In another universe, you could easily see Salomón Villada Hoyos as a typical 20-something-year-old, club-hopping, sliding in-and-out of girls’ DMs, but also going through the normal growing pains of young adulthood—paying rent, making sure his parents are doing well, and perhaps finding the one. Well, in the real world Villada Hoyos is FEID, a hitmaking singer/songwriter whose last album, 19, was nominated for a Latin Grammy for Best Urban Music Album. For the Medellín, Colombia-born artist that moment was a career highlight but not its apex.

“It was my goal throughout 2019 to get the nod. I didn’t know which one I was going to receive, but I was sure that all the love and commitment that I had put into the album, people would feel it,” says FEID. “And it’s a challenge for the album I'm releasing, because it feels like I'm in the spotlight. Yet, not winning gave me extra motivation.”

His last album FERXXO VOL.1 M.O.R” (MENSAJES ON REPEAT) proved to be another step in the right direction not only for another invite to Latin music’s biggest night but also to push the urbano genre forward. M.O.R. was a trip into FEID’s younger self’s two-way messages. With song titles like “XNTXS,” AVXNTADXR” and CU U U UXX” you should get the idea . . . the kid was a Don Juan with his thumbs.

“The acronym M.O.R. means MESSAGES ON REPEAT. They are 14 old-school text messages. I would read them over and over again, to tell [the ladies] what I was thinking,” he says of the album’s concept. “The album has a romantic undertone, but as I've been polishing my way of writing in recent years it comes with authentic messages —so pure FEID phrases!"

And that’s the point: pure FEID. He’s a unique artist within the Latin urbano space - clearly, extremely Colombian and proud of his Medallo roots, but heavily influenced by English language artists like T-Pain and Drake, all the while carving out his own lane. FEID’s vocals are distinctly mellifluous—or better put by the late great Guru of Gang Starr, “It’s mostly tha voice.” And FEID agrees.

"I feel like my voice defines it in the end, there are a lot of beats that are just beats but when I play them, they sound like FEID," he says. “A lot of producers when they play certain types of chords they say, ‘Wow those are FEID chords. FEID will kill that.’ That’s when they grab some R&B chords, they put them flow lo-fi hip-hop and then they put the reggaetón sauce on it. That's my sound.”

With his stellar work as Peter, rather, Pedro Parker, as part of the super reggaetón friends collective The Avengers (Dalex, Sech, Lenny Tavarez, Justin Quiles, Dímelo Flow) and his own solo work, FEID is easily one of the leaders of the new school. This isn’t to mention the over 200 songs he’s written for superstars (J Balvin, Reykon, Nicky Jam, etc.)—he’s a complete artist with so much more still to accomplish.

“I think that I'm building my corner,” he says confidently. “I have always wanted to have my sound and my own flow. Being with The Avengers has helped me to define myself more as an artist and to know what kind of audience I want to attack. I can sing any flow, so put me in a song with the superstars so they can enjoy a great song (laughs). Being new but not new to the industry is super cool too, they know I'm coming for it all.”

And on his latest mixtape, BAHÍA DUCATI, the colombiano continues his evolution as an artist and leader in the reggaetón and Spanish R&B genres, respectively. The mixtape consists of gems left on the cutting room floor from FERXXO VOL.1 M.O.R” (MENSAJES ON REPEAT). On the first focus track, “FOTOGRAFÍAS” featuring the legendary Zion & Lennox, FEID drips with lust over an ex over a lush reggaetón romantic beat. The mixtape features a who’s who list of artists including De La Ghetto, Ñejo, Miky Woodz and fellow UMPG collaborators Álvaro Díaz and Sech. Even among a star-studded “PORFA (Remix)” with J Balvin, Nicky Jam, Maluma, Sech and Justin Quiles, FEID stands out with his mellifluous flow. “PORFA (Remix)” is the feather in his (surely) Ducati-inspired cap. The competition is forewarned to pump the brakes and make room for BAHÍA DUCATI.