This is our weekly compilation of bite-sized reviews of newly released songs by our talented music writers. Discover new favorites, read nuanced criticism of the week’s hottest releases, and much more. Who knows, you might walk out of this with a new fave or two. Some of the featured artists include Tiago PZK with Manuel Turizo, Baby Yors, and Foudeqush. Follow our playlist featuring these tracks and more on Spotify or Apple Music.
Tiago PZK - “De Vuelta (feat. Manuel Turizo)”
Off his freshly-released sophomore album, GOTTI A, Tiago PZK’s infectious merengue and trap fusion “De Vuelta” featuring Colombian artist Manuel Turizo is one of the standouts. While reminiscing on a past connection, they surmise that their new partner can’t have what they once did: “En las redes te ves contenta/Pero él no se da cuenta.” This multilayered summertime anthem is equal parts classic and modern, showing off the Argentinian artist’s ambitions as a rising Latine star. — Chelsea Quezada
Baby Yors - “BOMBON”
Argentine singer and provocateur Baby Yors is ready to show us the seedier sides of American culture on his new album AMERICANO. On his latest single, “BOMBON,” Yors cooks up a heady dub and electropop-influence soundscape that is deceivingly bouncy at first listen. However, “BOMBON” is satirical to the core. The artist, who has mentioned he’s a fan of filmmakers like David Lynch and Stanley Kubrick in past interviews, calls out America’s knack for overconsumption, decadence, and hypocrisy through grim lyrics and the single’s equally sardonic video that arrives just in time for the 4th of July. – Nayeli Portillo
Foudeqush - “TONY MONTANA”
Foudeqush is giving the people what they have been waiting for. After the song became a viral sensation after labelmate Girl Ultra spun the leak previously during her DJ set on The Loot Radio, the Mexican artist has officially released “TONY MONTANA.” The first taste of what’s to come from her upcoming EP, the single is a hauntingly lustful and atmospherically dark electro-club banger. The summer-ready song escalates like a drug-induced night out, building new textures as the seconds pass by, alongside the passionate desire towards the people in the room around her until she’s fixated on falling in lust, at least for a night, with the bad boys and bad girls she’s dubbed after one of film’s most notorious bad boy prototypes. – Jeanette Diaz
La Brígida Orquesta & Ana Tijoux - “Acaecer”
Following her collaboration “Dime que” with Pablo Chill-E, the French-Chilean singer Ana Tijoux teamed up with the popular Chilean project La Brígida Orquesta on their newest bilingual track “Acaecer.” The new song blends orchestra with experimental rap, showcasing rich and hard-hitting strings, jazzy elements, and a pulsing hip-hop beat to accompany Tijoux’s echoing French verses and La Brígida Orquesta’s Spanish-language bars. Together, the two artists deliver an ingenious rap song – innovatively powered by a string quartet – that’s a fine taste of La Brígida Orquesta’s highly-anticipated fourth album. – Jeanette Hernandez
Martox - “Canela”
The Caribbean is one of the first places Latin America says hello to the sun every day, and Dominican duo Martox has just dropped Que Bien Te Queda el Caribe — the soundtrack for what’s hopefully a joyous summer. Their new focus single, “Canela,” leans into all the emotions of a sunny beach day in its lyrics, sounds, and music video, capturing the feeling of spending the day with friends or a partner and digging your toes in the sand. Martox has been one of the more exciting, underrated acts of the last few years, and the new project proves they deserve all the attention they can get. — Juan J. Arroyo
Milx - “FLORES & PLOMO”
Keep your eye on Guatemalan singer and producer Milx, whose new EP OUCH… elicits quite the opposite response with its sonic palette of sumptuous R&B and glitchy U.K. garage. Though early singles were designed to get hips swiveling, trappy outlier “FLORES & PLOMO” taps into visceral catharsis as Milx chastises a former paramour for not sticking by his side when the going got tough. Booming kick drums and fluttering synths create a vibey canvas for this alchemic tale of flowers turned to lead, or in this case, romance withered into bitter resentment. – Richard Villegas
Alejandro y María Laura - “Fuimos Tan Felices”
Peruvian duo Alejandro y María Laura document their musical output written in Mexico and Valencia, Spain, their new home, on Dos Hemisferios, the first part of a new two-volume album. Comprising all-original songs, Dos Hemisferios includes “Fuimos Tan Felices,” a beautifully moving standout track all about nostalgia. With an acoustic guitar and their sweet voices in harmony, the couple reminisce about past moments with a touch of melancholy, trying to bring back feelings of happier moments in their life. Add some stunning string arrangements, and now you have a real tear-jerker. — Cheky
Palmar De Troya - “Cold Snakes”
Spain’s Palmar De Troya is here to remind us that rock can be loud, fun, and pissed off, with “Cold Snakes” functioning as a display of their qualifications. Dissonant yet inventive guitar work keeps the track moving along, while singer Lucía gives us a deadpan delivery, barely picking up the melody only to kick into high gear by bringing in big chords to the front and get things really rocking. For those missing distortion, screams, and excitement in their indie rock, this punk-infused band has the right prescription for you. — Marcos Hassan
