Isabela Raygoza is the associate editor for Billboard Español and a leading voice in Latin music, boasting nearly 15 years of industry experience. Raised in the San Diego/Tijuana borderlands, she is based in New York City and joined Billboard full-time in the fall of 2022. Online, you will find her documenting the relentless rise of música mexicana or charting the evolution of Latin pop on a SoundCloud playlist. Her leadership on the “50 Most Essential Spanish-Language Rappers” list in 2023 garnered it as one of Billboard's most engaged articles that year. Throughout her career, she has interviewed Latin music giants, such as Karol G, Romeo Santos, Maná, Juanes, J Balvin, and Marco Antonio Solís. Crafting stories with unique perspectives like “How Japan Has Inspired Latin Music Stars” or “How War’s Exploratory Sound Connected with Chicano Culture,” the Mexican-American editor demonstrates her adeptness at exploring the intricate connections between global and cultural musical influences. Her contributions to the field were recognized in 2023 when she was honored as a Wonder Woman of Latin Music by LAMC, in partnership with Amazon Music. In February 2024, Raygoza teamed up with SoundCloud on their SCENES documentary, highlighting the emerging tumbados románticos and sierreño genres, featuring Ivan Cornejo, Xavi, DannyLux, and Conexión Divina. Raygoza holds a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies from UC Berkeley and a master's in media, culture, and communication from NYU. Her byline has also appeared in Rolling Stone, VICE, MTV News, Dazed, the GRAMMYs and Latin GRAMMYs program book.
