This is a weekly compilation of bite-sized song & EP reviews from our music writers. Discover new favs, read nuanced criticism of the week’s hottest releases & more. Follow our playlist featuring these tracks and more on Spotify or Apple Music.
Mon Laferte - “La Mujer” ft. Gloria Trevi
Chilean superstar Mon Laferte has finally unveiled her highly anticipated sixth studio album, Seis, cementing her status as a thriving transplant into the Mexican pop canon by collaborating with legends like Alejandro Fernández and La Arrolladora Banda El Limón. The latest promotional single off the record comes with “La Mujer,” a wildly energetic duet with trailblazing pop icon Gloria Trevi, which infuses influences from bolero, cumbia and cabaret with a hefty dose of camp bombast. —Richard Villegas
J Balvin & Khalid - “Otra Noche Sin Ti”
“Otra Noche Sin Ti” makes its intentions clear from the get-go; few tracks capture the idle feeling of defeat and sadness that comes from a breakup with such effect. Through muted dembow beats and airy synth chords, Balvin laments how his ex is ignoring him and has probably moved on to another man, by singing languidly in each verse. However, the chorus picks up the emotional slack, while Khalid lifts it to a new level to make the song hit harder than it should. —Marcos Hassan
CJ – "Whoopty Latin Mix" ft. Anuel AA & Ozuna
Since Pop Smoke’s appearance and early farewell, New York has taken hold on hip-hop again and won’t let it go anytime soon—a point made clear by 2020 freshman CJ and his smashing debut, “Whoopty,” a track now overhauled with the help of brothers-in-bars Anuel AA and Ozuna. On this track, the 23-year-old nuyorican delivers the chorus and sets the stage for AA’s reckless rhymes and Ozuna’s raw lyricism. Both seem more free on this feature than in a number of their latest releases, taking advantage of every gliding basskick along the beat. —Felipe Maia
Camila Moreno - “Hice A Mi Amor Llorar”
Chilean singer-songwriter Camila Moreno is known for her emotional music but “Hice A Mi Amor Llorar” shows a particularly vulnerable side to her art. Hushed tones organically dance around it Moreno’s high and tense voice to lift it up into something beautiful. The lyrics are full of nature imagery–insects, oceans, fire–giving us the idea of a powerful, dangerous, and gorgeous feeling; coincidentally, these words can also be used to describe Moreno’s newest joint. —Marcos Hassan
Georgel “Desilusionándome” ft. Immasoul & Ferraz
Georgel, Immasoul, and Ferraz have assembled like the Latin American R&B Avengers on their new collaborative single “Desilusionándome,” and they’re giving us all the 90s vibes we need right now. With their honey-sweet voices and Ferraz’s signature smooth production, the three of them make the lyrics easier to swallow, as trade verses about seesawing dynamics of a relationship based on fake forgiveness. —Cheky
Pedro Barsa e Graciela Soares - "Sal d'Água"
Pedro Barsa and Graciela Soares’ debut Corredeira is an album centered on water—in all of its shapes and stages. Bringing a pop-reggae vibe, “Sal d’Água” is their upbeat take on the album’s main driving force. Breezy subtle-thinned melodies, soft horn attacks and blended synth and guitar harmonies suspend their almost evaporating vocal lines throughout the song. Every song section seems to get fresher than its predecessor until the mood is broken by the outro: a reading of “Ismália,” a poem written by Brazilian poet Alphonsus de Guimaraens and also revisited by rapper Emicida in his album AmarElo. —Felipe Maia
TYS - "Dejaloatai"
When TYS opened his Twitter account and typed “Sin ilusionarte el desi no puede ponerse alante” (in order to be disappointed you must first allow yourself to be wishful), he realized it would make a perfect opener and took it to the studio instead. “Dejaloatai” sits on the shoulders of tracks like “Nada Que Ocultar;” every once in a while, the artist drops a song based on how he sees the world and his code of ethics. “Followers say I should write a book. Based on the things they learn from stuff I post. I hope those types of songs have a positive impact on how my listeners think about themselves,” he tells Remezcla. —Jennifer Mota
LSDXOXO - “Sick Bitch”
Can we get these vaccines popping already? Berlin-based DJ and producer LSDXOXO just dropped the club banger of the summer and it deserves to be enjoyed on a crowded dance floor amidst a torrential rain of sweat. “Sick Bitch” is assembled on warped bass lines, pummeling kicks, chopped up moan samples and a hook all about throat gymnastics; a hedonistic premonition of raves to come and the first taste of the producer’s buzzy new EP Dedicated 2 Disrespect, scheduled for release on May 14 via XL Recordings. —Richard Villegas
Luis Figueroa - "Hasta el Sol de Hoy"
Singer-songwriter Luis Figueroa recently dropped back-to-back versions of “Hasta El Sol De Hoy” both in salsa and acoustic performance for fans. Produced by Luis Figueroa and arranged by the Ecuadorian musician Homero Gallardo, the acoustic version of “Hasta El Sol De Hoy” reinvents the classic romantic salsa popularized by Jerry Rivera with a heavier contribution of the guitar. The track drops as his first single from his debut album Canciones Del Alma. —Jennifer Mota
Los Wálters – “Antifaz”
Los Wálters have been hinting for some time the inclusion of a Dayanara Torres cover in their upcoming album Miss Universos, and people, it has finally arrived. It only takes the Boricua duo one note to send “Antifaz,” the former Miss Universe winner’ 90s dance anthem, straight into an 80s vortex, and now we can put on our sunglasses to the beat of a synth-pop beat to hide our tears after a bad breakup. —Cheky