Nicolasa - “Texas Sun”
“Llévame lejos, llévame al mar,” sings Tejana artist Nicolasa over a chill dance beat on her newest track “Texas Sun.” The feel-good, nostalgic song is inspired by her upbringing in Fort Worth, TX, where she would often fish and play pool. That peek into her life before becoming an artist and producer shines on the track, along with her refined vocals. Pioneering her Tejana house sound by incorporating her Native American and Chicana cultures is a personal effort and one that’ll impress listeners. — Chelsea Quezada
Marcela Avelina - “won’t you try”
You may remember Marcela Avelina from the 2020 Netflix drama series Grand Army, but the NYC-based Honduran actress has been releasing woozy and heart-crushing material as a solo artist since around 2018. Earlier singles like “Remember Season” show her more experimental impulse while her latest track “won’t you try” draws up a more melancholic atmosphere. Avelina’s smoky vocals balance out the track’s somber instrumentals in this aching torch song that shapeshifts between alt-R&B and moody soul-pop. – Nayeli Portillo
liana flores - “Butterflies (feat. Tim Bernardes)”
With the release of her album, British-Brazilian liana flores shares a stunning bossa nova serenade that rings in fellow Brazilian artist Tim Bernardes. Instrumentally stripped back, the melody revolves around a mesmerizing arrangement of wistful guitar melodies that are soon met with the duo’s lusciously delicate vocals that aim to find sweetness in life’s unknown. Attempting to find the beauty in leaving things behind and a thrill in experiences yet to come, the culmination is a rendezvous lost in a daydream. As the song emotionally recalls moments that have fleeted, including each other, they continue to journey on, hopefully finding more of themselves in the everyday moments of their lives. – Jeanette Diaz
Bryan Martinez - "MINIMI"
Cumbias bélicas are having a moment. The latest testament? Michoacán-born Bryan Martinez, who released his newest belicumbia, “MINIMI,” joining the exciting movement. By using cumbia elements such as percussions and keyboards mixed with música mexicana instruments like the sousaphone and trumpet, the rising star brings the new rhythmic subgenre to light. Besides it being a creative offering, the song’s already receiving viral recognition through TikTok, where the teaser’s audio has already been used for over 91,700 videos on the platform. Point blank: música mexicana fans are ready to hear more cumbia bélicas – and we’re here for it. – Jeanette Hernandez
Erre x Andres Melz - “Pa’l K”
In a small territory chock-full of indie producers wanting to leave their mark, the going can often be tough. But Andres Melz has gained inroads with his bombastic and energetic beats, which will soon be appreciated in his upcoming debut album, Pregúntame Si Me Importa (“Ask Me If I Care”). The project’s first single came courtesy of singer-songwriter Katsy, and this week’s release features Los Rarxs member and master of lyrics Erre. “Pa’l K” is a defiant shootout that celebrates the freedom of following your best impulses, and if you fail, fuck it, just run it back. Melz’s production fits the theme like a glove, with an urgent DnB-tinged boom that fits the message. — Juan J. Arroyo
Salt Cathedral - “Cellphone” (Susobrino Remix)
Back in March, NYC-based Colombian indie pop duo Salt Cathedral dropped one of the most underrated albums of the year with Before It’s Gone, which arrived chock-full of gossamer hooks and swaths of house and country music. Now, the pair is redrawing the lines around their colorful compositions with remixes that breathe new life into older singles and album deep cuts. Here, the minimalist “Cellphone” – a meditation on highly-curated online personas – gets a thumping revamp from Bolivian producer Susobrino. Twisting the pitch on Juliana Ronderos’ already songbird vocals, he also pumps the track with twinkling beats that harken back to Salt Cathedral’s bookish Brooklyn beginnings. – Richard Villegas
Javier Arce, Mica Sotera - “Mi Ángel”
Javier Arce, better known as the frontman of Costa Rican band Cocofunka, joined forces with Argentina’s Mica Sotera to deliver the mellow dance number “Mi Ángel.” Backed by the kind of breezy house beat that would fit perfectly on a Kaytranada DJ set, Arce and Sotera layer their soft croons to sing about sincere love, appreciation, and the inner work that needs to be done to make space for someone new in our lives. If you’re looking to dance while smiling, this is your new jam. — Cheky
Kamixlo - “Pitch Black (feat. Isabella Lovestory)”
In the past, Chilean-born producer Kamixlo has worked closely with Isabella Lovestory on some of her best songs, but now, the tables are turning. On “Pitch Black,” Isabella guests on his solo track that comes off his forthcoming album, DEATHWORK. She seizes the opportunity to explore her sexually voracious lyricism, singing about how much she likes hardcore sex and heating up the beats in the process. Instrumentally, Kamixlo conjures a sound that industrializes the classic dembow rhythms of Luny Tunes and DJ Nelson into a detail-oriented, discordant culo-shaker, challenging and delighting listeners. Overall, “Pitch Black” is slow, sensuous, creepy, and just the right amount of dangerous. — Marcos Hassan