Yahir

Yahir's fluttered on the edge of major stardom for years. The aspiring singer landed a spot on La Academia in 2002, an American Idol-style Mexican TV show that whittles down contestants week after week. Though Yahir didn't win, the exposure landed him work in telenovelas, and in 2003 he released his self-titled debut to some acclaim. Two albums followed; in 2004 he released Otra Historia de Amor and in 2005 he journeyed to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to record an album of covers of the romantic work of Roberto Carlos. But his best chance at achieving breakout success came with 2009's Elemental, which featured an all-star stable of songwriters and saw the singer branching out from straightforward Latin pop, using regional rhythms to bring some life to his sound.