ET is taking a look back at CNCO's most notable moments.
Music fans are no strangers to the impact of boy bands. These groups have been a major part of the music industry for decades, and when CNCO was formed in 2015, Joel Pimentel, Richard Camacho, Erick Brian Colón, Christopher Vélez and Zabdiel De Jesús became five of the few people in the world who would know what it's like to be a part of that. Pimentel recently announced his decision to leave the group on May 14 to pursue new opportunities, but over the years, he and his bandmates took their music -- and their legacy -- very seriously.
The band members previously spoke to ET about the impact their music has had on their fans and how proud they are to be bringing Spanish language music to people who may not have been introduced to it without them. "It's incredible how the fans there know our songs and fans know Spanish, because of [our] songs," Colón said of touring in places such as Argentina, France and Japan. "So that's something crazy for us that we never expect."
With so much more in store for CNCO, ET is taking a look back at all of the group's success so far, from where it all began until now.
December 2015: Becoming CNCO
When Pimentel, Camacho, Colón, Vélez and De Jesús started their journey on the first season of Ricky Martin and Simon Cowell's Spanish-language singing competition, La Banda, in 2015, they were just five solo singers looking for success. Their talent and likability led them to make it safely through seven rounds of competition, ultimately forming CNCO in December during the finale. The group's name, pronounced cinco, is a play on the Spanish word meaning five.
January 2016: Release of Debut Single
CNCO released "Tan Fácil" on Jan. 29, 2016. The track peaked at No. 1 on Billboard's Latin Airplay chart in May of that year.
February 2016: Joining Ricky Martin on Tour
CNCO began touring as an opening act for Martin on his "One World" tour. Pimentel, Camacho, Colón, Vélez and De Jesús opened Martin's shows in Florida, Argentina, Chile, Puerto Rico and more.
August 2016: First Album Release
CNCO released their highly anticipated first album, Primera Cita, less than a year after the group was officially formed.
October 2016: Taking Home Their First Latin AMA Wins
Less than a year after becoming a group, CNCO snagged two Latin American Music Award wins at the show: New Artist of the Year - Pop/Rock and Favorite Duo or Group - Pop/Rock. If that wasn't enough, the boys also took the stage to perform at the awards show for the first time ever.
February 2017: Begin First Headlining Tour
After months of performing and releasing music, CNCO headed out on their "Más Allá" tour. The group visited 15 countries, and put on more than 40 performances, with concerts in major markets such as Mexico, Spain, Portugal and the United States.
Summer 2017: Touring With Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull
In March 2017, Iglesias and Pitbull announced their second tour together, and excited fans with the news that CNCO would be their opening act. Together, the men played 16 cities from June to July of that year.
April 2018: A Second Album
The group released their self-titled second album, which consisted of both Latin pop and reggaeton music.
January 2019: Their First U.S. Tour
CNCO jetted off on their first United States tour with their opening show taking place in McAllen, Texas. The boys visited more than a dozen cities including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami.
August 2019: MTV Video Music Awards Performance
CNCO performed their track, "De Cero," at the 2019 VMAs, which marked their first time performing at the awards show. They were also nominated in two categories: Best Push Artist and Best Group.
March 2020: A Bump in the Road
While the group was set to head out on tour once again, they announced that their "Press Start" tour would be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
February 2021: More New Music
Despite a trying year for music artists around the world, CNCO released their album, Déjà Vu. "At the beginning of quarantine, we took some time off since we had been traveling a lot these past few years," the band said in a statement following the album's release. "We were able to reconnect with our families and reflect on all we've achieved and look back at the music that inspired us to get where we are. We decided to have fun and bring back these classics, with the CNCO touch."
April 2021: Cover Boy Material
The group appeared on the cover of Teen Vogue, proving that even after five years as a band, they are still going strong. The boys spoke to the magazine about everything from their personal lives to their music and shared their excitement on Instagram, writing how they couldn't believe they landed the cover.
May 2021: A Member Departs
Pimentel shared on May 9 that his last day with the group would be May 14.
"It is with a heavy heart that I announce that May 14, will be my last day as a member of CNCO," Pimentel wrote on Instagram, in part. "It's time for me to grow and explore new artistic avenues, it's time to start building my own path and career. That's why I've decided to leave the band."
Pimental also thanked his bandmates and the group's legion of followers, sharing, "Without you, we wouldn't have accomplished all of the most amazing things we have over the past five years."
For more on CNCO, watch the video below.
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