2019 is officially in full swing, which means it’s time to look alive. From reggaeton’s continued ascent in the global pop landscape to the indie pop darlings thriving on the West Coast, there is plenty of new music to look forward to this year.
In that spirit, we put together a list of some of the releases we’re most excited for this year. We’ve pulled Latinx projects from across Latin America and the United States, save for Spanish hip-hop veteran Mala Rodríguez. Of course, release dates are subject to change; artists might surprise drop new material at any moment or push a release back without warning. Check back here as we update releases in the coming months.
Get the intel on our top 14 picks below, and scroll down for the full list of releases.
1
Lido Pimienta - Miss Colombia
Label: ANTI-
Release date: Late 2019
Lido Pimienta is coming home in 2019 with a new album titled Miss Colombia, which is expected to drop late in the year. Invigorated by her prestigious Polaris Prize win and recent signing to ANTI- Records, the Colombian-Canadian reina finds herself at a thrilling crossroads of creative freedom and mounting expectation, juggling professional buzz with a newborn baby in the home. For people who weren’t already aware, Lido Pimienta’s last album La Papessa cemented her reputation as a musical badass, and we are certain that wherever Miss Colombia leads us, we’ll be greeted by dizzying vocals and an unflinching commitment to social justice. –Richard Villegas
2
Melii - Phases
Label: Interscope
Release date: March 2019
Melii, the 20-year-old Dominican artist from Harlem, has been on the rise for a minute now, thanks to her infectious, back-to-back hits. Most recently, her unapologetic banger “Icey” got a major co-sign from Rihanna, who shared the cut on a Fenty Instagram story and inspired new listeners to check out Melii’s blade-sharp rhymes and effortless vocal ability. Melii will give fans even more this March by dropping a project called Phases — and she’s already implied that release is on another level: “I actually think ‘Icey’ is trash compared to my other songs,” she told Complex, suggesting that the best is yet to come. –Julyssa Lopez
3
Helado Negro - This Is How You Smile
Label: RVNG INTL
Release date: March 8, 2019
Helado Negro’s 2016 album Private Energy was a quietly urgent document of brown self-love and Latinx identity, reflected in tracks like “Young, Latin, and Proud” and “It’s My Brown Skin.” After touring the album (including dates with Lido Pimienta and Cuco) and dropping Island Universe Story Four and “Come Be Me” through the Adult Swim Singles Series in 2018, he announced his new album This Is How You Smile by sharing two songs from it, “Please Won’t Please” and “País Nublado.” On these tracks, Roberto Carlos Lange continues to explore the intersection between the personal and the political, capturing thoughts and feelings that so many of us can relate to. –Marcos Hassan
4
Cuco - TBA
Label: TBA
Release date: June 2019
After closing out a banner year in 2017, Chicano singer Omar Banos was on his way to deliver his debut full-length in 2018. Late in the year, he and his band were involved in a car accident that cut their tour short and forced the young singer to slow down. While there was still plenty of music and good vibes, fans are still eagerly awaiting the album. However, according to various social media posts, Cuco has been hard at work completing the project, which will most likely see the light of day in early summer. As his debut album, we can expect the LP to be one of the year’s buzziest releases. –Marcos Hassan
5
Ozuna - Nibiru
Label: Dimelo Vi/Sony
Release date: TBA
The urbano darling is unstoppable these days. After dropping his sophomore album Aura, skyrocketing to the top of YouTube’s most streamed artists list, and nailing high-profile collabs with Cardi B and DJ Snake all in 2018, Ozuna is not slowing down. He’ll be releasing the tentatively titled Nibiru, already his third album and another chance for him to continue dominating the global music space. The first song off the project, “Baila Baila Baila,” is a sign that Nibiru might follow in the vein of Aura and offer another smash collection of pop-friendly, straight-to-the-charts hits. –Julyssa Lopez
6
Ela Minus - TBA
Label: TBA
Release date: Late spring
Just a few days ago, Colombian electronic artist Ela Minus posted a photo on Instagram with a caption that reads, “Acabé.” Of course, she’s talking about her debut album, which she spent most of 2018 recording after relentless touring. Both her live performances and her most recent OK… EP have hinted at a shift in sound from the bright-eyed twinkling of her first offerings to more mature, dance-oriented compositions. She’s been on an upwards trajectory since she debuted in 2015, so her album can potentially be a game changer for her. Luckily, we won’t have to wait too long to find out. –Cheky
7
Francisca Valenzuela - TBA
Label: Independent
Release date: May 31, 2019
Last year, Chilean pop singer-songwriter Francisca Valenzuela gifted us two singles, and while that’s a small number, the impact was huge: the refreshing bop “Tómame” was undeniably satisfying, and “Ya No Se Trata de Ti” felt instantly iconic, a ballad detailing the revelatory comeback after a toxic relationship that, with its sturdy foundation in self-love, will always be relevant. Like Ruidosa Fest, Valenzuela’s event-turned-platform-plus-collective that’s focused on elevating Latinas in creative industries, her music continues to expand. Increasingly, Valenzuela is sage as she is savvy, as clever as she is a beacon of catharsis – and on this next album, her fourth, we expect she’ll continue to hit the mark of feminist pop ideals. –Jhoni Jackson
