Every week, we highlight some of our favorite releases in a handy list. Although we try to cover as much new music as possible, there are so many stellar releases to talk about. Consider this our genre-diverse guide to songs we have on repeat.
Follow our playlist featuring these tracks and more on Spotify or Apple Music.
Mexico’s premiere cult pop band are back. Everything you expect from them is here and on point: soaring vocals, immaculate instrumentation, and rhythms to sway to. “Son” switches it up with a trap beat and an earthy saxophone, giving a fresh spin to Hello Seahorse!’s balladry. –Marcos Hassan
Colombian-born Brooklyn residents Salt Cathedral are making some of the sunniest dancehall this side of the Caribbean, and “Rudeboy” is exactly what your summer playlists were missing. Juli’s vocals soar like a tropical bird over the ocean, while Nico’s terrific production brims with color and optimism. If music could smile, this song would go ear to ear. –Richard Villegas
Colombia’s El Freaky loops in raimundo y todo el mundo for this twinkling summertime collab that feels kissed by the spirit of reggaeton romántico. A massive feature list means a stream of artists (Feid, Apache, Toby Letra, Stanley Jackson) pop in and out for a few verses that give the song some heft and complexity, rather than weighing it down – there’s even an assist from the Netherlands’ DJ duo Afro Bros. –Julyssa Lopez
Spanish collective Afrojuice 195’s music is already a linguistic and cultural cocktail, so it’s no surprise they got together with French rappers TLS Gang to give Ricky Martin a run for his money with “C’est La Vida.” Their Afro-house hit has us thinking about flying across the pond to join the crew and set the streets ablaze. –Cheky
Juan Luis Londoño Arias could not have chosen more forcefully heterosexual visuals for his coolly unrepentant “bad boy” single “Mala Mía.” “Así es mi vida es solo mía/No importa lo que digas,” he reminds us, words of wisdom for those who have been ragging on the Colombian pop prince of late. –Caitlin Donohue
La chongitona que tú conoces returns from maternity leave with the five-track, to-the-point FREE BANKROLL CHONGA EP. The sax-spiked phone sex intro makes it clear that Momma continues to be the XXX treggaeton queen fans know and love. –Caitlin Donohue
Six-piece soul group The O’My’s deliver a breathless ode to love lost, a quick-paced verse from Chicago rapper Saba circle-breathing the listener into a spell only accentuated by pops of crystal-clear trumpet. – Caitlin Donohue
Monterrey-based newcomer Stefania Kirnbauer is full of surprises. Releasing a folk-inspired EP earlier this year, Kirnbauer has returned with a new mini-album of sweet and sheepish synth pop tunes. Listen to “Mmm Hmm,” a delightful cut that would fit in perfectly on the Pretty in Pink soundtrack. –Richard Villegas
At first glance, it’s easy to perceive the visuals of Hawaiian Gremlins’ latest video as deeper commentary about the proliferation of white supremacy in the U.S., especially considering the title “Americana.” But there’s more going on here (for starters, the video was filmed in Málaga during Holy Week, where hooded figures walk in processions celebrating various religious brotherhoods). The Mexican band trades their energetic garage and goth experimentation for a slacker rock dirge, penning a generational anthem of oblivion – something that could actually make them the voice of their generation. –Marcos Hassan
The MITEL DICO crew is never far behind with a fresh mixtape or single to blow our minds and get us grinding, and Seyer’s new hip-hop bootleg-inspired tape is doing just that. Check out “Choca,” a hazy, slow dembow made for late-night dance floor romances. –Richard Villegas
If you were looking for something to play at your goth dance night, Lima’s Bad Penny is here to provide you with the soundtrack for a night filled with black eyeliner and fishnets. Their synth-y sounds are the stuff black light was invented for, but in case you thought they have only have partying in mind, the dreary vocal delivery will have you in your feelings for months. –Marcos Hassan