Just in time for the ungodly winter chill, neoperreo queens Ms Nina and Tomasa del Real are here to give us the gift of “Y Dime,” a high-octane collaboration to melt away your seasonal woes.
While they were both in LA for Red Bull Music’s neoperreo showcase last summer, Nina and del Real came together for some studio sessions after years of supporting each other from afar. Mexican beatmaker BrunOG joins El Licenciado on production, making for a broad mix of Latinx representation and signaling the worldwide rise of reggaeton from a criminalized genre emerging from the caseríos of Puerto Rico and Panama’s reggae en español scene to its current Latin American (and increasingly international) domination.
“Y Dime” brings the heat of old-school perreo sucio while staying true to the global digital aesthetic of neoperreo. AutoTune-drenched vocals speak of unapologetic sexual conquests and financial independence over a thumping dembow riddim (and the occasional requinto guitar riff thrown in for some clutch bachatón moments).
At turns brash and tender, “Y Dime” eschews dominant gender narratives, instead painting an appealing picture of opulent and delightful sexual leisure. La Nina y La Tomy are not gonna cook for anyone with their lengthy and elaborately painted claws (“Se lo hago bacán, pero no cocino/Sabes por las uñas de tu gata fina”), and should you be mad? Well, turns out you’re eminently replaceable (“Hoy juego contigo/Mañana cualquiera”).
But this doesn’t mean they’re afraid to be sweet or even loving – for the night. “I wanted to make a romantic reggaetón,” Nina told Remezcla. “This is reggaetón for crying and moving your cucu.”
Stream our premiere of “Y Dime” below: