Aventura

Is Aventura really calling it quits? If the rumors are true, the group that made bachata mainstream could be splitting up by the end of the year.

Founded in 1994 by cousins Anthony and Henry Santos, along with siblings Max and Lenny Santos (no relation to Anthony and Henry), Aventura broke the rules of traditional bachata by singing in Spanglish, incorporating R&B and reggaetón into their music and collaborating with acts like Tego Calderón, Don Omar and Ludacris. Over the course of six studio albums, the Bronx, New York quartet went from being bachata's answer to The Backstreet Boys to adopting a more street sound.

After producing massive hits like Obsesión, Los Infieles and Mi Corazoncito, the group became the genre's biggest act, winning multiple Billboard Latin Music Awards and selling out Madison Square Garden in 2007. Romeo: "Bachata was mainly one guy singing with a guitar who definitely didn't dress 'urban'… [We did] everything no one dared to do before."

Although no official confirmation has been made, it appears Aventura will end its 15-year career on the heels of its latest release, The Last. The album with a foreboding title has already spawned some of their biggest hits: El Desprecio, Por Un Segundo and All Up 2 You, the latter being an auto-tuned R&B jam that features Akon and Wisin y Yandel. But why would the most popular act in urban bachata quit now?

The decision might be lead singer's Anthony "Romeo" Santos, who is reportedly itching to begin his solo career. Romeo says he's not the only one: "[M]y partners also want to develop and do their solo projects and I find myself in the same situation." Carlos Vargas, vocalist of bachata duo Carlos y Alejandra, is rumored to be a possible replacement for Romeo if Aventura decides to continue without its most recognizable face.