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.
1
Causa, El Alfa, Farruko - “Temblor” (Remix)
If your reaction to natural disaster involves perreo, Causa’s 2020 track was your jam, it’s very hook a narration of what happens when the ground starts to bounce. For the necessary remix, the Mayaguez emcee called up two heavies. Farruko gets in his Covid reference on his verse, bringing us up to date on the list of all evils that are better confronted when you’re aided by dembow. -Caitlin Donohue
2
A. Chal feat. Gunna - “Hollywood Love”
A. Chal is a pro when it comes to expressing the cloudy ennui of breakdown Hollywood. Here, he invites Gunna into the same over-partied, over-loved vibe of “Beverly Kills” and breakout single “Round Whippin'” off 2016 debut album Welcome to GAZI. The haze of “Hollywood Love” will neatly match any quarantine-driven romantic cynicism you might be harboring. -Caitlin Donohue
3
Buscabulla - “Club Tu y Yo”
Beloved Puerto Rican indie duo Buscabulla have finally released their highly-anticipated debut album, Regresa—a gorgeous, conflicted snapshot of diasporic return long dreamt about by founders Raquel Berrios and Luis Alfredo de Valle. Among the album’s many high points is “Club Tu y Yo,” Del Valle’s first songwriting credit for Buscabulla. In a song he describes as a “dystopian bolero about love in times of isolation and uncertainty,” the real life couple unspools the many ways they’ve held each other down when feeling most lost in the world. -Richard Villegas
4
Zuaraz - “Por Alguien”
Covering a Tigres del Norte song seems par for the course for Zuaraz, a young Mexican outfit that specializes in representing genres from the past like trova or bolero with respect. Their choice of cover is not too obvious, and the way they replace the original’s accordion with a vibrato heavy synth gives it a leisurely but fun take on the track. The result is a fun and a nice break from whatever you are feeling at the moment. -Marcos Hassan
5
Natanael Cano - “Arriba”
As he awaits the release of sophomore album Corridos Tumbados II, it’s a good time for Natanael Cano to reflect on the road that got him here. The result of those meditations is “Arriba,” which represents a sharper turn into trap territories than most of Cano’s catalogue. At the midpoint, the song’s balladry of fame found and love lost switches into R&B arabesque. The song feels like a ploy to get us to notice Nata’s genre-spanning vocal capacity, and to that end it works perfectly. -Caitlin Donohue
6
El Club de Amigos Los Mejores del Amor - “Nací”
El Club de Amigos Los Mejores del Amor is the freshest trio out of Maracaibo, Venezuela, and they chose to introduce themselves to the world with an impressive 17-track eponymous album, which includes opener “Nací.” The dazzling, drum-heavy track features sour lyrics about being born into an autocratic regime that doesn’t let them grow, but the song’s power alone speaks of their resilience. -Cheky
7
Jenevieve & BENZIBOY - “Tell Me (Remix)”
While we’re still recovering from her previous single “Baby Powder,” singer Jenevieve is already back with a new sensuous track, this time in collaboration with BENZIBOY. An interpolation of R&B classics “Tell Me,” by Groove Theory, and “All Night Long,” by Mary Jane Girls, “Tell Me (Remix)” bounces with an Afro-inspired beat, floats with Jenevieve’s voice, and wins our heart with its lyrics of newfound love. -Cheky
8
Sonic Emerson - “Hora Que Te Cuenten”
In the short lead up to his solo album, Mint Field member Sonic Emerson has demonstrated to us his particular take on alternative music that incorporates many different styles. “Hora Que Te Cuenten” seems to showcase everything he has done in a regular size song. Hypnotic bass, shoegazey guitar chords and lethargic indie rock vocals are all present on the track, making it a beautiful stroll through a psychedelic park of wonders. -Marcos Hassan
9
Felicia Morales - “Sincronicidad” ft. Francisco Victoria
Bridging the first and second waves of new-millennium Chilean indie, Felicia Morales has linked up with rising pop ingenue Francisco Victoria for a brand new single titled “Sincronicidad.” Examining the giddiness of a blooming romance, the track speaks of gradual trust building while serving as a fine example of it—with Victoria plunging deeper into electronic dance music and Morales stepping out from behind her trusty cello in order to imagine exciting new sounds. -Richard Villegas
10
Carla Valenti - “La Tirana”
“La Tirana” is part of Silice, a compilation assembled by Buenos Aires, Argentina’s Fertil Records that focuses on women, be them cis or trans, and non-binary identifying people. For its lead single, producer and founder of Chimba Discos, Carla Valenti gives us a four-on-the-floor stomper that will get you going. House-inspired electronic loops aided by celebratory synths that suggest a bit of an Andean influence, packaged with hints of dub production; “La Tirana” invites you to get lost in the night with style. -Marcos Hassan
11
Entrópica - “Formas”
Entrópica is here to remind us of her slick 2019 album Formas releasing its title track as its fourth single. “Formas” and its contagious beat now comes with a music video that replicates Grace Jones’ famous appearance on Chilean television in 1980 right in the middle of Pinochet’s dictatorship, tapping into an energy she can use that can cut through her country’s sociopolitical climate. -Cheky
12
Tall Juan - "Rocío"
Punk samba with a Paul Simon twist? Why not! Queens native Tall Juan has returned with an effervescent new single titled “Rocío” about an adventurous young woman bouncing from trans-Pacific trips to Ayahuasca trips—the perfect sunny tune to warm up our chilly social-distancing spring. -Richard Villegas
13
Akapellah & Lil Supa - “Crema”
Venezuelan hip-hop monsters Akapellah and Lil Supa are back with yet another collaborative track called “Crema,” from their Funky Fresco project. With a chorus sung in French and a killer U.K.-inspired beat, the rappers make their pop culture reference rain on us, and use both their lyrics and the way they deliver them to show that if there’s something they excel at and that’s going to take them far, it’s their rhymes. -Cheky