We are living through an era where more music is available to us than ever – whether it be via social media, streaming, or apps. But despite this wealth of options, it can be difficult to cut through the industry hype, the homogenizing algorithms, and find something new and exciting.
In our weekly Nuevo Noise playlist, you’ll find some of our favorite releases of the week – from the most exciting new names in urbano, to the burgeoning SoCal neo-Chicano soul wave, and everything in between.
Consider this your genre-diverse guide to the most exciting releases from rising Latinx artists each week. Follow our Nuevo Noise playlist featuring these tracks and more on Spotify or Apple Music.
1
Tatiana Hazel - “Mi Amor”
Indie singer Tatiana Hazel is not the only artist currently traversing various points between pop and reggaeton, but she does take her own path while doing it. Here the Chicago singer uses the latter genre for a structure on which to hang assertive and wild-sung lyrics located squarely within the former’s territory. -Caitlin Donohue
2
Ximena Sariñana - “Si Tú Te Vas” (Mylko Remix)
Mexico City duo Mylko overhauled two of the singles from Ximena Sariñana’s 2019 album ¿Dónde Bailarán Las Niñas? and they took the pop diva to the club. On their remix of “Si Tú Te Vas,” Mylko strip the song from their urbano clothes and dressed it in glitzy synths and funky beats suitable for a foggy afterparty. -Cheky
3
La Doña - “Le Lo Lai”
Rising Bay Area chanteuse La Doña continues to surprise and delight with carefully crafted earworms built on a melange of sonic influences drawing from current dance music trends and roots explorations. Her latest gift is “Le Lo Lai,” an early autumn bop colliding R&B 808s with cheeky, clever raps, and an almost spiritual chant that will spin in your mind until you‘ve identified every meticulously selected element of La Doña’s fascinating musical concoction. -Richard Villegas
4
Jenn - “Por Mí”
Jenn is seeking her spot in Mexico’s R&B scene, and from the sound of her new single “Por Mí,” we’re positive she’s going to find it sooner than later. Produced by Washi Hana, the slow-burning song sounds like you could make babies to its groove, but pay attention and you’ll hear a passionate young artist who’s driven enough to make her own dreams come true. -Cheky
5
Vientre - “Lluvia Sin Fin”
It’s usual for screamy and frenetic music to be heavy and fast, but post-hardcore lifers Vientre manage to fit everything that makes this kind of music so emotional without going to the extreme, which in turn makes it more effective. The Cali, Colombia outfit deliver arpeggiated chords and angular guitar lines that dial back the distortion, but the vocals are here to remind you that this music is not for the faint of ears. -Marcos Hassan
6
Tayhana - "Eterna Migración"
This impossibly nice touch Argentinian NAAFI producer Tayhana was en route to a club gig in Glasgow when she was deported, but not until after spending the night in Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre. Rather than go the crowdfunding route for recouping the associated costs, she put out this track on Bandcamp, which recalls not immigration trauma, as much as the anesthesia of time spent traveling. After strumming nerves with medicated synth chords, “Eterna Migración” ends on one eerie note that you realize belatedly has been sounding out for awhile. -Caitlin Donohue
7
Lois - "Perseguiéndote"
I pledge to play this song during the next dinner party I’m looking for madrileño realness. Lois’ newly smoother pop makes me want to laugh, and then like, sway with it at the cutting board. “Perseguiéndote” is a fascinating evolution from Lois’ 2015 debut two-track EP Bedroom Recordings. Here he’s taken a slicker, lounge star luxe turn, stretching a rich voice into different directions. -Caitlin Donohue
8
Fross - "IV"
This mysterious project from Tres Ríos, Costa Rica knows how to conjure pure mood that feel like a feature-length film score but last for little more than a pop song. “IV” changes the atmosphere of any room where it plays and makes it richer and deeper. Long notes drift in and out of each other, suggesting a dark fabric of sound covering up an energy of light that threatens to shine through the darkness every once in a while. -Marcos Hassan
9
Solomon Ray - “Costumbres” (Rocio Durcal cover)
Solomon Ray’s increasingly left-of-center reggaeton bops have made it abundantly clear he will not be typecast into any one sound, and with his brand new cover of Rocio Durcal’s classic “Costumbres,” the California-born heartthrob demonstrates he is far more versatile than we had anticipated. Following iconic versions by La India, Selena y Los Dinos and Durcal herself, Ray’s take on “Costumbres” captures the heartbreak and longing of boozy ranchera crooning with surprising ease. -Richard Villegas
10
Michi - “Still Feel U”
Lo-fi indie pop with a 1970s flair, Los Angeles newcomer Michi’s brand new single “Still Feel U” sounds like a balmy midnight drive down the California coast. While fresh and effervescent, Michi’s laidback vocals will remind you of Clairo, Stevie Nicks and other boho furies of the West Coast – photoshoot ready, eager to party, but still chill and collected. -Richard Villegas
11
Pedropiedra - “Perdido en Viña del Mar”
Chile’s Pedropiedra has spent 2019 previewing his upcoming full-length, and he has now dropped its third single, “Perdido en Viña del Mar,” where he tastes the dembow waters. With this reggaeton-lite track he imagines a night out in the Pacific city where everyone surrenders to pleasure, but in a brief moment of clarity, he looks around and realizes it’s time to go home. -Cheky
12
Young Cister - “Lemon Kush” (Lukro VIP rmx)
Nowadays we find many producers pledging themselves to a single genre of dance music – sometimes for their whole career, sometimes for a single release or specific project – but Lukrø is someone who mangles enough different styles to make kinetic music to lose your minds to. The Lima, Perú electronic artist mutates trap vocals into drum n’ bass, footwork and breakbeat into a mix that feels exciting and even a little illegal. “Lemon Kush” is hallucinatory and jittery, a combination few can manage with success and here it lands completely. -Marcos Hassan