20 New Songs to Listen to This Week From Gigi Saldaña to Letón Pe

Gigi Saldaña - “Me Enchulé”

Opening with mesmerizing vocal runs over a quiet funky beat, Gigi Saldaña presents her love letter to love at first sight with “Me Enchulé, where she sings about being captivated from the first time she saw someone and completely losing interest in everyone else. Straight off her debut EP Flor de Verano, the sensual track intensifies as questions like “what is the worst that could happen if you’re honest with me?” aim to break barriers. With virtuous choruses, harmonies, and a Brazilian funk beat that turns the heat up despite being a lower-paced track, this Puerto Rican artist proves that music is in her veins and that there is also love at first listen. – La Morra Lisa

Letón Pé - “GRANADA”

Just when you thought you had her figured out, Letón Pé makes a new left turn in sound with her new single “GRANADA.” Leaning towards pop’s edgier, more alternative sound, “GRANADA” gives us the Dominican artist at her most empowered. She knows what she wants and also her worth, and she’s not willing to compromise for anyone who brings less than that. Backed with a magnetic beat and a growling techno-referencing bass line, “GRANADA” has every element to become an instant anthem. – Cheky

Adriel.sfx, Javier Cali, Tachi Waves - “(20 MNTS) Celestial Motorsport”

Within the Dominican Republic’s prolific electronic music movement, Adriel.sfx endures as a curious sound scientist straddling worlds of dance and experimentalism, gleefully swerving through city pop and digicore. These worlds collide on his new EP, Volta, making the case that boundary-pushing music can also be accessible, with the rapturous glitching of “Euforia Checkpoint” and the baile funk-indebted waist winder, “Intermission.” Perhaps the best example of this marriage shows up on “(20 MNTS) Celestial Motorsport,” a vibey collaboration with the Mexican producer Javier Cali and Venezuelan R&B crooner Tachi Waves. Making their play for pop earworm glory, the track’s fluttering synths and clanging percussion become a pillowy canvas for Cali’s velveteen hooks and Waves’ cocky raps, sensually musing on infiltrating a baddy’s dreams and chilling in her mind long term. — Richard Villegas

Daymé Arocena - “Candela Wena (feat. Apache)" 

Modern Cuban icon Daymé Arocena returns for one more kinetic boom of dancing before the summer closes out. “Candela Wena” comes right after her July EP Dayme y yo. And while that project was centered around intimate, stripped-down jazz versions of tracks from Alkemi, this new song sees the singer deep in her Afrobeats bag. While the dreary, melancholic yet vibrant tones of Dayme y yo remain in my mouth, that spirited jazz swing is still present in “Candela Wena,” bringing with it elements of reggaeton and Afrobeats textures. Arocena has been a master of her craft, curating her nostalgic sound since her childhood years, but we’re currently experiencing mature departures into new, yet romantic territories. “Candela Wena” carries a love for multiple fronts, with a hand in multiple practices, demonstrating that Arocena is still keeping her practice fresh. – Alan Baez

Joss ML, NEISAN & Enayy - “ADICCIÓN”

Reggaeton mexa newcomer Joss ML and his frequent producer Enayy are continuing their string of catchy collaborations. This time, they’ve added another La Esquina Inc artist, NEISAN, to the mix on “ADICCIÓN.” The new track is a throwback Y2k-esque pop track that’s both nostalgic and refreshing, giving major boy band vibes thanks to their soft, reverbed verses. With singles like “ADICCIÓN, and “El Día De Mi Muerte,” Joss ML is showing he’s not sticking to one genre, even though he’s already being recognized as one of the lead artists in Mexico’s reggaeton wave. By showing his musical diversity, the 26-year-old is keeping his fans on their toes, intrigued to see what else he has to offer. – Jeanette Hernandez

Gab Ferreira - “Seu Olhar” 

Sometimes, all it takes is the kind of look that sees straight through you to shift everything. Brazilian singer Gab Ferreira captures that feeling and bottles it up on her latest single “Seu Olhar,” the second offering from her upcoming album Carrossel. A floaty indie dream-pop reverie, the track shimmers with soft romantic tension. Her pastel-toned vocals glide over twinkling guitar lines and a percussive rhythm that plays like a heartbeat trying to hold back before surrendering it all away. Fixated on a gaze that speaks louder than words, the lyrics tiptoe through the haze of early longing while also savoring its rush of possibility as you’re left wondering, even if just for a moment, if they saw your future too. — Jeanette Diaz

Jay Wheeler "Ya Ni Sé (feat. KENNYY)" 

