16 New Songs to Listen to This Week From Jean Dawson to Tatiana Hazel
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 Jean Dawson, Tatiana Hazel, and Fuego. Follow our playlist featuring these tracks and more on Spotify or Apple Music.
Jean Dawson – “3 HEADS*”
With his new single “3 HEADS*,” L.A.’s fast-rising breakout star Jean Dawson announces his new album Chaos Now, hinting at a new sound that expands his aesthetic horizons. Featuring multi-genre guitar work (angular punk melodies, compressed ‘80s pop stabs, and beautiful clean ‘90s emo-like arpeggios), the song shines with its controlled chaos and emotional peaks and valleys. Every time its fire “One-headed/Two-headed/Three-headed monster” chorus kicks in, we can see ourselves with our fist in the air in one of the stops of his upcoming first-ever headlining US tour. – Cheky
Eladio Carrión – “Si Lo Puedes Soñar”
As one of the forerunners of el movimiento nowadays, Eladio Carrión knows a thing or two about following his dreams to the big time. However, “Si Lo Puedes Soñar” is not entirely about his own success story, dedicating this one to one of the greatest boxers to ever represent Puerto Rico in the ring, Xander Zayas. With a beat that’s relaxed yet full of swagger, Carrión gives us the type of life-affirming wordplay that has become his signature with a hook that won’t leave your head, especially once you hear the children’s choir belt it out in the outro. — Marcos Hassan
Fuego, Manuel Turizo, Blessed – “Bonita”
Fuego is the latest artist to bring back EDM. In his latest track, “Bonita,” which features the Colombian talents Manuel Turizo and Blessd, the trio takes us on an all-around party full of gambling and seduction. The Maffio-produced track embodies a danceable upbeat tempo coated with a hint of jazz-like instruments, which sprung us memories of Alexandra Stan’s “Mr. Saxobeat” in 2016. