20 New Songs to Listen to This Week From Majo Aguilar to Jota.pê

Juan Gabriel’s legacy will never die. The latest testament is Majo Aguilar’s rendition of his iconic ranchera “Se Me Olvidó Otra Vez,” where Aguilar executes her signature deep, soulful, croons to encapsulate the song’s heartbroken sensibility. With her rich and passionate tone, Aguilar shows that her grandmother Flor Silvestre’s vocal inheritance is in good hands—and at the same time, fully captures the listener’s attention. Whether it’s her live-performance onstage charisma or her earnest artistic handle, Aguilar has the je ne sais quoi that echoes what the Aguilar Dynasty is truly known for. Moreover, this isn’t her first Juan Gabriel cover, she also recently reimagined the timeless “Así Fue.” – Jeanette Hernandez

Brazilian singer-songwriter Jota.pê tries to find meaning in the parting of ways with his latest track “Até Outro Dia Amor,” which wraps the artist’s bittersweet reflections on love in an intimate, warm atmosphere, carried by the his effortlessly smooth vocals and a laid-back reggae-inflected groove. Rather than dwelling on heartbreak, the song embraces the possibility that all the beautiful feelings shared between two people who are distancing themselves from each other, can find their way back in time, turning farewell into something closer to a hopeful “see you later.” Infusing Brazilian musical influences with gentle optimism, Jota.pê creates a tender space where nostalgia and acceptance coexist, making the track feel like a quiet conversation with a past love and a reassuring promise that there is still more to come. – Júlia Henn

The opening synths immediately transport us to a dreamy environment, where CDMX’s own Cachirula states from the get-go that in “Es Triiste,” this emotion will be at the core. Through a collaboration with Chilean producer Kreamly and her hypnotic and melancholic delivery, Cachirula presents an ambitious and visionary track that skillfully manages to spin sadness into a reggaeton paradise that reflects, not only her growth when dealing with emotions, but the endless musical possibilities that await her path and she seems eager to explore. Reminiscing about touch while acknowledging that memories are the only thing left, the sound feels hungry, deep, and polished. The fact that this track doesn’t go on for 10 more minutes is what is really “Es Triiste.” – La Morra Lisa

Stockton’s Línea Personal deliver a song very close to their hearts, describing how their parents’ economic choices affected them growing up, as well as what they are doing today themselves to go beyond making ends meet. While not naming anything explicitly, “Dinero Chueco” describes what it feels like to rely on the fringes to find solutions they can’t anywhere else. Musically, there are obvious nods to modern corridos tumbados but there’s also a hint of ‘00s banda melodicism that will make this a live favorite. Línea Personal continues to live up to its name, giving us candid snapshots of their realities growing up while delivering gold sounds for your next peda. — Marcos Hassan

Diego Raposo thrives as a man of mystery. The acclaimed Dominican producer has quietly architected hits for everyone from Danny Ocean to Tokischa and Ms Nina, honing a signature sound that intersects reggaeton and more explorative electronic music. Ahead of his hotly anticipated sophomore LP, out later this month, he’s dropped a new single titled “Permanente,” tapping Guatemalan alt-R&B chanteuse aLex vs aLex for a beach-swept perreo about the broken embraces that linger in our lives forever. Dripping with longing, aLex vs aLex’s gauzy vocals float over shimmering synths and galloping drums that in the final moments of the song are revealed as Dominican tambora, lending the house-inflected track a merengue backbone. Aside from this being a straight up banger, the song is a perfect example of Raposo’s slight, masterful hand at work, and a perfect teaser ahead of the new record. — Richard Villegas

You can skip the whole parade float for this particular homecoming. Sometimes, all you need is an old friend, a fast car, and enough questionable decisions to fill the tank. Natanael Cano continues his return to corridos tumbados on “La Cherokee,” reuniting with Gabito Ballesteros for the third taste of his forthcoming Natanael Cano Vol. 1. Over some nimble strings and a bassline built for cruising, the pair trade verses with the easy chemistry of two friends egging each other into one more bad idea. But there’s something particularly fitting about watching it all unfold against the streets of Tokyo. Cano helped blueprint a movement that has long since outgrown borders, and “La Cherokee” finds him returning to his roots from the other side of that global takeover. There’s no need for a grand reinvention when the sound itself has already traveled this far. After helping reshape the genre in his image, Cano sounds perfectly at home slipping back behind the wheel, with Ballesteros riding shotgun and a Cherokee apparently destined to become an accomplice no matter where the road drops them. – Jeanette Diaz

