CNCO Is Breaking Up After Nearly 7 Years: ‘We’re Ready to Try New Things’
CNCO announced at the 2022 Premios Juventud on Thursday (July 21) they are disbanding after nearly seven years as a group. The news came as a surprise to many, including their fans, since the announcement comes a bit over a year after Joel Pimentel shared his departure from the boy band on May 9, 2021.
Billboard was able to catch up with the remaining CNCO members, Christopher Velez, Erick Brian Colon, Richard Camacho, and Zabdiel de Jesus just a day before they would break the news at the awards show. “We are feeling nervous but at the same time, we feel excited, anxious,” Colon exclusively tells Billboard. Adding that the decision to split was amicable.
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“We always thought that if we split, it had to be natural, and that’s how it happened,” De Jesus elaborates. “We’ve lived many things together, and grew together in this industry, and we’re ready to try new things to expand our careers. We’re very excited.”
The Latin boy band, which formed in December 2015 after winning the Univision competition show La Banda, is behind multiple Billboard hits including “Reggaeton Lento,” “Hey DJ,” and “Se Vuelve Loca.” Three of their albums have hit No. 1 on the Latin Pop Albums chart, including Primera Cita, which spent eight weeks at the top in 2016. They have nabbed seven Billboard Latin Music Awards, including the new artist of the year in 2017.
But after a successful run that spanned short of a decade, the boys are parting ways.
“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,” Velez notes. “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.”
Although the group announced its split, CNCO will continue for another year and a half, promising more new music, an album, a tour, and their upcoming series on Disney+.
“CNCO opened the doors for us in the industry and now we have more opportunities to keep writing and meet other people, get into the studio and create new vibes,” Camacho explains. “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?”
As for their loyal fandom, the CNCOwners, Velez expresses: “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.”
CNCO, who is signed to Sony Music Latin and managed by Walter Kolm, is currently making the rounds with their Kenia OS-assisted single “Plutón.”
