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 Julieta Rada, Leo Rizzi, and riela. Follow our playlist featuring these tracks and more on Spotify or Apple Music.
Julieta Rada - “El Tambor”
Uruguayan pop artist Julieta Rada has released this latest single to commemorate and celebrate candombe music, a traditional Uruguayan-African folk dance. “El Tambor” is a modern cover of a candombe song, with sections of the song dedicated to separate electric guitar and traditional drum solos. Produced by Juan Campodónico, the song captures the essence of the candombe — paying homage to the tambores Núñez, an iconic family in that world. The track celebrates the rich culture there and the instruments that make it stand out so brightly, and, of course, it practically forces you to stand up and dance along. – Sofia Viera
Leo Rizzi - “Zeppelin”
With the arrival of his debut album looming closer and closer, Uruguayan-alternative artist Leo Rizzi is shaping his sound and image through the rich amalgamation of pop and rock influences. Rizzi’s musical aesthetics and sound are reminiscent of Latine parent bands like Maná or Café Tacvba, which is evident from his influences being Latine pop-rock groups from the 2000s. “Zeppelin” is the last teaser from his upcoming debut project, Pájaro Azul, and showcases this early rock influence and love for easy listening, layered popular music. Rizzi’s vocal performance is soothing and is carried by the track’s thumping guitar riff, resulting in a harmonious blend of angelic yearning and pulsating elements that showcase the young singer’s ambition and arrival for a larger scene. – Alan Baez
riela - "$$$$"
Born in America to Cuban and Panamanian parents, artist riela drops her second single, “$$$$,” from her upcoming EP due spring 2025. Blending reggaeton-pop rhythms with velvety R&B vocals, riela delivers an empowerment anthem, shedding toxic relationships to chase her dreams alongside her closest friends. Teaming up with Mexican producer Sebastian Torres and songwriter Joaquina Mertz, riela’s catchy, acid lyrics capture the vibe of finally doing things for her own benefit, instead of making space for others’ needs, as said in “No hay espacio pa los dos / Me he comprado todo hoy/ Ya no cabes baby no.” With Latine music’s Gen Z wave on the rise, “$$$$” proves riela is carving her own lane as a rising star with a bold, refreshing sound. – Júlia Henn
Drea Dury - “No Lonely”
Colombian singer-songwriter Drea Dury released “No Lonely,” a mellow, synth-pop track backed by percussions that’s all about self-love. With lyrics like, “No ando lonely porque tu estas aquí, no lonely, ’cause I got it in me,” she describes holding it down for herself, even when things get hard. “We have to be our most important love,” the artist said in a press statement about the new track. Altogether, “No Lonely” serves as a reminder that you don’t need anyone else to make you happy and that there’s always light, even in the darkest times, complemented with a soft synth-pop beat featuring melodic piano keys. “No Lonely” is part of Dury’s newest album Palmera Nights, which is an insight into her nightlife and the emotions that come with it. – Jeanette Hernandez
MÓRIA - “Rota Nunca Queda (feat. Las Cayenas Negras)”
Dominican singer-songwriter MÓRIA’s debut album, SERENO DE LA NOCHE, was one of the best releases of 2023. In it, she introduced the concept of what she calls “darkchata,” which she describes as an alternative musical space — akin to the night — where she can express her emotions more truthfully. This week, she releases “Rota Nunca Queda,” the next single of her upcoming new project. MÓRIA continues experimenting with the genres she grew up with, this time crafting a rallying cry for “guerreras” who weather betrayal and disrespect and come out the other side standing strong and believing the world can still be theirs for the taking. — Juan J. Arroyo
Letelefono - “La Buena Suerte”
Letelefono is having a crisis of faith… In love. The Ecuadorian singer and producer has unveiled the latest installment in a series of monthly singles teasing his forthcoming fifth LP, this time pouring his romantic sorrows into the electrified ballad, “La Buena Suerte.” Sounding like the tormented child of Pulp and Miranda!, the song details how an old flame has found new love, leaving Letelefono with poisonous jealousy of another’s good fortune. It’s charming, melodramatic pop, but if you find the song hitting too close to home, just get lost in the heavenly bliss of the chorus’ soaring “oh-oh” crescendo. I promise it’ll make you feel better. – Richard Villegas
Vaya Futuro - “Anteste (feat. Marie Gabrielle Blix)”
