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
San Benito (a.k.a. Bad Bunny) - "6 Rings"
This week’s tragic death of one of the world’s most iconic athletes, his daughter and a plane full of other victims brought up a lot of conflicting emotions — especially for those concerned about what the laudatory din meant for Kobe Bryant’s alleged 2003 sexual assault victim. But Benito chose to focus on the inspiration Bryant most certainly gave to fans across the globe, dropping this quick Soundcloud track to commemorate Mamba’s command of the hoop. There’s even a line for Kobe’s fellow star on the court: his deceased daughter, Gianna Marie-Onore Bryant. It may be the sunniest mental image to be created in the wake of their tragedy. -Caitlin Donohue
2
Gianluca - "Won't be Late" (Swae Lee Spanish Edit)
We are still buzzing from Gianluca’s excellent full-length debut Yin Yang, which dropped back in October 2019 — but just as the high started to wear off, the Chilean trapero returned with a brand new EP of remixes and edits. Featuring a cover of J Balvin’s “Tu Verdad” and a remix of his devilish reggaeton single “Flotando” (now featuring Princesa Alba) the EP’s brightest star is his Spanish edit of Swae Lee’s “Won’t Be Late.” There the usually lowkey sad-boy offers up an afrobeat-soaked club banger, perfect for a night of boozy antics and wrong yet oh-so-right decision making. -Richard Villegas
3
Letón Pé - “No”
Letón Pé is going at her own pace. Whether that means turning things up a notch with her weekend-ready track, “¿Klk tú Bebe?” or slowing things down with this week’s dreamy single, “No.” Partnering up with fellow Dominican artist, producer Diego Raposo, the track sees Letón Pé hushed over a protracted beat — mimicking the totally unbothered energy of her “que prisa, ¿eh?” at the start. And with that, Letón lends us an invitation to say “No” once in a while — especially when life’s moving all too fast. -Jenzia Burgos
4
La Casa Azul - “El Colapso Gravitacional”
La Casa Azul’s Guille Milkyway has built his entire career on tons of sugary pop tunes with an edgy twist, and he can now add “El Colapso Gravitacional” to that list. The maximalist, vertiginous song makes us smile and dance, yet hits us with the bittersweet lyrics of an aging star fading out of the spotlight. -Cheky
5
La Fiebre X - "La Trampa" (ft. Alexxxandrina, Nurrydog)
Tony Gallardo’s multitudinous identity reached critical mass back in 2016, when after nearly a decade of electro-punk fire-starting he decided to part ways with his now-legendary alter ego, María y José. Never able to stay away for long, Gallardo has morphed into a staple of Monterrey’s bubbling urbano underground, slowly donning a new mask as La Fiebre X and releasing the occasional oddball perreo edit through his treasure-filled Bandcamp page. Finally dropping his first formal release as La Fiebre X, “La Trampa” sizzles as a glossy yet lo-fi reggaeton smash. It features vocals from neoperreo ingenue Alexxxandrina and a production assist from Nurrydog, who help propel the track into compulsive repeat territory. -Richard Villegas
6
Noa Sainz - “NECESITO”
Noa Sainz quietly kicked off her year with a powerful collection of R&B jams titled MAYDAY!, her newest seven-track EP. Included here is “NECESITO,” a recurrent song from her live sets, in which she makes the difficult decision to walk away from a relationship in order to make space for herself. And she does so over a beat that grooves so hard it can induce only the most bumpin’ dance moves. -Cheky
7
Sotomayor - "Sin Control"
This pair of siblings create a synth-strafed boom-chik-chik twirl of a song, an ecstasy evident in their latest release. -Caitlin Donohue
8
Molina - “Fastfood Widow”
Denmark-based Chilean artist Molina debuted last week with a striking EP called Vanilla Shell, letting all of us into her 80s retrofuturistic synth-pop fantasy. “Fastfood Widow” switches back and forth between a dramatic ballad and a dance number, bursting with vocal harmonies and lush synths. She is all of us whenever she sings about the pains and anxieties of fast food addiction. -Cheky
9
Diego Raposo & MC Buzz - "Ven"
The inventive DR producer links with Mixpak’s MC BUZZZ (f.k.a. MC Buseta), the Brazilian cum Spanish vocalist whose gruff riffs sound divine laid atop a wide swath of urbano sounds. Here, a come hither narrative races alongside Raposo’s racecar-party percussions. -Caitlin Donohue
10
Say what you will of his more recent drops, “Soy Peor” is and always will be Bad Bunny’s most raw-edged emo song. LA producer Baby Uniq hasn’t forgotten. Here, she re-records the midnight lyrics, tracking them into a danceable production out of which emerge surprising yet perfect violin chords. -Caitlin Donohue
11
KCTband & Concon Quemao - "Acelera en Carnaval"
Dominican Independence Day is coming up soon (February 27), and looking ahead to carnival season, groups KCTband and Concon Quemao have teamed up for a lighting fast collision of merengue típico and fuzzy guitars called “Acelera en Carnaval.” And accelerate you will — just let the zooming tamboras and hypnotic choruses of “se acelera el carnaval” send you hurtling into a crowd of diablos cojuelos and stinging vejigazos. -Richard Villegas
12
Sunset Images - "Centro de la Ciudad"
Like standing in the middle of a busy street of your average city, “Centro de La Ciudad” evokes the experience of the wild energy that emanates from large urban places. Through ear-splitting feedback, psychedelic fuzz and kinetic drumming, Mexico City’s Sunset Images give us an oversaturated take on instrumental psych rock that leans heavily on the noisy and abstract while laying great reasons to shake your skull to these grooves. -Marcos Hassan
13
Trillones - "Rupturas"
Mexicali’s Polo Vega has shown us he’s not ready to settle into one sound with his prolific electronic project, and we’re all for the better. In addition to shoegazey melancholy and time-warping techno, Trillones has also dabbled in synthpop, and “Rupturas” might be his most realized track in this style. Powered by a catchy and tender melody, a triumphant synth line and a wobbly bassline that invites your head to shuffle along, “Rupturas” proves that Vega is as apt to become our contemporary provider of melodic sadness as well as ethereal beauty and head-rushing fun. -Marcos Hassan
14
N.M.A. - "Puño Solitario"
Chile’s Ninjas Mutantes Adolescentes are living proof that punk is alive and well in 2020, and giving us enough vitriol to make a case of its vitality in these trying times of ours. At 53 seconds, “Puño Solitario” delivers a cry of resistance draped in desperate vocals, overdriven guitars and fast drums that somehow become even faster as the song comes to an end. Raise your fist and yell in righteous anger. -Marcos Hassan