Gerardo Ortiz and Piso 21
Jos Alavez // Imagine It Media*First 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.
Gerardo Ortiz & Piso 21, "Fino Licor" (Sony Music Latin)
Striking a perfect balance between pop-urban and ranchera, Ortiz and Piso 21 deliver the ultimate heartbreak anthem in "Fino Licor." Stepping outside the regional Mexican realm once again for this melancholic tune, Ortiz recruits the Colombian supergroup to sing about drinking one's sorrows away after being betrayed by someone you love. "Bartender, serve me a drink of your finest liquor because tonight I will drink my sorrows away and end my pain from this betrayal," they sing in the chorus. The track was produced by Piso 21's Dim. -- GRISELDA FLORES
Alvaro Diaz, Felicilandia (UMG Recordings)
When the global health crisis hit in early 2020, Alvaro Diaz took the opportunity to create a lot of music, telling Billboard, “This pandemic took out the best of me and everything that I created during the quarantine is even better.” Now, the former Billboard Latin Artist on the Rise presents his new studio album Felicilandia, home to 16 conceptual tracks. Inspired by Disney World, Diaz makes sure to give fans the ultimate amusement park experience, starting with the magical 56-second intro. The first official track on the album is his Randy-assisted “OG Black,” a slow-tempo rap song that transforms into a catchy perreo toward the end. In “Problemon,” his collaboration with longtime colleague Rauw Alejandro, Diaz transports fans to outer space with hard-hitting futuristic reggaeton beats. And it’s in songs like “Nitro” and “Casual Day” where Diaz sticks to his trap essence.
He pays tribute to reggaeton de la vieja escuela as heard in “Llori Papi” with his sample of Zion’s “Fantasma” and “18+1” with Hector El Father’s “Los Rompe Discotekas.” More notably, in “18+1” with Jesse Baez, Diaz fuses alternative rock, synth pop and even the sirens you hear on a carnival ride. On “Chinita Linda” with Venezuelan group Rawayana, Diaz flaunts an old-school jazz rap influenced by A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul. Including other collaborations such as Tainy, Sebastian Yatra and Feid, to name a few, Felicilandia wraps up with what seems to be Diaz’s mother singing Palito Ortega’s all-time classic “La Felicidad.” Stream and listen to the album below. -- JESSICA ROIZ
Nacho, Carlos Vives & Mike Bahia, “La Mitad” (UMG)
Nacho, Carlos Vives and Mike Bahia join forces for a new uplifting track that fuses vallenato and pop with danceable rhythms. In "La Mitad," they send a positive message and invite the listener to meet halfway if you want to settle any differences they might be having with someone. "The message behind the song is compelling because it talks about the empathy we need to have with others," said Nacho in a statement. "I'll wait for you in the middle, your reason, and my truth. Love is a truce no one has to win," they chant in the chorus. -- INGRID FAJARDO
Jorge Drexler & C.Tangana, “Tocarte” (Sony Music España)
Following their 2021 Latin Grammy-nominated “Nominao,” Jorge Drexler and C.Tangana join forces once again on “Tocarte,” a song that Drexler says came first. “It’s the first song that Pucho (C. Tangana) and I wrote. It just came out in a session in my studio in June 2020, together with Víctor Martínez and my son, Pablo Drexler,” he explained in a statement. “This happened over a year ago... before ‘Nominao,’ so imagine how hard it was for us to keep the secret (it was burning in my hands!) until we felt, the whole team, that the right time had come.” “Tocarte” (Touch You), which is a minimalist and rhythmic tune tinged with candombe and carioca funk, highlights the yearning to get physical contact back, especially during the pandemic, at a time when hugs or kisses turned into risky actions. “Being brave or a coward/ Your money or your life/ To put my life on the line/ To go down the drain,” say part of the lyrics. A simple yet cinematographic video, directed in 16mm by Joana Colomar and produced by Zissou, captures touch and desire in an elegant, sensual and poetic way. -- J.R.
Eladio Carrion, “Cuarentena” (Rimas Entertainment)
Marking the first single from his upcoming project, Eladio Carrion steps aside from his signature trap beats and drops “Cuarentena.” The saucy reggaeton, featuring infectious electronic beats, was produced by Hide Miyabi, Hydro and Jowny and penned by Carrion. Named after the quarantine, the lyrics tell the story of a girl who’s not only over the pandemic confinement but had moved on from a past relationship. Carrion, on the other hand, can’t forget his past love and is ready to give it another shot. Filmed in New York by director Jose Sagaro, the music video is trending on YouTube at time of publishing. -- J.R.
Jonatan Sanchez, "Descansa En Paz" (Gerencia 360)
A second preview of his forthcoming album, the 22-year-old Mexican-American artist offers a somber banda ballad just in time for Halloween/Día de Los Muertos weekend. Titled "Descansa en Paz (Rest in Peace)," Sanchez is making peace with his past, letting go of any demons that lingered from a failed relationship. "You were once again the villain in this story. You're no longer relevant in my life, rest in peace," he sings. Penned by Sánchez, the track follows his previously released singles "Ni Yo Me La Creo" and "Se Supone." -- G.F.