Puerto Rican artist Jay Wheeler partners up with fellow countryman KENNYY for his latest release, “Ya Ni Sé.” The subtle beginning of the song eases its way into a simultaneously fun and seductive track, with a chorus filled with enough energy to light up the room while still talking about the hardships of navigating through the unknown parts of a crumbling relationship. Jay and KENNYY’s voices are a perfect match, for despite operating in similar voice registers, they still approach their art in different ways, which provides the song with an interesting dynamic, allowing both singers to shine through. “Ya Ni Sé” is yet another song that proves that there is no heartbreak painful enough that can’t be healed through the power of some well-positioned beats and warm vocals. – Júlia Henn

Debit - “La Ronda y El Sonidero”

In the past, New York-via-Monterrey sound experimentalist Debit has sampled ancient Mayan flutes and introduced tribal guarachero to the art crowd. And now, she’s taking cumbias rebajadas to territories never explored before. On “La Ronda y El Sonidero,” the artist takes the slowed-down style to an even slower pace. With digital malfunction and accidental dissonant melodies providing a sense of somberness and horror, but also exploring all its different layers, revealing what makes the genre so irresistible. Approaching a new sonic world, Debit brings new meaning and emotions out of a beloved style. — Marcos Hassan

Siddhartha - “Tú y Yo y Tú”

Siddhartha charms us with a seaside serenade on his latest single entitled “Tú y Yo y Tú,” the latest preview of his forthcoming record. This marks the Mexican solo artist and former Zoe drummer’s first proper release since last year’s Miel de Azar EP, where he refined his atmospheric alternative rock sound with tracks like “Nada Por Hecho.” This time around, Siddhartha adopts elements of bossa nova and uptempo pop-rock for a sensual recollection of that first deeply euphoric embrace between two lovers. – Nayeli Portillo

54 Ultra - “I Won’t Go”

Velvet soul with a vintage tinge has been coming back in recent years, and Latine artists have surprisingly been at the forefront of the surge. One of their best and most popular faces is 54 Ultra, the Puerto Rican-Dominican singer-songwriter from New Jersey whose hits have taken over airwaves and has seen his star rocket over the past year. His newest single, “I Won’t Go,” is his first since his debut EP First Works dropped in May, and it’s a testament to just how damn good he is at capturing that oldies sound while still keeping it palatable for younger listeners (and incorporating Spanglish into it as well). — Juan J. Arroyo

Sofía Monroy - "Alma Dividida”

A distorted hum and guitar slowly open space for Sofia Monroy’s melancholic voice, singing about a series of deep questions and doubts about her identity. In “Alma Dividida,” a single from her debut album Morena+, the Mexican-Swedish artist wonders where her roots truly lie, as the song serves as almost an argument with herself. The guitar, percussions, and background vocals progressively increase in passion and intensity as the song builds up into a revelation of freedom and hope with lyrics like, “If flowers can grow wherever, why should I let myself wither?” What started off as an almost lament becomes a communal hug of understanding that there is nothing wrong with being born with a divided soul. – La Morra Lisa

Sessa - “Vale a Pena”

São Paulo’s Sergio Sayeg just announced Pequena Vertigem, his third album under his Sessa moniker, out on Nov.11 via Mexican Summer. Its fantastic first single is a celebration of being alive and in love. With warm and precise instrumentation that begs our brain to slow down, led by electric piano strokes and adorned with beautiful string arrangements, Sayeg finds inspiration in the late Brazilian artist Erasmo Carlos’ album Sonhos e Memórias (1941 – 1972) to bask in the feeling that life is worth living, even with its shortcomings and obstacles. – Cheky

weed420 - “Miren miren guayo…”

Without a doubt, one of the year’s most emotionally resonant albums is weed420’s Amor de Encava, a loving, harrowing lament of bygone days spent riding in Caracas’ kitschy and overwhelmingly sonorous public buses. However, the Venezuelan collective of shapeshifting DJs, producers, MCs, and digital rabble rousers can also have irreverent fun — demonstrated on their 2024 breakthrough malandreo conceptual — and on their new mix for NTS Radio, Miren miren guayo, thoughtful sound collages transform into club headbangers. Now available on Bandcamp, and split into four extended tracks, the mix’s self-titled opener blends grunge, perreo, and melancholy ambient while warping samples from Sinaka, Justin Quiles, and Daniela Romo into a dazzling, surprisingly heartfelt ride of Internet brainrot. — Richard Villegas

Ke Personajes, J Balvin - “Celosa”

