Daddy Yankee comes out of retirement with ‘Sonríele,’ a Christian song

Daddy Yankee’s story seemed to be over. In December 2023, after a career spanning just over 30 years, the Big Boss confirmed his retirement from the music industry and gave a final concert in his hometown of San Juan, Puerto Rico. However, now Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez, 49, has announced his return with a new song — quite different from his greatest hits — and under a new name.

On July 9, 2025, the so-called “King of Reggaeton” posted a short video on his YouTube account in which New York actor Anthony Ramos, of Puerto Rican descent, arrives at a house where Daddy Yankee opens the door. The actor asks him in English, “Are you ready?”, to which the Gasolina singer replies, “I’m back.” The clip teased the release of a new song called Sonríele, or Smile [at life].

The song is already out there, and although it retains some of the essence of the reggaeton icon, it is completely different from his previous work before his retirement. Sonríele is a song inspired by Latin Caribbean rhythms, with a Christian theme, which aligns with the singer’s current beliefs. In 2023, he announced that he had converted to Christianity and wanted to devote himself to evangelization.

In the lyrics, Ayala sings in Spanish: “Blessings come to me/ I walk with the Nazarene. Thank you for all the good and the not-so-good.” The song is credited to Macrilet Rodríguez, better known as Marky, who also produces Christian songs and has appeared on social media alongside Daddy Yankee at various religious events.

The track was released under the name DY and does not appear on Daddy Yankee’s official streaming pages, suggesting that this is the artist’s new official name. This may also be due to the legal dispute between the singer and his ex-wife Mireddys González over the division of assets and control of the artist’s corporations.

Religion and reggaeton

The connection between urban music and Christianity has grown stronger in recent years, as several major talents have converted to the religion and moved away from the common themes of reggaeton. Such is the case of Héctor el Father (Héctor Luis Delgado Román), one of the island’s greatest producers, who discovered talents such as Don Omar and the duo Wisin & Yandel, and who in 2018 released a documentary chronicling his conversion to Christianity. In 2021, he released his album La Hora Cero, under his real name, which included Christian songs.

Panamanian icon El General (Edgardo Armando Franco), one of the pioneers of reggaeton in the 1990s, became a Jehovah’s Witness and retired from music in 2004. He even referred to his career as a “dark period” and described his awards as “trophies of the devil.”

In 2022, Puerto Rican Farruko (Carlos Efrén Reyes Rosado) converted to the religion and said his faith had helped him reconcile with his family. Other artists such as Wisin (Juan Luis Morera Luna) have expressed closeness to religion, citing it as an important part of their lives.

In Puerto Rico, the mecca of reggaeton, the predominant religion is Christianity, with the Catholic Church as the largest denomination. About 85% of the population is Catholic and around 7% is Protestant Christian. Islam and Judaism are also present in smaller percentages.

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