8
Omar Apollo - TBA
Label: TBA
Release date: TBA
Indiana R&B singer Omar Apollo found his way into our hearts with his seven-song Stereo EP last year. That project showcased his soulful, velvety vocals, his penchant for laid-back funk and polished indie pop, as well as his love of heartfelt R&B aesthetics. His speedy ascent to success and relentless touring hasn’t stopped him from creating new music; in fact, he’s releasing an EP’s worth of brand new songs in the next few months, and we can’t stop wondering what it will sound like. –Cheky
9
Vicente García – TBA
Label: Sony
Release date: TBA
Over the last couple of years, Dominican musical chameleon Vicente García has emerged as one of the most unpredictable forces in Latin American pop music. After winning three Latin Grammys for his exhaustively researched 2016 album, A La Mar, where he unearthed and blended a plethora of different Caribbean rhythms, he teamed up with Calle 13’s sound and sample wizard Eduardo Cabra (aka Visitante) for last year’s explosive Trending Tropics album. While we don’t know much about what the next release in García’s solo career will be, we can only fantasize about the new paths of sound and songwriting he will lead us down in 2019. –Richard Villegas
10
Various Artists - MLKMN Presents: Broke Kids
Label: Broke Kids
Release date: TBA
The Monterrey native took a step back from rapping last year, playing behind-the-scenes roles as creative director for J Balvin and working on his “Reggaeton” video, which drew on old school aesthetics for Balvin’s brief return to classic perreo sounds at year’s end. But MLKMN’s main gig is label boss, helming the tight-knit Broke Kids imprint under Universal. Now it looks like he’s ready to put out a celebration of that crew love. The rumored mixtape will surely include ride-or-dies Álvaro Díaz, Jesse Baez, and Ecuadorian singer Kablito. This is the kind of project that will thrum with features — watch for more names to be added to that lineup. –Caitlin Donohue
11
Mala Rodríguez - TBA
Label: Universal
Release date: TBA
Spanish hip-hop veteran Mala Rodríguez came rushing back to the music scene last July with “Gitanas,” an explosive feminist battle cry and her first solo single in years. The song, inspired by her part-gitana background, is just a taste of what the outspoken rap icon has been working on — and she’ll unveil her efforts with a new album later in 2019. Given that Mala has initiated conversations about women’s empowerment since the beginning of her decades-long career, a new release from her couldn’t come at a more interesting cultural moment, since the #MeToo movement continues to make waves worldwide. –Julyssa Lopez
12
LeeBrian - UnderWater
Label: Black Koi Entertainment
Release date: TBA
Old school hip-hop fans: we got your fresh blood, and he’s an adolescent Puerto Rican trapero. If LeeBrian’s popular freestyle videos are any indication, he is looking to incorporate some straight-up rap vibes in the urbano game. Sky Rompiendo El Bajo protégé is rumored to be dropping an EP that should showcase his flexible, focused lyricism, set by VIP access to some of the best beats in the game. Interest has been selectively stoked by friki 2018 single “Goku Sin Ki” — will this EP be the project that transitions LeeBrian from Freestyle Mania Season to World Star? –Caitlin Donohue
13
Dávila 666 - Que Viva El Veneno
Label: Independent
Release date: Fall 2019
Whatever internal band struggles that led to an unofficial parting – technically, theirs was an indefinite hiatus – for beloved Puerto Rican rock ‘n’ punk outfit Dávila 666 have been rendered moot. Just last weekend, for the first time since 2012, the original members, including AJ Dávila and Johnny Otis (now based in Mexico City), performed two super-packed shows in their hometown of San Juan. Hearing staple anthems sung as loudly by fans as the band itself, nostalgia blurred into present-day promise: Could Dávila 666 be back for good? We can only hope, but for now, we can confirm rumors that old recordings have been unearthed. A “lost” EP is due later this year, and our bodies are ready. –Jhoni Jackson
14
Inner Wave - TBA
Label: Independent
Release date: Summer 2019
Since the early 2010s, Inglewood, California’s Inner Wave has been giving us a steady stream of music, slowly winning over audiences with their tranquil but catchy take on guitar music. The Cuco-approved band has big plans for the year, which include a new release that will drop this summer. Last year, they dropped Underwater + – a collection of B-sides from 2017’s breakout album Underwater Pipe Dreams – and played at major festivals like Tropicalia. 2019 seems like it’s going to be a busier year for Inner Wave; sad teens, look forward to the soundtrack to your summer break. –Marcos Hassan
15
More Releases
January 2019
Ce Qei / Enero / MITEL DICO
Nicola Cruz / Siku / ZZK
Vic Contreras & La Alucinante Banda / La Vida Es Un Sueño
February 2019
Le Butcherettes / bi/MENTAL / Rise Records
Esteman / Amor Libre / EMI
March 2019
Ferraz / Transición
Baldera & Martox / Canciones Que Puedes Usar en Mi Contra / MITEL DICO
La Marimba / TBA
Mariana Montenegro / La Mar
Ximena Sariñana / TBA / Warner Music
April 2019
Dromedarios Mágicos / Subcampeón
May 2019
Little Jesus / TBA / Sony
Frikstailers / Extrasolar / Nacional Records
Juana Molina / Re-Halo / Crammed Discs
Spring 2019
Milton James / Pretemporada / Umami Discos
Belafonte Sensacional / Soy Piedra
TBA
Planeta No EP
August Eve
Andrea Balency
El Shirota
Hello Seahorse!
Javier Arce
MITÚ
Sexores
Ulises Hadjis