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.
Cuco – “Forevermore”
While “Paradise” saw Cuco heavily lean into his hip-hop side, “Forevermore” presents the softer and trippier side of his music that fans love to melt over. The retro psych-soul ballad ticks all the right boxes: It’s easy like a Sunday morning, breezy like a walk in the park, and hypnotic like a weed gummy. The song’s cyclical melodies and languid rhythm give it a sense of vertigo that will keep you coming back for more. —Marcos Hassan
Rodrigo Amarante – “Maré”
Rodrigo Amarante is one of the founders of Los Hermanos—one of the most (and probably the last) strikingly popular Brazilian indie groups. He has gone solo for more than ten years now and after several one-man show projects or pop-up bands, he’s back to his old shape with “Maré.” The song features two of Amarante’s most notable skills: his aptitude for crafting sing-along melodies and a good hand for arrangements, boxing up chords and drums with no friction. On top of that, the music video is a bleached-surreal dream that, along with the lyrics, overflows Amarante’s refined taste for sorrowful and yet joyful subtexts—some referring to old school Los Hermanos’ songs.—Felipe Maia
Mariah Angeliq – “Mala De Verdad”
We love a collab, but will gladly accept “Mala De Verdad,” a new single from Mariah Angeliq and only Mariah Angeliq. When the Miami-born-and-based Cubana-Puertorriqueña stands alone—like on “Perreito,” the 2019 single that catapulted her to stardom—we get to see, with no interruption or distraction, the full prowess of her flow. Mariah proudly outlines her romantic demands (“no quiere nada serio”) and flaunts her agency as a warning in Spanish singing: “take the pressure baby, the real baddie is here.” Paced at an upbeat trot, the cut is embellished with a chime-like synth that, in the context of the lyrics and her dominating posture plus gaze in the track’s video, shifts from sweet to chilling by the song’s end. Bonus: For women and femmes, it’s pretty awesome to hear her reverse the misogynistic “loquita” trope by cautioning the dude in question: “No te hagas el loquito.” —Jhoni Jackson
Micro TDH & Myke Towers – “El Tren”
On their new joint single “El Tren,” Micro TDH and Myke Towers are brought together by heartbreak and a nostalgic cuatro-led reggaeton beat courtesy of star producer Ovy On The Drums. The Venezuelan singer and the Boricua rapper’s brand of melancholy here has a sour taste, as they try to convince themselves they’re over an old lover, but the sweetest moments keep coming back to them and are hard to shake off. —Cheky
Ms Nina – “Bad Bitch”
Last year should have been a busy one for Ms Nina. She was ready to set off her first album tour, Perreando por Fuera, Llorando por Dentro when the pandemic shut down the world. As soon as she could hit the road, the Argentinian-through-Spain artist moved to the U.S. and started working on new songs. “Bad Bitch” is the first single of her Miami residency and it blossoms the Magic City’s glow and tones. The song melds cumbia’s flawless duo guiro-y-gaita with slacky, sensual reggaeton drums and upbeat keys—the perfect bed for Nina’s hot lyrics about being a bad bitch. Maybe the song is only surpassed by the music video: a non-stop fun tour over Miami that takes Nina from nightclubbing to a day at the beach, where she’s joined by her friends in high cut, neon-colored bikinis.—Felipe Maia
Bomba Estéreo – “Se Acabó”
Colombian duo Bomba Estéreo deliver the second installment of their upcoming album project Deja in the form of their latest Aire EP. Representing the artists’ reconnection to nature, “Se Acabó” stands out as the compilation’s closer with an upbeat, Caribbean percussion-forward rhythm infused with their stylistic electro-synth sounds. The resulting track is a cleansing experience that invites us to use dance as a way to celebrate cutting ties with toxic patterns of fear and suffering and regain autonomy by choosing self-healing. —Jeanette Diaz
Karol Conká – "Dilúvio" (feat. Leo Justi)
Over the years, Karol Conká has cultivated a boisterous and wildly popular image through her music, which seemed to culminate during a recent, controversial stint on Big Brother Brazil. Tired of fake smiles and Twitter wars, the MC has turned introspective on her latest single, “Dilúvio,” conjuring biblical imagery as a backdrop to her trials and tribulations. Producer Leo Justi of Heavy Baile has crafted a robust beat hybridizing dubstep and trip-hop, where Conká steadily unspools the many burdens plaguing her celebrity daze. —Richard Villegas
Morticia – “Polvo”
With a name like Morticia you probably expect this band from Iquique, Chile to be fully goth; however, their music is not as somber as you might think, still, it’s no less deadly than your average darks band. In less than two minutes, “Polvo” bounces from melodic verses to noisy choruses and back again until the whole thing breaks into cacophony for a brief moment before rushing to the finishing line. It’s a single to die for. —Marcos Hassan
Rebeca Lane – “Nos Queremos Vivas”
Rebeca Lane delivers an impactful hip-hop anthem that shines light on recent disappearances and femicide crises that looms in her home country of Guatemala. Using music as an opportunity to raise awareness and empower youth, the video centers the young girl bicycle collective who’ve begun to take the streets as a form of protest against the violence women in their community face. Lane delivers striking flows that demand justice for those whose lives have been taken, and honors women’s worth, resiliency and right to simply stay alive. —Jeanette Diaz
Mediopicky ft. El Cherry Scom – "Un Mensaje"
Summer is right around the corner and after a year of lockdowns, we’re all aching for some nasty, raunchy dance floor shenanigans. Enter Mediopicky and El Cherry Scom who’ve teamed up for “Un Mensaje,” a surprisingly poignant dembow banger promoting sexual freedom and calling out moral hypocrites. The chaotic, hilarious and extremely suggestive video for “Un Mensaje” jumps from Cherry Scom’s face, superimposed onto the back of a young woman’s thong, to Mediopicky zooming through Santo Domingo in a sports car and playing with bunnies; all in the service of glorious hedonism. —Richard Villegas
Norii – “Break Up with Her (Go Out with Me)”
San Diego artist Norii’s newest addition to her fantastic string of 2021 singles is called “Break Up with Her (Go Out with Me),” where she gives herself license to go a little psycho. On the grandiose mid-tempo jam, Norii goes off with her vocals and Gwen Stefani-like delivery, as she fantasizes about telling an old boyfriend who’s now in a committed relationship to throw everything out the window and give their thing another chance. —Cheky