20 New Songs to Listen to This Week From Daymé Arocena to GOMES

Daymé Arocena - “Mean”

Tackling minimal instrumentals for an intimate performance, the latest from Havana’s finest teases jazz tendencies through a nontraditional lens. Daymé Arocena is a jack of all trades, being able to provide soulful jams in multiple distinct pockets of regional jazz music. Her latest single veers away from the global Afro-Caribbean inspirations and instead hones in on something more sonically focused. “Mean” is anything but. Its stripped-down instrumentals trade in the multi-orchestral pieces that have propped up Arocena’s previous albums for one sole piano, accompanying the singer as her voice takes the main stage. “Mean” is as minimal as it gets, allocating all space for Arocenas’ booming voice to bleed through for an intimately raw performance. The song is a cut from Arocenas’ upcoming EP, Daymé y yo, a project poised to focus more intently on traditional jazz and soul aspects. While her last album Alkemi took inspiration from global sounds such as Western neo soul, pop, and rumba, Daymé y yo is poised to focus more intently on traditional jazz stylings, and “Mean” is a fantastic demonstration of what Arocena can produce with so little. – Alan Baez

GOMES - “Fiz De Tudo”

Brazilian singer GOMES’s first album Puro Transe is filled with rhythms well-known by his home country’s audience. From heavy percussion beats to indie pop to electronic, every song in the project reveals a new layer of Brazilianness and GOMES himself. “Fiz de Tudo” is a fun, lighthearted track focused on the lengths we go as humans once we let our most basic instincts of attraction take over and the satisfying rewards that might come from it. As his own lyrics explain quite plainly, “it was the lust speaking.” For those familiar with Portuguese as a language, the artist’s particular accent from the state of Pernambuco is just another perk in his uplifting style of music. – Júlia Henn

DannyLux - “Sirena” 

Gen Z sierreño singer DannyLux is down bad, and he isn’t afraid to show it on “Sirena,” the latest single from his newly released album LEYENDA. “Si me tengo que pelear con todo el mundo, si tengo que atravesar balas/lo haría por ti en un segundo,” Lux croons gently over warm and plush psychedelic riffs that are a subtle nod to some of his classic rock influences like Pink Floyd. “Sirena” falls in line with much of the Palm Springs singer’s older roster of guitar-driven serenades and odes to yearning from afar, but evinces a more refined and impassioned songwriter and an even more broken-in musician who remains unafraid when it comes to experimenting with darker sonic textures. – Nayeli Portillo

Chicarica - “Ni Tú A Mi”

With its latest single, Chile’s Chicarica are poised to become an important name within the electronic scene in 2025, thanks to tracks like this one. With a chanted mantra and bed of synths that are equal parts twee pop and deathrock, “Ni Tú A Mi” soon becomes a dirty rave banger, giving us a relentless beat and broken synth lines that feel unsettling yet reaffirming. The song balances the nervous energy of bad drugs and memories of lost love with the promise of a great time at the function. Weaving melodies and layered electronics, Chicarica captures yearning and other complex emotions in a cathartic dance track. — Marcos Hassan

Sabrina Claudio - “Memory Foam” 

Sultry songstress Sabrina Claudio has shared her final preview single “Memory Foam” ahead of her upcoming album Fall In Love With Her, out early June. In this endearing, sensual ballad with a hint of alternative instrumentation, Claudio steps away from romantic love as the focus and lathers up a less glorified intimacy that so often is the central glue that holds many together: that of female friendship. The music video is a beautifully intimate exploration of this, as it features her and her real-life best friend on a getaway, stunningly capturing on film all the love and healing that are excavated in even the most routine yet significant moments that spawn from their grounding devotion in real time. — Jeanette Diaz

Hana Fox - “JAJA”

Emerging Argentinian artist Hana Fox breaks strongly into the scene, your speakers, and any signs of a bad day with “JAJA,” a bright and energetic track that kicks off an early start to summer 2025. With clever and cheeky lyrics that can become mottos for anyone dealing with a breakup, like “He said he needs space, I’m not NASA” or “I’ll drink my tears as if they’re shots,” mentioning the Argentinian drink by excellence Fernet, and backed by a strong team of producers with the likes of Babyboom, Luca Oliva, and Caleb Calloway, the sound delivered is explosive in the best way. “JAJA” is worthy of any established pop artist and a must-add to your party playlist after the first listen. Fox’s voice is smooth, friendly, and manages to deliver her message of freedom and independence while remaining sexy and memorable, all while exploring different levels of energy through the track. With smooth multilayered vocals, soft synths and a thumping bass that will tickle any K-pop fan in the right ways, “JAJA” is the perfect companion for a car ride, a workout, or the ideal song to share with your friend who is still wondering if they should call their ex back. Spoiler: they should not. – La Morra Lisa