Riding on a funk-heavy groove for his hypnotic flow, Argentine rapper and singer Paulo Londra’s latest fixture previews a new, mature chapter. “me asfixia LA CIUDAD” follows a long string of ambitious singles, but acts as the true first teaser for his follow up to 2022’s Back To The Game, bouncing between an arrangement of different musical influences for a confident, stylish sound. The track arrives during a pivotal moment for Londra, following a sold-out U.S tour, being awarded at the Viva del Mar festival, and performing at Lollapalooza Argentina, capturing a productive period while embracing the need to start a new chapter. It reflects this change in Londra’s creative passage, embracing the chaos of success while exploring wanderlust in the unknown. – Alan Baez

“Maniquí” finds Kendo Kaponi leaning into the tension between his uncompromising lyricism and the melodic sensibilities of Jay Wheeler and iZaak. As the focus track from APOCALIPTO, the collaboration connects three distinct generations of el movimiento without feeling overly calculated. Kaponi brings the weight and street-level storytelling that have defined his career, while Wheeler and iZaak add a smoother, more emotional counterpoint that gives the track a contemporary pull. The result feels cinematic without losing its grit, moving through themes of desire, vulnerability, and the complications that come with emotional distance. “MANIQUI” also fits neatly into the larger world of APOCALIPTO, a project built around rebirth, survival, and finding strength after darkness. Released alongside its official video, the song offers a polished introduction to Kaponi’s new chapter while making room for two younger voices to shape the sound around him. – Natasha Melina Argudo

Puerto Rico’s burgeoning indie pop scene has room for all comers, and that includes artists dabbling in dreampop with a boricua flavor. Giny is such an artist who has been releasing ear-catching music since 2024 (tracks like “ruido mental” and “Paradigma” are still bops) and continues her streak this week with Liviano, her newest EP. Focus track “livianito,” produced by Azul Pumar, is a silky R&B-tinged tune that shows off her growth as an artist coming into her own and becoming even more comfortable with all the sounds she tackles. As her confidence grows and she gets more daring with exploring her range, she’s on the path to becoming a unique voice in the movement. — Juan J. Arroyo

When Mexican singer-songwriter Roxhann began writing the six songs included in her new EP Cuando Llegue el Huracán, she took a deep look inward to try to make sense of her feelings after her father’s passing, but they evolved into an exploration of the rebuilding that follows loss. Recorded live at Estudios Muy Profesionales de México, the EP includes “Tranquila,” a song about grace and self-care in this context. Backed by an acoustic guitar and gorgeous string arrangements, Roxhann sees the light seeping through the dark clouds, giving her confidence in the healing powers of time, giving a heart-wrenching performance that has us teary-eyed. – Cheky

One of Mexico’s most popular disco, electro-funk, and pop bands, Midnight Generation, is having a moment. In their latest single “Almost My Own,” the band draws on their characteristic retro-disco and synth-funk sounds to deliver a futuristic, groovy, easy-to-listen-to track that tells an unrequited love story. “‘Almost My Own’ is about that ‘almost something’ that could have been but never was, a love story that never came to be,” singer-producer Fernando Mares shared. “It has a very distinctive sound: the talkbox and synthesizers perfectly complement the nostalgic yet futuristic feeling we wanted for the song.” Add everything together, and you get the perfect talk-box-spearheaded concoction for your summer fling playlist. “Almost My Own” will be part of Midnight Generation’s upcoming album. – Jeanette Hernandez

With the release of her first single “Olhos de Obá,” Brazilian artist Sara Hana offers to the audience a glimpse into her own soul and beliefs by creating a track that feels both like a secret and a prayer. An intimate invocation to the divine feminine, the song draws listeners into the quiet, mystical space of Sara’s devotion to the Yoruba orixá of turbulent waters and feminine protection. Moving through the darkness of night and the sea, “Olhos de Obá” feels more like a declaration of allegiance than a whispered prayer, with the singer’s devotion creating an atmosphere of vulnerability and quiet strength, while its blend of organic instrumentation and electronic textures mirrors the meeting of the earthly and the divine. Sara Hana’s first act of exploration of self in music being an ode to an entity that invites such dedication from her is, at the very least, inspiring. – Júlia Henn

Any western blockbuster or high-profile telenovela would dream of having a track as powerful as this one as their main theme, where passion and desire build up along beautiful sierreño instrumentation into the intense moment of being so close that you can see each other. Adding to a constantly-growing repertoire of hits, Mexican superstar Xavi teams up with Lenin Ramirez to construct a platform to showcase their camaraderie, their vocal potency, and their lyric writing skills, which instantly connect and engrave themselves in the listeners’ memory. A track that progresses gradually into an echoey climax where their voices soar, “HD” strongly presents its case for a new timeless classic to blast in a boombox while holding flowers and a sign outside the window of the one you “want to soak sheets” with. – La Morra Lisa

