We are living through an era where more music is available to us than ever – whether it be via social media, streaming or apps. But despite this wealth of options, it can be difficult to cut through the industry hype, the homogenizing algorithms, and find something new and exciting.
In our weekly Nuevo Noise playlist, you’ll find some of our favorite releases of the week – from the most exciting new names in urbano to the burgeoning SoCal neo-Chicano soul wave and everything in between.
Consider this your genre-diverse guide to the most exciting releases from rising Latinx artists each week. Follow our Nuevo Noise playlist featuring these tracks and more on Spotify or Apple Music.
1
Papá Topo - "Yo Quiero Bailar"
The delightfully vapid sounds of tonti-pop are making a huge comeback, and if you haven’t been paying attention, Spain is leading the charge. A prime example of this resurgent wave is Papá Topo, the Spanish quartet melding surrealist lyrics and saccharine melodies drawing from synthpop, disco and even ’90s house. Their latest single, “Yo Quiero Bailar,” is a joyful nugget of dance floor rapture — a celebratory fantasy of disco ball romances and glittery abandon. –Richard Villegas
2
Monterrosa - "Estoy Aquí"
How does one reimagine or improve on the exuberant poetry of Shakira’s ’90s pop golden age? Spanish duo Monterrosa tackled this quandary with a brand new cover of Shaki classic “Estoy Aquí,” amping up the song’s glossy pop quotient by switching out guitars for prismatic synth melodies and subbing drums in favor of a thumping nightclub bass line. The result is a collision of nostalgia and euphoria that will set countless drunken singalongs ablaze well into 2020. –Richard Villegas
3
Oddó - "Picante"
Chilean singer-songwriter, bassist and producer Oddó has carved a unique path in Chile’s crowded indie landscape by never getting too comfortable and constantly evolving his sound from indie-pop to reggaeton and trap. His latest release is quirky and ambitious double single “Picante,” which first unfolds as a sullen and entirely unexpected reimagining of the Spice Girls classic “Wannabe,” featuring Masquemusica, and quickly morphing into a neck-breaking trap bop. 2020 is only just kicking off and Oddó has already dropped a riveting nugget of musical adrenaline that should not go unnoticed. –Richard Villegas
4
King Doudou - "Futsal Megamix"
Some of us took the first couple days of the year off, but King Doudou was already getting beats in. “Futsal Megamix” is the kind of happy genre-car-crash on which the producer thrives, retooling Lil Uzi Vert and DJ 809’s Jersey club machinations with manic perreo to create something entirely danceable for the new decade. –Caitlin Donohue
5
Tall Juan - "Sentimiento Villero"
Argentine cumbia villera made in Far Rockaway, Queens? Crazy as it may sound, Tall Juan’s brand new mini-EP, Tall Juan Plays Cumbia, makes the guapachoso sounds feel perfectly at home in the Big Apple by throwing equal parts Kumbia Queers and The Ramones into a crowded A-Train. Check out “Sentimiento Villero” for a perfectly calibrated blend of kitschy synths and droning percussion, though it’s Tall Juan’s own profoundly melancholy vocals that cherry-top the track with the weighty sorrow of a cumbia anthem in the making. –Richard Villegas
6
Branko, Ana Moura & Conan Osiris - “Vinte Vinte”
2020 is here and, honestly, it’s time for nostalgia-driven pop culture to end. Cut to “Vinte Vinte,” a forward-thinking new collaboration from Portuguese stars Branko (Buraka som Sistema), renowned fado singer Ana Moura and underground roots innovator Conan Osiris. The track, originally conceived for fashion designer Luis Carvalho’s show at Lisboa Moda 2019, has been crafted to represent and encourage a bold step into a future that is hazy, exciting and unstoppable. –Richard Villegas
7
Braian & Desdel Barro - "Barrabrabber"
The crew behind Buenos Aires’ Hiedrah crew can always be counted on to wield layered electronic club bludgeons, and this Christmas Day two-track release from producers Braian and Desdel Barro has serious smash power. The other song on the EP is a brutal, oscillating track with Montevideo singer Lilo Tirando a Violeta, but “Barrabrabber” has the frenetic energy you’ll need to power up your 2020 vision. –Caitlin Donohue
8
Marineros - "ámbar"
Back in 2015, following the release of their swoon-inducing debut album, O Marineros, it seemed Marineros – a duo comprised of Cer Espina and Soledad Puentes – was poised to inherit the future of Chilean indie-pop. Then, they went silent. However, before the decade came to a close, Marineros made sure to let us know they are still here, dropping a short but sunny ballad titled “ámbar” that will send all the dreamy, stargazing emotions of years past rushing back into your heart. –Richard Villegas
9
Juan Ingaramo - "Cambias Mi Amor"
Rising Argentine heartthrob Juan Ingaramo is full of surprises. Wildly oscillating between pop savant and perreo instigator all throughout 2019, Ingaramo dropped a final slice of cheeky dance floor-yearning, titled “Cambias Mi Amor,” before closing off the year. The track collides reggaeton, accordion and cumbia villera swag into a sticky sweet melange of passionate slow-dancing — with just the faintest wisp of charming ’80s cheesiness. –Richard Villegas