10 New Songs to Listen to by Emilia, Nicky Jam, DND & More

Skating the lines of folk, pop, R&B, indie, and electronic music, Chilean singer-songwriter Abrildefresa’s new album is an ambitious exploration of emotion, grounded by surreal instrumentation and lyricism that meditate on love, memory, and the passage of time. Con amor is the full-length follow-up to 2024’s YNQNPQSD, offering a far more intimate journey through alternative pop soundscapes. Abril has been a growing voice in his own lane, but here his towering confidence and charisma are tempered by a more introspective lens. While the album traverses a wide range of emotional spaces, from the rosy-cheeked “amores” to the epic “siempresiempre,” “poco + real” pauses to reflect, striking a cathartic balance. With contributions from Mexican producer and singer Plastikboy and Chile’s own Facebrooklyn, and a soft rock melody led by an Oasis-esque guitar riff, “poco + real” captures the project at its best. It’s a dreamy sequence where Abril takes time to revel in the moment. –Alan Baez

On their new joint album, BAILAR O MORIR, Argentine superstars Lali and Miranda! team up around a single, urgent cause: pop music as a matter of life or death. Earlier this week, they dropped an outlandish 16-minute trailer teasing the record’s hedonistic Italo disco beats, operatic vocals from Ale Sergi, and the femme-fatale chemistry between Lali and Juliana Gattas. The clip featured the title track as its lead single, percolating from a nocturnal techno beat into circuit synths that evoke throbbing dance floors and racy darkroom indiscretions. “Mi lista de invitados soy solamente yo / con mi mejor peluca, tapado de visión,” purrs Gattas in one of the song’s campest moments, delivering a masterclass in pop aura that should be studied by every one of Lali’s teenage acolytes. –Richard Villegas

Argentinian pop star Emilia drops her newest single, “BODYPAINTING,” a bold step forward for her captivating sound. Produced by LIOHN, the song is a naughty anthem about eagerly giving in to your desires, with a smile and no shame. The frenzied beat pairs with her voice to form one of the season’s catchiest, sexiest Latin pop hits. For Emilia, the song marks the start of what she calls a new era, and if this is a taste of what’s to come, her fans are in for a treat. –Juan J. Arroyo

Combo Chimbita frontwoman Carolina Oliveros turns rage into a war cry against patriarchal violence on her new single. “Ya Rompimos el Silencio,” the title track from the Colombian artist’s forthcoming debut solo album, is a powerful political cumbia number in which she slams her fist on the table and calls out gender-biased violence and the system that upholds it. She believes breaking the silence is the first step toward justice, and her voice sounds strong and empowered as she sings for every woman who has been silenced. The song incorporates a chill-inducing speech by Mexican activist Yesenia Zamudio denouncing the femicide of her 19-year-old daughter Marichuy, and it’s key to her message. –Cheky

Who says a connection from another lifetime can’t come with some very present-day benefits? On “birds and butterflies,” Niko Rubio explores a romance that’s simply too cosmically good to be a one-time affair. From her long-awaited debut album late night swim, the Mexican-Salvadoran songstress pairs a reggae-kissed groove with a deliciously dreamy pop aura. At the same time, her sultry vocals bring all that cosmic longing back down to earth. She imagines recognizing a lover from another life, perhaps as birds or butterflies, but what starts as déjà vu quickly turns steamier. Rubio moves from wondering about past lives to worshipping the body. It’s a playful collision of the spiritual and sensual: fate might bring two souls together, but chemistry knows how to take it from there. Reincarnation has never sounded quite so tempting. –Jeanette Diaz

Congratulations—yes, to you reading this! After listening to Argentinian star Yami Safdie present “Felicidades,” her passionate case for celebrating every day as if it were a holiday, you’ll give yourself permission to turn today into one. Co-hosting this never-ending party, the icon himself, Maluma, playfully invites you to let go of burdens, delete the pics with them, and let this cumbia rhythm take over, rejoicing in the freedom that comes with putting yourself first. Together, their voices create a warm atmosphere that, alongside the pristine mix of shiny trumpets, accordion, and deep reggaetonesque synths, feels like dancing with your closest friends—cheering a recent breakup and a sweeter, more exciting future. Hit play, send it to the friend you thought of while listening, and congratulate yourself. Felicidades! –La Morra Lisa

Norteño isn’t dead. Tombochio‘s “0 RIP” takes us on a journey of success, showing off the fruits of his musical labor. In the new track, the emerging Mexican singer flaunts his newfound luxury life, shopping in Paris while laying down hard-hitting, earworm verses in front of the iconic Eiffel Tower. Backed by powerful bass and his signature rhythmic accordion, the young artist sings about making magazine covers, the tough decisions that got him where he is, and his love of expensive brands—commemorating his official “made it moment.” “0 RIP” appears on Tombochio’s recent album, STAR (DELUXE VERSION), out now. –Jeanette Hernandez

Brazilian singer-songwriter Ste A Viva, stage name of Stephanny Lima, turns the bittersweet process of rediscovering someone you once knew intimately into a whimsical daydream with “Me Convida.” Born in the country’s tropical northern region, Ste A Viva wraps questions about emotional distance, lingering wounds, and the elusive nature of truly knowing another person in a dreamy soundscape where tangled vocals drift between lighthearted curiosity and the weight of a relationship that has lost its familiar shape. Rather than reaching for grand declarations, Ste A Viva finds tenderness in the everyday details of another person’s life, from their favorite streets to the way they move through the world, transforming the desire to reconnect into something both charming and quietly devastating. Like trying to piece together a fading memory, “Me Convida” embraces the beauty of getting to know someone all over again while acknowledging that the person we love and the person we imagine are never quite the same. –Júlia Henn

Reparto tropical is taking over El Movimiento with familiar rhythms and an expanded musical palette that feels like a breath of fresh air, and this new remix is set to reach many more ears than before. Cuban duo Nesty & Pututi are at the forefront of the genre, and with Tito El Bambino in tow, they already made a slam dunk with “Los Despechaos.” The track pairs ultra-melodic, harmonically rich vocals with acoustic instruments over a dembow-adjacent groove, balancing warmth and excitement. With another reggaeton legend, Nicky Jam, in the mix, the result is a remix for the ages—a track we’ll likely point to as the beginning of something big. –Marcos Hassan

DND knows that getting over someone is rarely as simple as blocking their number and calling it a day. On “ANYMORE,” the group turns the messy business of moving on into a synth-pop breakup anthem, arriving just in time for Halloween and all the ghosts that come with it. Years of history to shake, walls that have seen too many tears, and the added complication of still sharing a friend group with the person you’re trying to forget. But instead of staying home to spiral, DND takes the heartbreak where it belongs—to the club, with friends, tequila shots, and a toast to whoever comes next. It marks a shift from the stage-ready energy of “Too Good,” their Pharrell Williams-produced single, trading big-show swagger for something more personal. Sometimes the best way to bury the past is to dance over its grave. –Natasha Melina Argudo