While most instrumental music is evocative, Empanadas Ilegales serves abstract sonic metaphors delivered in a simple, chicha-shaped package. “¿Lágrimas?” packs a formidable musical punch, weaving in polyrhythmic percussion, cacophonous horns, and psychedelic guitars; these elements get entangled in chaos while keeping a melodic motif close by to keep the listener hooked. Likewise, the title implies an ongoing conversation—Is it asking about having a good cry? Is it concerned about breaking our hearts?—and this only proves that Empanadas Ilegales are doing everything in their power to connect in a way that only music can: By going deeper than words. — Marcos Hassan

Argentina is experiencing a golden age of pop girlies, with the likes of Six Sex, Juana Rozas, and Fiah paving the way for even more new divas to rise and slay. Next in line is clearly Terra, the singer armed with a dulcet voice, sharpened pen, and throbbing electropop beats designed to boom on crowded dancefloors. Ahead of her new EP she’s released “XTASI,” a cheeky seduction of a broken-hearted paramour where suggestive bars like “un clavo saca a otro clavo” are meant to entice and ensnare. Featuring strobing production from longtime collaborator Cimarrón, the track is pure dance-pop ear-candy, sexy and mischievous, and a rebound anthem for the ages. – Richard Villegas

Apparently, the distance between “come here” and “get away from me” is only a kiss away. Sweet Gloom runs into that exact problem on their latest single “Lips,” where the girl they can’t get out of their head might also be the one they can’t quite let into their life. The final teaser from their upcoming project No Love Lost, out later this month, throws that romantic mess over a punchy garage-rock bounce and distorted vocals that keep one foot firmly planted in the DIY backyard. The LA-based band gets stuck in the push and pull of really wanting someone while also knowing that becoming what they need might mean becoming someone you’re not. Its accompanying video takes that confusion one step further, slipping between dreams and reality as attraction, loneliness, escape, and the nagging question of whether wanting each other is actually enough all start bleeding together. Maybe the nightmare isn’t being tied down after all, but realizing chemistry doesn’t automatically make two people compatible. By the end, though, the girl is still firmly on their lips and the song is equally stuck in our heads. I guess some things aren’t meant to be shaken off that easily. – Jeanette Diaz

Daniel Pineda has been an integral force of nature in the development of industrial electronic music, pioneering a specific shade of hybrid club music in his time with Nguzunguzu. While the duo has found time to continue their influential run by producing for Kelela and soundtracking high-end fashion shows, Pineda’s latest track immerses itself in the core principles of Latine-infused electronica. Continuing his forward thinking production and taste for Carribean-touched house/ bass, “De La Mama” coincides with another first drop of the year for the producer-DJ, but builds on an upbeat tempo and colorful rhythm. While “Heavy Fact” distracts itself in an anxiety ridden, dembow-charged anthem “De La Mama” reflects a more championing sensation of joy. Both reflect Pineda’s new role of being a father, capturing the joys and fears with it. His forthcoming EP is being released with an equally colorful ensemble of names in electronic music in Latin America with Club Romantico, and “De La Mama” is the perfect teaser for the upcoming morsel. – Alan Baez

With “CALLAÍTO SAFARI,” LOS MENOR3S tap into a restless, sun-soaked energy that feels distinctly their own. The title track from the Venezuelan trio’s new EP brings together an urban edge and tropical warmth, with Nego, Sheba, and Big Bowe sounding increasingly comfortable bending both worlds around their chemistry. Rather than chasing a single formula, the group lets rhythm, texture, and attitude steer the song, reflecting the broader ambition of a seven-track project two years in the making. There’s a looseness to “CALLAÍTO SAFARI” that makes it immediately inviting, but underneath is a clear sense of evolution. Shaped through sessions at Future Culture Studios and backed by a creative circle that includes Dani Crazytown, YIYI, and FKI 1st, the track feels less like a reset than a confident next step for one of Venezuela’s most compelling young acts. – Natasha Melina Argudo

The brainchild of musician Ricardo Lebrón, habichuelas is a Puerto Rican act that mostly dabbles in reggae roots and dub with some brief sidequests into yacht rock and lounge. Their self-titled debut album dropped this month, and its 20 tracks handily compiles all their singles from the past three years into one package, but also new songs like “Máquina.” The musicality and songwriting on display is impressive as Lebrón waxes about life, love, and the responsibilities towards both. The project is a soundtrack for a sunny week filled with sun, sand, and hammocks. And if you don’t have access to either, it can easily take you there in the mind’s eye. — Juan J. Arroyo

Lorely Rodriguez is weeks away from dropping Dream House, her fifth album as Empress Of. And after sharing the mellow title track and the string-led “Wild Storm,” she now takes us to the club with “SYW.” Together with friend and collaborator Cecile Believe, Rodriguez created a euphoric dance track that’s another step forward in her musical trajectory. She flourishes up her vocal range before dropping us into the earworm chorus that repeats “say you wanna,” the title’s meaning. It’s a song about a desire so strong they can no longer contain it, connecting it to the album’s theme of reconstruction and resilience inspired by the loss of her family home in the Altadena fires. – Cheky