Meet Cupido, the Spanish Auto-Tune Heartbreak Darlings
This is our weekly compilation of newly released bite-sized song reviews from our talented music writers. Discover new favorites, read nuanced criticism of the week’s hottest releases, and much more. Who knows, you might walk out of this with a new fave or two. Some of the featured artists include Sebastián Yatra, Ana Macho, and DannyLux. Follow our playlist featuring these tracks and more on Spotify or Apple Music.
Sebastián Yatra – “TV”
With “TV,” the prominent Colombian pop singer-songwriter Sebastián Yatra indulges in an acoustic guitar sound that seamlessly blends with his signature pop music catalog. Throughout the sweet video, we see a literal puppy love story, getting an inside look at the world through the canines’ POV. “TV” comes after Yatra’s multi-platinum third album Dharma and his unforgettable participation on Encanto’s soundtrack. Both projects have kept the Colombian artist on the radar with catchy hits like “Tacones Rojos” and “Dos Oruguitas” since the beginning of 2022. Now with this new single, it’s even more evident that Yatra isn’t going anywhere and will continue to dominate the Latine airwaves by recording hit after hit this year. – Jeanette Hernandez
Ana Macho – “Pero Gané”
Last Dec., Ana Macho and Villano Antillano’s team-up bop “Muñeca” was first runner-up in our “10 Best Reggaeton & Trap Songs of 2021” list. Six months later, the proud Caguas native is dropping their sophomore EP, Realismo Mágico. Featuring guest appearances from rising indie acts Enyel C and Robertito Chong, the trailblazing enbie pop-rap diva launches the project with single, “Pero Gané.” On the track, Ana reflects on the uphill climb to get to where they are. However, they now look forward optimistically to a future where they can, as Miss Universe 1970 winner Marisol Malaret says in an audio sampled at the end, travel the universe and keep spreading their charms wherever they tread. — Juan J. Arroyo
DannyLux – “Junto a Ti”
2022 has already proven to be a momentous year for Mexican-American singer-songwriter Daniel Balderrama aka DannyLux. On top of landing a highly coveted gig opening for Coldplay during an eight-night stretch of their stadium tour in Mexico, the corrido artist amassed over 15 million streams with his latest album, Perdido En Ti, which subsequently landed him at No. 1 on the Top Latin Album charts via Apple Music. In his latest single, “Junto a Ti,” DannyLux explores a euphoric and other-worldly kind of romantic magnetism through the form of an alluring, acoustic-heavy ballad. – Nayeli Portillo
Holy Sunn – “Ojalá Tocara en Sonic Youth”
While most might imagine Sinaloa as an evergreen land of corridos and banda music, the truth is a raging punk, psych, and electronic underground has been burning for years. Culiacán trio Holy Sunn have become local luminaries of shredding guitars and snarling vocals, finally breaking their silence since 2019’s Beyond EP with a buzzing return to form on “Ojalá Tocara en Sonic Youth.” Though fueled by aspirational irreverence, the crashing, howling song reaches far beyond fantasy and becomes a searing indictment of regional scenes that turn their backs on homegrown talent. It’s also unquestionable mosh pit fuel. – Richard Villegas
BeMyFiasco – “Outside The Lines”
A skyscraper level of “being the soul of the party” is achieved by BeMyFiasco in her new jam, the delightful, sun-tanned “Outside the Lines.” The song was released last Oct. as part of her first album, Where I Left You, but the music video only dropped now — right on time to catch the temperatures on the rise. Along with also musician Sonny Miles, the singer brings life to her soulful lyrics and vocals cozily involved by enticingly piano melodies and bouncy basslines. — Felipe Maia
Making Movies – “XOPA”
Days away from the release of their awaited fourth album XOPA, Making Movies just dropped the title track, a high mark in their signature blend of rock sounds and Afro-Cuban rhythms. The timba beat smudged with distorted guitars creates the perfect setting for Enrique Chi to sing about the unlocking of ancestral secrets through the power of music. Through his celebratory chants, he wants us to know his music will never die. – Cheky
Seba Otero – “Salitre”
The Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Seba Otera is back with a new solo single, “Salitre.” You might know Otera from other projects such as the band CABRA or Trending Topics. But this time, he’s on a journey of his own and one that entices the elements of Latine flare while bridging the gap between Caribbean diversity and afrobeats. The track swings back and forth from Spanish to French, transmitting his music to non-Spanish speaking areas in the Caribbean, not to mention the merengue rhythm it takes the whole way through. Otera describes the track as a sensual play on how people go about the game of love, and he states: “‘Salitre’ presents seduction as a game that is already pleasurable in itself. Importance is attached to enjoying the wait and its color. The title gives a clue about that, because by smelling the saltpeter, we know that there is a coast nearby without having to see it. We know that there is a destination that we do not see and that walking until we arrive and discover it, I love it. The music and the lyrics evoke an elegant sensuality that is used to dance intimately, without haste, with someone or alone.” – Holly Alvarado