Pielroja, El Kalvo - “Guiso” Prod. Hi-Kymon

The Colombian rap scene is one of the mightiest on the continent today, striking a meticulous balance between old school boom bap codes, abstract beat making, and cinema verité-level storytelling. One of the leaders of this generation of MCs is El Kalvo, who followed up culinary-inspired records Los Tres Golpes and La Mezcolanza, with a new album called Guiso, masterminded alongside Barcelona-based rhyme institution Pielroja and mega-producer Hi-Kymon. Among the album’s many delectable cuts, the title track might be its most succulent, breaking down a devilish but never lurid tale of seduction through edible allegory. “Con esas carnes se arrepiente hasta un vegano,” spits Pielroja at the top of the song, singing praises for the thiccest among us. El Kalvo follows up with, “Mi lenguaje de amor es el colesterol / por ti sacrifico al carbón mi mejor perol,” underscoring how romance and a little cheek can spice up your life. —Richard Villegas

DELAMATU - “La Verdad”

DELAMATU is the new musical adventure from Venezuela’s Sunsplash and Lulannie, and Mexico’s Belmar, who joined forces to find a meeting point that’s well-represented on their debut single “La Verdad.” Finding inspiration in dream pop, breakbeats, and indie pop, the trio leans toward the sun-kissed aesthetic of early Caribou, making us daydream in their ethereal sounds punctuated by understated guitarwork and sampled drums. Lulannie’s confessional lyrics are veiled in reverb, ending up sounding like whispered secrets blown by the wind. – Cheky

Marca MP, Los Hijos de Barrón - “Seguimos Sumando” 

Marca MP added their subtle twist to Los Hijos de Barrón’s hit “Seguimos Sumando.” The new rendition sticks to the original song’s flow, with the only difference being that Marca MP’s vocalist, Pedro “El Chato” Vargas, echoes Los Hijos de Barrón’s hard-hitting cadence. Though the song was originally released in 2018, its message remains as real as ever: life’s all about working hard towards your goals, staying loyal, and being resilient. With lyrics like, “Paso a paso he logrado escalar / La vida no es fácil hay que batallar / Con esfuerzo y con Dios por delante / Seguimos Sumando puro pa’ delante,” the remake is an anthem about getting through life with your head up and by doing no wrong to anybody. – Jeanette Hernandez

Polimá Westcoast - “No Te Enamores”

The superstar that keeps on giving, Polimá Westcoast has been fruitful with his verses for the past few years, providing a sensational LP and a multitude of features. It’s been a little over a year since Westcoast released the deluxe version of his 2023 project DE CAMINO A HERMES, with a handful of loose singles and chart-topping features such as “BIEN :(“ with Alejo, and Cyril Kamer’s “Thalia” remix in the meantime. But now he’s arrived with a brand new project, +QUALITY. While Westcoast has always experimented with his style, the songs on +QUALITY dare to experiment with a little more tenacity, with the rapper reaching out of his comfort zone. “No Te Enamores” is one clear demonstration of this for its moody and electronica inspirations. This is Westcoast incorporating multiple influences of hip-hop, dark house, and grunge into one righteous track that reupps the Latine trap genre. – Alan Baez

Alejandro Aranda - “Summer Bummer”

Under blurry city lights in the dark of the night, Alejandro Aranda evokes melancholic feelings of longing, nostalgia, and even a spark of hope for connection with “Summer Bummer,” the focus track of his newest project, Farewell Superstar. The nostalgic atmosphere in which the song envelops its audience roots itself in the similarities the tune shares with a sonic aesthetic often associated with early 2000s emo-rock, from the melody to the teasing bridge to Aranda’s smooth but emotionally wounded vocals. In the reflective nature of its lyrics, the track does a great job of introducing the artist’s style and mentality to those just getting to know him and pleasing fans who have been waiting for new music. – Júlia Henn

late night drive home - "american church"

Indie rock rock sweethearts late night drive home give us another preview of their upcoming record as i watch my life online, out June 27 on Epitaph Records. On “american church,” the El Paso-based outfit wrestles with the habit of going head first into fickle, emotionally disconnected relationships and addictions, as well as the ways that we worship at the “flawed altar” of social media via endless swiping, scrolling, and double-taps. Lead singer Andre Portillo’s melancholic vocals harken back to the heyday of early aughts emo and ring over deliciously sweet and jangly guitars in this melodic critique of our collective dependency on the internet. – Nayeli Portillo

N8NOFACE - “Waiting To Wait For You”

Post punk and synthpop are genres that have taken on love’s complexity since they’ve been around, so giving them a new edge is a difficult challenge that, luckily, N8NOFACE is up for. While retaining much of the genre’s signifiers — thrift store disco beats, swinging basslines, and ghastly guitar lines — the California-via-Arizona singer delivers the lyrics without embellishment, telling us about wanting to fall in love badly through an instantly memorable chorus. With his latest single, N8NOFACE recaptures the dark elegance of goth music and harnesses it into a pocket symphony that will make you want to take over the dancefloor. — Marcos Hassan

Girl Ultra - “Tomas (feat. Empress Of, Chromeo)”