Vaya Futuro’s dreamy and distorted music can evoke a feeling of ascending and cathartic euphoria, and their collaboration with Mexican composer Marie Gabrielle Blix is the best example of this quality. This collaboration gives “Anteste” an extra layer of darkness and beauty. The track begins with a piano figure that gets more saturated as the vocal melody soars into a higher register, and the band brings about a slow crescendo. Also of note, the video for the song is a short film called The Last Light directed by Angelita Mendoza, which gives the song a cinematic scope. — Marcos Hassan
Marttein - “Llámalo (feat. Dillom)”
Marttein channels enigmatic baddie energy on “Llámalo,” the latest single from his forthcoming concept album. Centered around the story of an unnamed antagonist caught up in the nocturnal underground of his native Buenos Aires, his latest work features some of the harsher textures heard on his 2021 Romantica EP but is unlike anything the Argentine artist has ever released before. Marttein sets everything ablaze with an abrasive mix of industrial rock, rave-pop, and scraping nu metal-like guitars beside Dillom on this eerie antihero anthem. – Nayeli Portillo
Lechuga Zafiro - “Botellharpa”
Uruguay’s Lechuga Zafiro is finally releasing his long-awaited debut album, Desde los oídos de un sapo, and its first single is a success in sound design and rhythm. “Botellharpa,” like the rest of the album, was purely built from field recordings of different sources and manipulated to a higher or lower degree to create a propulsive club track that sends us into a hallucination that sounds half natural, half synthetic, and the line between the two is blurred. The trip into the rainforest just got extremely weird. – Cheky
Fin del Mundo - “El día de las flores (feat. Guillermo Mármol)”
Fin del Mundo is a prominent contender for rising rockers out of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The final single leading up to the release of their next anticipated album Hicimos crecer un bosque is “El día de las flores.” Between drifting guitars, pulsating drums, and submerged bass lines that carry the dream pop song through, the single plays like being caught in the hazy, nostalgic memory of a prior love’s dejection. The lovelorn lyrics float between the lead vocals of Lucía Masnatta, joined by feature Guillermo Mármol of Eterna Inocencia, as they reflect on their unrequited love as they journey through a cityscape as a means of trying to keep the memory of a happiness that what once was alive. – Jeanette Diaz
La Zorra Zapata - “Oficio (feat. Ev)”
The Peruvian songwriter and multimedia artist Nuria Zapata Fiedler — whose artist name is La Zorra Zapata — has released her third and latest single “Oficio” from her upcoming album Quema o Ilumina. In collaboration with Colombian artist EV, the song is a letter to her inner self about her career and her life’s passion: music. It’s a simple and soft track that gently guides you through the artist’s reflections on her career, where she repeats “es mi destino, mi oficio, mi ocupación” (“it’s my destiny, my trade, my occupation”) and reminds herself the milestones others make for her aren’t as important as her own joy in making the music she adores. – Sofia Viera
Baiuca - “Barullo (feat. Felisa Segade)”
Establishing another building block of an already impressive tower of soundscapes and sonic textures, “Barullo” is the latest piece of extravagant, dreamy sounds from Spanish artist Baiuca. “Barullo” is another lucid entrance into the eclectic mind of Galician artist and producer Baiuca and serves as a contemporary step into his take on more traditional dance music. The title track for his upcoming project is an ambitious step in a semi-new direction. While Baiuca has established himself as a renowned producer in the electronic field, this new song sees him dancing in a new space, surrounded by familiar yet strange energies, all while remaining connected to his roots in Galician and Iberian music. “Barullo” is deeply original while showcasing a love for an already established sound. Its house-influenced beat paints a picture of a vibrant dance floor while showcasing Baiuca’s culturally loved and deep roots. – Alan Baez
Kid Cali - “PINK BUBALU”
“PINK BUBALU,” the latest single by Honduran rising artist Kid Cali, is a one-way ticket to that magical summer feeling when anything can happen with our feet covered in sand while the salt from the sea prickles at our skin as it dries in the sun. The singer manages this dynamic trip by blending modern electronic beats with irresistibly catchy merengue rhythms that will make it impossible for your hips to remain still when listening to it. Talking about summer love and making memories out of it, Kid Cali gets us all excited for his debut album, set to be released in 2025. In the meantime, we can enjoy the amazing music he will be dropping through the rest of 2024. – Júlia Henn