Deorro – “La Cita (ft. Ally Brooke)”
The popular Mexican-American producer and DJ Deorro has been dipping into his Latine roots more than ever this year. From releasing his energetic collaboration with the iconic group Los Tucanes de Tijuana on “Yo Las Pongo” to now delivering “La Cita” with Ally Brooke, it’s clear that Deorro is in his musical element. Curiously, on the bilingual mesh “La Cita,” he explores a different direction: a more nostalgic, retro wave sound that pleasantly serves as proof that he’s a chameleon regarding the spectrum of EDM production. Regardless of his chosen style, Deorro has an impeccable way of music-making that has us highly anticipating the rest of his upcoming album ORRO. – Jeanette Hernandez
Ari Lindo – “Sheepskin Lady”
Ari Lindo has spent the past few years as a member of the Chicago-based group Late Nite Laundry and playing with Cuban neo-soul/R&B artist Lester Rey. Now, he’s preparing a solo project that’ll expose listeners to a different side of his talents. With the new track “Sheepskin Lady,” Lindo wades into an indie folk music sound and waxes about the follies of “young and foolish” love that is as irresistible as it is ill-fated. His virtuous guitar playing keeps the melody upbeat, perhaps showing his hand that even under the specter of heartbreak, it might always be worth it. — Juan J. Arroyo
La Marisoul – “Rocket Man (cover)”
Marisol “La Marisoul” Hernandez, frontwoman of the Grammy Award winning and genre-defying LA-based band La Santa Cecilia, carries the chorus of “Rocket Man” (the lead single from Elton John’s 1972 album Honky Château) with such ease and prowess that you could easily forget you’re listening to a cover. On this stunning reinterpretation of the beloved and iconic anthem, Hernandez’s earthy, velvet-smooth vocals gleam alongside an immaculate production, courtesy of multi-instrumentalist and producer Meme del Real. The single is set to be featured on the latest season of HBO Max’s hit series Amsterdam. – Nayeli Portillo
Desert Kin – “Os Escultores Estão Vivos” / “El David”
At the top of 2022, singer/songwriter Franco Bastida began unveiling his forthcoming debut EP under the moniker Desert Kin, releasing a string of earnest, dreamy tracks that have consistently fluctuated in genre and language. His latest drop is a double single pairing cuts “Os Escultores Estão Vivos” and “El David,” plunging the rising bard into bossa nova as he croons about self-love in Spanish and Portuguese, reminding us that we’re all priceless works of art. – Richard Villegas
La Chinaca – “Juegos Malosos”
A remake of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” with cumbia tones and eerie colors, that’s the shortline of La Chinaca’s “Juegos Malosos.” But there’s much more if you deep dive into all overdubbed layers that unfold gradually as the track sneaks in the room, with feverishly vocal harmonies and the cumbia’s guiro echoing all around. Not to overstate, but maybe it’s just too bad the song was only released in 2022 because it would be a perfect match for a Tarantino movie in his early days as director. — Felipe Maia
Vera Pedro – “Sol Adentro”
After dropping an EP and a handful of singles in the past two years, Vera Pedro is ready to share his debut Adán Jodorowsky-produced album Volver A, which he’s now previewing with the vintage-tinted jam, “Sol Adentro.” Weaving together dreamy, evocative metaphors and ‘60s pop-inspired instrumentation, the Mexico City native looks back at a lost relationship. But instead of dwelling on sadness or bitterness, he shines with unexpected optimism, hoping they’ll be together once again. – Cheky
Alih Jey – “Running Up That Hill (Kate Bush Cover)”
As if we couldn’t get enough of the classic Kate Bush classic track “Running Up That Hill,” the rising Dominican artist Alih Jey is giving us a brand new cover. And while Bush masters the use of synths in an idyllic ‘80s new wave sense, Jeh does it with a modern touch, using thicker bass lines and pop undertones that pair perfectly well with the original. The inspiration for doing a cover this time was the newly found popularity of the song, thanks to the new season of Stranger Things. So being a fan of Bush and the hit series, Jey knew the time was now to create the perfect cover. “I was inspired to recreate the song as a challenge to myself,” Jey wrote in a recent Instagram post about the cover. “To produce it, play all the instruments live, program that (simple) beat, shoot and edit a homemade video in a short time span.” The Latin Grammy-nominated artist is undoubtedly giving us one of the best covers of the year, and if you’re a fan of Bush, it’ll be yours too. – Holly Alvarado