Eclectic Mexican R&B house artist Girl Ultra has released new track “Tomás,” a long-awaited and first drop since last year’s Blush. With production help from iconic electro-funk duo Chromeo and a feature from Honduran-Amercian alt-pop musician Empress Of, the star-filled track makes toxic love feel so vigorously fun. The single is absolutely consumed by the memory of an “archetype of a man,” the one you know is no good for you and you long to forget, but simply can’t. Longing for escape yet becoming unescapable, the name keeps slipping from their mind to their mouth in repetitive fashion with each pulsating beat. Listen, attachment issues have led us all at some point to places we wouldn’t even dare go with a gun, but at least this time it’s taking us straight to the dancefloor and giving us an undeniable contender for songs we won’t be able to stop spinning through the summer. — Jeanette Diaz

Alexia Naomi - “Luz”

Opening with a touching and emotionally charged inhale, “Luz” delivers a poetic and honest track that displays a passionate inner fight between wanting to move on and heal from a broken heart, but still longing for the light that once was found in that person’s company. Alexia Naomi, one of the newest voices in Chilean pop, gives us a beautiful and melancholic beat that paints the picture of two lovers dancing together in a candle-lit cantina during a hot afternoon, backed by incredible bolero style guitars and percussions. The lyrics have beautiful jewels, like “I learned that love is wisest, it always waits and forgives,” which will help any aching heart feel much better. And while the first part of the song is beautiful and delivers a complete idea and outstanding vocals, you are not ready for the third act of the track where the classic Latin American sounds, like a stunning guitar solo, explode into a modern synth with distorted cut-up voices. “Luz” will have you shaking your head, turning up the volume, and taking a second look to wonder what Alexia Naomi has cooking up next, which we most definitely don’t want to miss. – La Morra Lisa

Reptiles Reptiles - “La Última Fiesta de Palos”

The singer, multi-instrumentalist, filmmaker, composer, and visual artist Oscar Chabebe has been a Dominican underground staple for upwards of two decades. Over the pandemic, he launched his solo project Reptiles Reptiles, debuting with a minimalist album titled Simple Music, filled with Casio-fueled new age tunes and a handful of merengues run through the chiptune filter. Now he’s back with a new record called El Fin de Santo Domingo, where he cracks open Caribbean reality with bursts of ambient, progressive jazz, and gagá, delivering a psychedelic epic that runs the gamut of rage and cathartic relief. The zenith of Chabebe’s upset emerges on “La Última Fiesta de Palos,” where he laments the decline of contemporary musicality and songwriting, singing: “Ay Duluc, qué es lo que está pasando / que a los compositores se les ha ido todo el grajo / detrás de su chequesito / quieren acabar con el merengue y el palo.” The critique comes during poignant conversations over the struggle between avarice and art, and while the blend of Afro-Dominican percussion and gauzy keys makes for hypnotic delirium, Chabebe’s warnings ring with urgent clarity. — Richard Villegas

Salvar Doñana - “Nuestra foto en el Real”

After debuting late last year with their eponymous album, Andalusian outfit Salvar Doñana keeps the ball rolling with “Nuestra foto en el Real.” The song plays with two distinct, deliciously disparate sections aimed to stir our nostalgia. First, we are treated with a sort of reinterpretation of The Cure’s “Pictures of You” filtered through a 2010 witch house lens that moves us with its melancholic lyrics placed over giant synths and 808 bass. Then we take a sudden left turn and find ourselves in the middle of a flamenco-splashed take on Juan Luis Guerra y 440’s bachata classic “Burbujas de amor,” threading together both parts with words about love in la Feria de Sevilla. It will make sense after you hit play. – Cheky

Andria Rose - “Prelude (Live)”

Dreampop siren Andria Rose’s first single was “Prelude” back in 2019, and it’s racked up hundreds of thousands of streams in the years since. This week, she releases a “live” version of the track that was recorded on set during the filming of its music video. Last year, she dropped her latest EP, Coming Up Roses, which presented her at her best yet. The results were undeniable — she performed at SXSW this year and has more coming up. Reaching back to the song that started it all, and giving it its flowers, is a way of saying she’s been that girl since the beginning. — Juan J. Arroyo

GORDO, Blessd - “Globo”

After releasing his NO HAY VERANO SIN GORDO EP, GORDO is continuing to experiment with Latine artists. In his newest track “Globo,” the Nicaraguan-Guatemalan-American producer summoned Colombian artist Blessd to elevate his explosive DJ sets. “Globo” exudes GORDO’s signature house sounds that have made him a figurehead in the EDM realm in the last decade. Now featuring Blessd’s reggaeton flair, the two Latinos center each of their genres’ expertise into a new club-ready banger, all while narrating a story about a baddie who embraces her freedom. – Jeanette Hernandez

Calma Calmona - “Where Did You Go? (Live)”

One of Puerto Rico’s most valuable neo-soul treasures, Calma Carmona has been regaling her fans with smooth and passion-fueled music for over a decade now. Her latest single, “Where Did You Go?” has her indulging in a bit of blues both lyrically and sonically, wading into a sound that she’s flirted with before but even more enthusiastically now. Recorded “live,” her inimitable voice breaks down the elements of her heartbreak and disillusionment, rising and falling like a rollercoaster of emotions. All her songs tend to be a journey, and this one is no different. — Juan J. Arroyo