CNCO Break Up After 7 Years

After nearly 7 years together, Latin pop boy band CNCO is breaking up.

The shocking news was first reported by Billboard, who spoke to the four members of the group — Christopher Vélez, Richard Camacho, Zabdiel De Jesús, and Erick Brian Colón — one day prior to their announcement at the 2022 Premios Juventud.

“We are feeling nervous but at the same time, we feel excited, anxious,” Erick told the outlet.

“We always thought that if we split, it had to be natural, and that’s how it happened,” Zabdiel added. “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.”

It was only last year in May 2021, when former member Joel Pimentel exited the group to focus on building a solo career. “It’s time for me to grow and explore new artistic avenues,” Joel wrote in his farewell note to fans. Now, the other members of CNCO are following suit, getting ready to expand and explore on their own.

“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,” said Christopher while speaking to Billboard. “I know we will see each other in the way, of composing or working together. We have faith that the outcome will be great.”

Billboard reports that CNCO’s split will not be immediate — the group will continue working together for the next year and a half, allowing them to deliver new music in the form of an album, embark on a final tour, and finish their forthcoming Latin American Disney+ mini-series 4 Ever.

CNCO was formed in 2015 after winning the first season of Univision’s reality music competition series La Banda, created by Simon Cowell and Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin. CNCO’s win earned them a five-year recording contract with Sony Music Latin. CNCO quickly became one of the most successful and influential Latine boy bands to date, making a mark on the music industry with their signature blend of Latin pop with reggaetón. 

Together, the group has won over 75 awards, including seven Billboard Latin Music Awards, and their debut album Primera Cita was nominated for Top Latin Album at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards. CNCO was also nominated for Best New Artist at the 2017 Latin Grammys. 

In April 2021, all original five members of CNCO graced the cover of Teen Vogue, speaking to writer Lucas Villa about their immense fanbase and their global, wild success. “I think it’s very special that our fans were a part of our growth,” Joel Pimentel said then, referring to their fandom, the CNCOwners.