NEWS
Sebastian Yatra
Erick Fernando QuezadaFirst Stream Latin is a compilation of the best new Latin songs, albums and videos recommended by the Billboard Latin editors. Check out this week's picks below.
Sebastian Yatra, “Tacones Rojos” (UMG Recordings)
Sebastian Yatra's new single “Tacones Rojos" is an upbeat pop-dance love song that starts off with electric guitar riffs followed by his plush and charming voice. "The song was inspired by morning rays of light that enter through your window and can totally take you to a new and happy inspiring place,” Yatra said in a statement on writing the lyrics alongside Manuel Lorente (the song was co-produced by Manuel Larra, Juanjo Monserrat, and Pablo Ross). Above all else, this feel-good song is an ode the happiness that comes from finding that special someone who will light up your world: “My piece of sunshine/the girl of my eyes,” he chants in the chorus. --- INGRID FAJARDO
Paloma Mami, “Cosas de la Vida” (Sony Music Latin)
Latin Grammy best new artist nominee Paloma Mami bares it all in her new single “Cosas De La Vida.” Muting the more rhythmic side of her sonority, the new track is a slowed-down pop tune powered by a sparse drum beat that finds the Chilean-American singer-songwriter wondering if she’ll find her way back to her soulmate. Written by Mami and Gilberto Figueroa “Roa,” “Cosas De La Vida” is the first single off her upcoming album, which will follow her 2021 debut LP Sueños de Dali. --- GRISELDA FLORES
Adriel Favela, “Lágrimas de Miel” (UMG Recordings)
Ever since returning to music, Adriel Favela has presented a refreshingly mature sound, evidenced on "Lágrimas de Miel," which features a melancholic sierreña melody and is the third single off of his upcoming album Cosas del Diablo. The Mexican singer-songwriter is vulnerable and heartbroken on the song -- which Favela co-produced with Trooko and Danny Felix and co-wrote with Brandon Reyes -- while the simple yet conceptual music video brings the whirlwind emotions to life. --- JESSICA ROIZ
Gloria Trevi, “Ensayando Cómo Pedirte Perdón” (UMG Recordings)
Gloria Trevi has a knack for creating anthems and her latest song is no exception. Written by Trevi and Mexican singer-songwriter Leonel García, “Ensayando Cómo Pedirte Perdón” is a striking ballad on forgiveness, which, as ever, Trevi delivers with her resounding and powerful vocals. “I hope that this song can help people reconcile and put together the broken pieces that were a result of this pandemic,” Trevi said about the song. “From now on, I hope that it becomes a song that helps someone ask for forgiveness even when it’s hard to put into words.” --- G.F.
Llane & Boza, “Puñales” (Warner Music Mexico)
Llane and Boza, two former Billboard Latin Artists on the Rise, have joined forces for their new collaboration "Puñales." The Colombian artist and Panamanian newcomer blend their signature sounds, bringing to life a mid-tempo urban-pop track fused with lots of Caribbean flavors. "Puñales," which loosely translates to fist, tells the story of a person who refuses to believe that their relationship has ended and prefers to live in a lie. --- J.R.
La Santa Cecilia, Quiero Verte Feliz (Rebeleon Ent./Virgin Music U.S. Latin)
From cumbia to norteña to son jarocho, folk and beyond, La Santa Cecilia’s eight-song set is music for the soul. As lead singer La Marisoul puts it in “Estrellita,” “I sing for the soul of the people and to cure my own heart.” A must-listen from beginning to end, featuring cant-miss collabs with Lila Downs and Luis Enrique, the L.A.-based group takes their audience on a roller coaster of emotions singing about falling in and out of love, acceptance and celebrating life. The tracks are set to rich, wide-ranging arrangements that will instantly make any listener want to get up, dance and shake off any bad energy. --- G.F.
Kris Floyd, La Última Vez Que Me Viste (NEON16/Interscope Records)
After penning songs for artists such as J Balvin and Selena Gomez, Kris Floyd released his own debut EP, La Última Vez Que Me Viste. On the nine-track set, the Puerto Rican singer-songwriter puts all his cards on the table, flaunting the ease at which he can tap into R&B ballads ("¿Cuando Vienes?"), sultry perreos ("Ser Ella"), hard-hitting reggaeton ("Ser Libre") and his specialty of trap, best heard on "Xkittlez," the only collab on the album featuring Arcangel. "I want people to know a little more about how I my mind works," Floyd said in a statement. "The opportunity to continue contributing art and to continue expressing myself through music is very valuable to me." --- J.R.
Ally Brooke “Mi Musica” (AMSI Entertainment)
For her first solo, all-Spanish single, Ally Brooke taps into the reggaeton realm with “Mi Musica,” marking a new direction for the former Fifth Harmony member. “This song is purely from my heart, and it is as ‘me’ as it gets,” the Mexican-American artist said in a statement. “I am proud to say I helped to write this song that means so much to me. The message of ‘Mi Musica’ is that I am nothing without my family, dear friends and fans. I have everything because I have them, and to them, I dedicate this song.” Co-written by Brooke, Yofred, Azzi and King Mora, Brooke’s first Spanish single is a preview of her upcoming first-ever Spanish-language album, which will also be her debut album as a solo artist.
Fontaines D.C. have teamed up with Rosalía for their new collaboration, Where Is Gone?.
The song features on the Irish rock band's forthcoming album, Dopamine Chamber, which arrives on Friday (16.10.26). For guitarist Carlos O’Connell, working with the Spanish superstar is particularly special because of his own Spanish roots.
He explained: “I’ve admired Rosalía ever since her debut album, which I thought was absolutely beautiful.
“What excited me most was the way she continued to preserve Spain's musical traditions, something that felt spiritually connected to what we've been trying to achieve with Irish music. Having roots in both countries, it's been really special to witness. "She's an artist who has continued to amaze me at every point in her career.”
Frontman Grian Chatten has also described the collaboration with Rosalía as one of the most memorable achievements of his career.
He revealed that he felt "humbled" when she agreed to lend her voice to the band's album.
Speaking to NPR, Grian said: “I've always felt there's something almost like a single big idea that I'm personally trying to communicate to the world before I get old and die, if that makes sense. There's one thing I think I'll spend my life trying to express. I have a feeling she has a similar outlook. … I mean, she's an amazing arranger, composer and lyricist. It means so much that she wanted to sing on something we'd put together. It's definitely one of the highlights of my career.”
Rosalía's links to Irish rock music extend beyond Fontaines D.C. She also offered inspiration and helped develop the Spanish lyrics for U2's The Mirror Maker (Rosalía), a track from their forthcoming album, Carnaval de Luz.
During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last week, she spoke about frontman Bono, saying: “I don't know him personally, but he sent me a text explaining that he was working on a new project and had written a song called The Mirror Maker."
Rosalía joked that Bono had invented a few words of his own.
She recalled telling him: “I wasn't sure what to make of it, but I told him he could create his own language if he wanted to.”
She described the opportunity to collaborate with the 66 year old music veteran as a real privilege.
She added: “Bono is a legend.
“It's amazing.”
Bono recently revealed that he was worried about seeming like a stalker when he reached out to Rosalía to ask whether he could name the song after her.
