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
Buscabulla - "NTE"
The Puerto Rican duo announced its first extensive tour on Wednesday, and paired the news with this glowing video clip shot on the Aguadilla waterfront. Shifting vibrations are heightened by singer Raquel Berrios’ wig, an Easter egg given the track lyrics’ certain regard for subterfuge. If the lifted song leaves you open for more Buscabulla, you’re in luck—this week also brought news of their upcoming album entitled Regresa, which is slated to drop May 8th. -Caitlin Donohue
2
Empress Of - “Give Me Another Chance”
The countdown to the release of Empress Of’s new full-length I’m Your Empress Of, coming out April 3 on Terrible Records, has started. With the album announcement came “Give Me Another Chance,” and she hadn’t dropped a track this club-ready since her 2015 hit “How Do You Do It.” The four-on-the-floor beat and chord stabs turn Empress Of’s plea for another shot at love into an emotional choreography that’s wonderful to witness. -Cheky
3
Lido Pimienta - “Nada” (ft. Li Saumet)
Following two gorgeous and powerful singles before dropping her awaited album Miss Colombia, Canada-based Colombian artist Lido Pimienta joins forces with Bomba Estéreo’s Li Saumet to bring us the contemplative “Nada.” The song is a raw, poignant reflection on the pain intrinsic to womanhood, scored by a glitchy cumbia beat and a fest of melodic arrangements. Its breathtaking Paz Ramírez-directed music video is a family affair, as it features both Pimienta and Saumet’s children. -Cheky
4
Tomás Urquieta - "Síntesis de Fricción"
Chile’s Tomás Urquieta has made a name for himself for applying the righteous anger and energy of hardcore punk into a traditional techno setting. With “Síntesis de Fricción,” Urquieta isn’t calming down but rather goes for a more minimal setting where booming bass drums push the threshold of tones while textural synths and buzzsaw ambiances pop every once in a while. The hypnotic groove of broken techno will inspire dancers to burn the club down. -Marcos Hassan
5
Rubio - "Volver"
Chilean pop experimentalist Rubio has unveiled a brand new EP titled La Perdida—the first chapter in a two-part rollout of her forthcoming sophomore album, scheduled for later this year. The EP explores themes of greed, nostalgia and existentialism, and with “Volver,” Fran Straube leads us down a deceptive path to dance floor hedonism that rapidly morphs into a haunting meditation on belonging. -Richard Villegas
6
Missil feat. Tomasa del Real - "Vengo Por Lo Mío"
It’s hard not to give it up for a claws-out Neoperreo anthem, and the crew’s latest single will be another call to gatita action for its legions of fans. This time around Paraguay’s Mi$$il ruffles her pastel pink fur over a Deltatron beat, with mama cat Tomasa del Real stepping in as backup. -Caitlin Donohue
7
Pumuky - "Realidades Aumentadas"
Cerebral brothers Jaír and Noé Ramírez of Pumuky have finally re-entered the indie pop landscape, breaking the relative silence they’ve maintained since 2017 with their brand new single “Realidades Aumentadas.” Delivering a master class in delusion, the Canary Islands natives drone on in dreamlike fashion, unable to distinguish between imagined romances and concrete rejections—unspooling their hazy delirium over a spectral canvas of warbling synths and metallic percussion. -Richard Villegas
8
Silver Rose - "Caer"
While Ruido Rosa has always offered straight-forward rock n’ roll, the creative freedom of her solo work as Silver Rose has allowed Carla Sariñana to explore far more nimble pop melodies and introspective songwriting to thrilling effect. With her latest single “Caer,” Sariñana delivers a killer, understated gem of driving romantic skepticism, wary of the painful emotional pitfalls of a love that just won’t let go. -Richard Villegas
9
Tigria - “Tierra”
Mexican singer/songwriter Natalie Reyes has been slowly bringing her Tigria project back to life, and she’s taking her next step with “Tierra.” The song is built from looped vocals that brings us in like a choir of mermaids, and Reyes stands right in the middle, trying to grab onto something familiar to help her face the fears and uncertainty of life and death. -Cheky
10
Mengers - "Celebra"
With a musical setting that resembles a midnight trash container dive thanks to cat-in-heat wails that make up the vocals, aluminum guitars and enough noise to suck out the air from the room, Mexico City’s Mengers prove here that they know a thing or two about making quality noise punk. “Celebra” manages to inject bouncy basslines and slightly melodic vocals to add charm to their raucous, cacophonic setting. -Marcos Hassan
11
Un rêve - "Las Heridas Encomendadas"
At its best, music is a direct connection between humankind and otherness that exponentiates every feeling known in life—beauty, fear, sorrow and joy presented in a state that transcends whatever descriptions we can come up with. Mexico City’s Un rêve taps into this ethereal feeling with his latest piece, a slightly digitally processed piano improvisation that inhabits spirits of beauty with an underlying menace that everything could crumble to shadows. Rarely has an off-the-cuff jam been so evocative. -Marcos Hassan