From their respective corners of the world, Girl Ultra and COASTCITY have been logging endless hours over silky-smooth beats, trying to breed new variations of R&B. In Mexico City, Girl Ultra weaves her voice over understated, often moody melodies, while in Miami, COASTCITY’s Danny Flores and Jean Rodriguez shape cross-cultural sounds they classify as “Caribbean soul.” Given that their goals have been so similar, we can’t believe we didn’t see the two acts joining forces sooner — but they have, and the result is a syncopating ballad called “Besos Pesos,” premiering today on Remezcla.
The song’s production and writing credits include Flores, who has a penchant for slightly off-kilter, jazz-inspired sounds, and Yoshi Beats, a Mexico City producer who recently gave Girl Ultra a hand with her soulful new EP Adiós. Girl Ultra and Jean Rodriguez are evenly matched on vocals; her breathy voice glides seamlessly into his syrupy tone.
“We were introduced to Girl Ultra through our label (EMPIRE) and she complemented our vibe perfectly, given we both are in the same musical lane,” COASTCITY said in an email. Girl Ultra told Remezcla that working with the duo was wonderful, and that the song offered an amazing way to “create a connection” and vibe with new artists.
As the song unfurls, the narrators launch into back-and-forth lyrics in Spanglish that put the spotlight on a woman on her grind, declaring her own independence. But with a more careful listen, the content quickly reveals itself to be way more provocative that it initially seems: “Es un intercambio, es un juego de dos,” Rodriguez sings in the song’s bridge.
Stream our premiere of “Besos Pesos” above, and keep an eye on more new material from COASTCITY soon.