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When the Puerto Rican singer Omar Courtz was a teenager, he spent some time working at a clothing store in the city of Carolina that became popular among reggaeton stars. He’d see some of his biggest inspirations coming in and out of the shop, which was called Change: people like Farruko, Anuel Aa, and Ozuna. Years later, when he started making music, he wound up collaborating with a few of those same artists. “I was like, ‘I used to be your attendant at that store!’” recalls Courtz, 25.
So much of what’s attracted such big names is his flexible, endlessly edgy sound that combines elements of R&B and trap. The first song he ever recorded — a SoundCloud loosie called “Volvemos Otra Vez,” in 2017 — immediately became a local hit. “I didn’t have a discovery process of making a lot of music and finding myself,” he says. “But that’s why my career unfolded so organically: I made music that felt intuitive and saw that it kept evolving, reaching higher and higher levels at the production level.”
After his start in 2017, Courtz continued dropping music, all while studying mechanical engineering in college, where he’d been recruited in track and field. “I feel like that experience taught me the importance of practice, of continuing to get better at things,” he says. “It’s what helps you perfect and refine things, so it’s why I always spend my time writing, finding new production styles, and improving myself artistically.” Eventually, releases like his slick four-song EPInviernoled to a record deal with Pitbull’s Mr. 305 label.
In addition to singing, he frequently co-produces his own music, something he thinks has given him an edge. “I’m always looking for new sounds, introducing new genres. I think that’s what I’ve been good at: combining genres to come up with something different.” He’s attracted other stars with that style: Daddy Yankee recently tapped him for the hit “Beachy,” which has garnered several million views over the last couple of weeks. Wisin y Yandel, two legends he remembers seeing at the famed stadium El Choli with his father as a kid, have also become frequent writing partners.
These days, even Bad Bunny’s a fan. “I feel like he’s been around a while, making music and joseando [hustling], as we say,” the superstar says. “Personally, I like him a lot. He’s very versatile: I’ve heard him on trap, R&B, hip-hop, and reggaeton songs.” He adds that Courtz is able to channel a slick sound from urbano’s 2000s era: “I think he has that stickiness, like the choruses stay in your head, the tone of his voice.”
That kind of recognition is the ultimate compliment for Courtz, who says he respects how Bad Bunny has been able to make the music he wants without giving into outside pressure. “He still releases the music he loves, and that can get lost in this industry,” Courtz says. “The industry can drive you to make music you don’t want because of business decisions… so for him to [be a fan] makes me happy and keeps motivating me.”
Courtz says he has even more in store as he works toward an album. He won’t reveal too much about it, but he does share that he’s applying everything he’s learned over the last few years and putting the project together carefully. “I want to do it right,” he says.