Cali y El Dandee & Aitana, “Coldplay” (UMG)
Born from the need to give continuity to their last collaboration ("Más"), the Colombian duo and the Spanish pop singer present a new urban pop-tinged punk collaboration titled "Coldplay." From the beginning of the song, Cali narrates the breakup and all the song's emotions to then fuse with Aitana's higher notes, followed by Dandee's vocals, which give life to the story of a broken relationship. The lyrics tell the backstory of ending a relationship and the doubts that arise during that moment -- including the betrayal of going to see a Coldplay concert with someone else. The track was produced by Andrés Torres and Mauricio Rengifo (Dandee). -- I.F.
DIRK, "Vale La Pena" (WMG)
Rounding out our list this week is a refreshing rhythmic-pop tune fused with landó (Afro-Peruvian genre) by Peruvian-born artist DIRK. The 22-year-old newcomer made his debut as a singer-songwriter in 2020 with his English-only album Before, Meanwhile & After. -- G.F.
NEWS
Massive Attack have been using their latest live show to challenge American data analytics and software company Palantir, with the band describing the firm's ambitions as "terrifying".
The pioneering trip hop group have woven criticism of the controversial surveillance technology company into their new stage production. During their upcoming performance at Primavera Sound, they plan to deploy "custom-made facial recognition software" capable of "scanning a 75,000-person crowd" and projecting audience members onto giant screens with tongue in cheek labels such as "11 weeks no time off, burnout" and "unfinished books", according to Novara Media.
Speaking with the publication, the visual concept takes direct aim at Palantir, the company established two decades ago by billionaire Peter Thiel. Backed financially by the CIA, the firm counts the US and Israeli militaries, ICE, the FBI and the NHS among its clients.
After unveiling the production in Helsinki, Robert Del Naja told Novara Media that he wanted audiences to better understand how Palantir's reach has expanded from supplying "kill chain tech" reportedly used in Gaza to now having access to the medical records of people across Britain.
"We really need a much wider debate on the suitability of a company like this having such capture of our societal infrastructure," he said. He explained that the criticism is embedded throughout Massive Attack's two hour performance and was developed alongside long time collaborator Adam Curtis and London art collective United Visual Artists.
"One visual element represents how a Palantir Gotham monitoring and ‘decision chain’ interface might look," Del Naja explained. "Using facial recognition technology, it lands on groups and individuals – implying a consequential outcome for a given target."
Novara Media also detailed how Palantir's software can connect information from multiple databases. The outlet reported that ICE allegedly combines the platform with body camera footage, social media data and information gathered through Israeli developed hacking software Paragon to identify protesters involved in resistance to immigration raids.
The publication further claimed that Palantir contributes to Maven, a software platform used by the US military, which has recently faced criticism after being linked to the bombing of a girls' school in Iran.
"I find their declarations, objectives and moral framing pretty terrifying," Del Naja said. "To enable AI systems to map police records, satellite tracked locations, health records and personal financial transactions and place all of that information – for the first time – into the hands of a company with an overt political agenda and social objectives of its own is a huge, potentially irreversible and dangerous overreach."
Another moment in Massive Attack's current live production appears during the closing section of "Girl I Love You", when a quote from Peter Thiel is projected on screen reading: "I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible".
Last year, Massive Attack introduced the satirical "facial recognition" sequence during their concerts and quickly rejected suggestions that genuine data recognition systems were being used on audiences.
"No Massive Attack live show has ever recorded or stored personal data," the group stated. "Only government departments, relevant authorities & approved contractors can access public databases in the UK, & doing so in multiple cities/countries would be impossible."
The band also pointed to the growing use of facial recognition technology across Britain, arguing that authorities are "overreaching almost all other western democracies with their use of public facial recognition … while there is no specific legislation regulating police use of these systems."
The statement arrived shortly after Massive Attack welcomed Kneecap onto the stage during their major show at the OVO Wembley Arena, introducing them as a group "who refused to be silenced for their solidarity with the Palestinian people."
Massive Attack have consistently spoken out in support of Palestine and a range of other progressive causes. More recently, they pledged to boycott Spotify following reports that CEO Daniel Ek had invested heavily "in a company producing military munition drones and AI technology integrated into fighter aircraft."
During their headline appearance at London's LIDO Festival last summer, the band were joined by actor and activist Khalid Abdalla along with Yasiin Bey, formerly known as Mos Def. Earlier this year, Del Naja also criticised what he described as a "draconian government" after being arrested while protesting the ban on Palestine Action.
The musician was one of hundreds of demonstrators who gathered in Trafalgar Square on April 11 to oppose the Palestine Action ban. He carried a placard stating "I Oppose Genocide, I Support Palestine Action".
Police removed him from the protest and arrested him on suspicion of expressing support for a proscribed organisation. He later responded with an extensive statement posted to Instagram.
Back in February, the band revealed a small run of European dates for the summer. The tour began on May 27 at Veikkaus Arena in Helsinki before continuing to Dalhalla in Rättvik on May 30.
The Bristol trip hop pioneers have not released new material since the 2020 EP "Eutopia". Their most recent studio album remains 2010's "Heligoland".
Speaking with NME in 2024, Robert Del Naja revealed that the band had "some new music which we've been sitting on for four years". He later shared in November that he hoped to finally release some of that material in 2026.