After years of cultivating a sound and passionate fan base by experimenting with cumbia foundations, Argentine cumbia outfit Ke Personajes returns to reestablish their stance on the culture. Their music often blurs the lines of genre, experimenting with different soundscapes and often completely different influences, and that tenacity has kept their music youthful in spirit. “Celosa” is the first song of the year for the group and encapsulates this experimental spirit right off the bat, utilizing soft guitar melodies with some incredibly beautiful synths. It’s vibrant. It’s well constructed, and circles back to the foundation of cumbia, while embracing forward-thinking production. And with a little help of J Balvin, the group’s return marks that significant things are coming. – Alan Baez

Dylan Coronel - “Amor Crónico”

Hailing from Tamaulipas, Mexico, Dylan Coronel is proclaiming that there’s more alternative música mexicana to discover. With hypnotic layered croons, acoustic guitar strings, brass elements, and almost hidden piano chords, the rising singer-songwriter blends elements of traditional Regional Mexican music with a modern touch on his newest single, “Amor Crónico.” Equally powered by his hard-hitting lyrics about navigating heartbreak, Coronel shows a sensitive side of his genre, making it cool to show feelings again. And, honestly, that’s exactly what his Gen Z audience should get in tune with nowadays: emotions. – Jeanette Hernandez

Malena Zavala - “Saw You Coming” 

Live from Estudio Novena in Mexico City, Argentine-British artist Malena Zavala shares an intimate recording of the single “Saw You Coming.” Playing like a gauzy meditation on recognizing a feeling before it even arrives, the track unfolds through gentle basslines, dream-like guitars, and delicate backing vocals into its very mellow psych-soul rich melody. Taking center stage, however, are Zavala’s breathy vocals that feel clairvoyantly intimate with a softness that lingers until it sneaks up on you like emotional déjà vu. The live treatment was perfectly suited for a track like this, playing like a soft whisper from the universe during the slow arrival of something, or someone, that feels tenderly destined. — Jeanette Diaz

Fleezus - “Pace de Malandro”

Brazilian rapper Fleezus opens up about his love for running as a sport and as an essential part of his life in his latest track “Pace de Malandro.” The heavy beats of the song make way for carefully crafted lyrics that convey the double meaning of Fleezus’s running: the sport that makes his life better and the act of escaping from harm. As someone born without privileges, the artist draws a parallel between the necessity to run for one’s life and the simple pleasure of running as part of a routine. Throwing a curveball at those who bear misconceptions about what can or cannot be rap music, Fleezus waves the self-care flag in “Pace de Malandro,” championing the lifestyle that has now become an inherent part of his own self. – Júlia Henn

Leslie García - “Static Meditation”

With her Microhm project, Mexico’s Leslie García has made a name for herself as one of contemporary electronic dance music’s most forward-thinking artists. But on her first release under her own name, through the venerable Umor Rex label, García brings the tempo down. On “Static Meditation,” her love for techno-inspired melodies and synth sounds remains untouched, delving into calmness in contrast to her usual adrenaline-fueled music, getting meditative instead of euphoric. The midtempo groove is provided by arpeggiated electronics instead of drums, giving us a painting of sound. “Static Meditation” displays a new dimension of García’s talents. — Marcos Hassan

Quelle Rox - “Stardust in my Blood”

“Stardust in my blood, and you’re dead to me like the lights in the night sky,” croons R&B meets ethereal pop artist Quelle Rox in her newest track “Stardust in my Blood.” The Brooklyn singer-songwriter chases lovesick-driven despair with the sounds of highly cosmic psychedelia — ’60s synths, sunny instrumentals, feathery falsettos — as she bids adieu to the source of her infatuation. “Stardust in my Blood” picks up right where last year’s midnight blue EP left off and showcases Quelle Rox’s knack for turning even the most bittersweet endings into a heavenly pop-tinted offering in the same vein as heavyweights like Kali Uchis and The Marias. – Nayeli Portillo

sArah - “Cositas”

Uruguay hasn’t made much of a dent in the Latine rap scene, but all that is about to change with sArah. Hailing from the country of Drexler, the 20-year-old budding star has started to make quick inroads since last year, and this week, she releases her newest single “Cositas.” The song is a trap love letter to her belle, with the flirty innuendos and sexy metaphors that make the subgenre so saucy. The presence of queer love makes it an even stronger track, and a sign that the bridges built by other Latine artists from that community over the past years have held up. For now, sArah has it all in her favor to build a strong presence in her corner of Latin America and grow from there. — Juan J. Arroyo