Adriel Favela - "Sin Plan B (feat. El Niño de Sonora)"
Adriel Favela teamed up with El Niño de Sonora on his latest collaboration, “Sin Plan B.” The new joint track is a hard-hitting corrido tumbado featuring Favela’s signature norteño edge and both artists’ vigorous flows. Throughout the song, the two artists trade verses about always being on top, having expensive luxuries and connections, and not needing a plan b – the usual corrido tumbado formula that keeps the crowd going. However, what’s interesting is the norteño flair that separates Favela from his other like-minded colleagues. – Jeanette Hernandez
Grioten, Blackwill - “Normalcy Is the Death of Me”
The dark trap scene in Puerto Rico has gone from being very niche to becoming a frequent staple at local venues and clubs. That growth is due in no small part to the success of artists like Grioten and Blackwill, who have made significant inroads with listeners who find the music riveting and a perfect stress release. This week, they finally unite for “Normalcy Is the Death of Me,” which combines Grioten’s onyx-dark lyrics with Blackwill’s impressive penchant for roaring his bars. As the subgenre expands and continues to win over fans, there’s little doubt they’ll be two of its most prominent faces, and rightly so. — Juan J. Arroyo
Mula - “Mar”
Beloved Dominican trio Mula is kicking off a new album cycle with the addictive single “Mar,” pouring their hybrids of Caribbean roots sounds into dance floor filling four-on-the-floor. The thumping house beat at the song’s core is adorned with flourishes of merengue and dembow drums, but as always, it’s the Acevedo Sisters’ angelic harmonies that give “Mar” its bubbly, joyful spirit. As if the song’s seafaring motifs weren’t enough, the accompanying Santiago García Cruz-directed music video follows the group and a new friend on a road trip to the beach, where romantic sparks fly and are eventually quenched in the ocean rush. – Richard Villegas
ACTY - “Escena Nacional”
As one of the most inspiring bands from the current shoegaze explosion happening in Mexico, Amparo Carmen Teresa Yolanda has put their experience to the test in this new song. Rocking from the get-go, ACTY mentions all their frustrations about being an independent band in the year of our lord 2024. Guitars screech, then sing, then go back to screeching while a loopy bassline keeps the rhythm chugging accordingly. “Escena Nacional” is a song that might have desperation as its central theme, but there’s something life-affirming about this melodic cut. — Marcos Hassan
Alejandro y Maria Laura & Milena Warthon - “Quisiera Quererte (Versión Hemisferio II)”
Singer-songwriter duo Alejandro Rivas and Maria Laura Bustamante (aka Alejandro y Maria Laura) write soft and cinematic folk-pop melodies that lean into fantastical elements. Originally released on 2013’s Fiesta para Los Muertos, this new version of “Quisiera Quererte” serves as a B-side single off of their latest record Hemisferio II and features fellow Peruvian artist Milena Warthon. Here, Wharton and Bustamante trade off vocal duties for a heavenly but bittersweet reworking of the longtime fan favorite that feels even more intimate and raw than the original. – Nayeli Portillo
Zona en Reclamación - “Tu Dulce Café (feat. Cheo)"
Juan Luis Guerra must have been in a trance somewhere in his house during Zona en Reclamación’s “Tu Dulce Café” studio session ‘cause they channeled his spirit right into the console. Now, in collaboration with Cheo, the Mexican-Venezuelan trio continues exploring Latin American nostalgia with this fabulous throwback merengue, also reminiscent of Los Melódicos, giving us a party anthem you can even dance to with your grandma at a family gathering. Heberto Ánez moves through intricate guitar work and fun horn arrangements, serenading us with words about simple pleasures. – Cheky
Fake Dad - “Touch Me”
Formed in NYC, now LA-based duo Fake Dad shares a new single dedicated to the real yearners with “Touch Me,” while offering a taste of what’s to come from their upcoming debut album. From the first isolated plays of mesmeric guitar riffs, the track continues to build into the ethereal allure of ‘90s atmospheric pop reimagined for the modern age. Andrea de Varona’s vocals add a desirous texture as she makes an impassioned, longing plea amid a fleeting outer world to be consumed by the solace found in a lover’s touch. A fitting song for overwhelming times, we can all use a bit more reminders of the reignited joy and refuge that can be found in the presence and simplest of contact with a loved one. – Jeanette Diaz