistic avenues.”
Now a four-member group, the remaining members are Richard Camacho, Erick Brian Colón, Christopher Vélez, and Zabdiel De Jesús. Like Joel, they’re determined to stretch their wings and explore their individual musical styles.
Erick was quoted by Billboard as saying, “We are feeling nervous but at the same time, we feel excited.”
Christopher shared, “It hurts us because it’s a big step in our lives that’s going to lead us to our solo careers but exciting at the same time because we’re willing to experiment and try to find our own sound and individuality.”
“Just because we’re splitting doesn’t mean we’re going to stop seeing each other, we’re simply trying out new, challenging things. I know we will see each other in the way, of composing or working together. We have faith that the outcome will be great,” he added.
Richard was quick to assure fans that the decision to go their own ways was amicable and devoid of negativity: “In the end, we have a lot of love and want to make sure everyone feels part of this family because everyone contributed and without you, we’re no one. This is not negative at all, it’s very positive. At the end of the day, we want to grow and enjoy life. Maybe in the future, we’ll come back. Who knows?”
Christopher echoed the sentiment by saying, “They know that we love them from the beginning. Without them, this wouldn’t be possible. I know they’re going to follow our solo careers and support us. The love is always going to be mutual. We’re going to become better artists to deliver the best music. They know we love them.”
The news of their breakup isn’t altogether disheartening for fans since the group has agreed to work together for another year because of their commitment to Sony Music Latin. CNCOwners (their fandom) can thus expect at least another album, a final tour, and for CNCO to wrap up their 4 Ever show with Latin American Disney+.
The band name CNCO references the Spanish word cinco which means five. The group came together in December 2015 after winning the Univision Competition show La Banda. In true Simon Cowell, reality show-style, CNCO’s members were chosen by voting viewers who were following the show until they arrived at the final five. Each CNCO member hails from a different South American country. Their music came as Latin pop was enjoying a renaissance in the United States.
During their years together, they produced several billboard hits that included “Reggaeton Lento,” “Hey DJ,” and “Se Vuelve Loca.” Their debut album Primera Cita was at the top of the Latin Pop Albums Chart for eight weeks straight.
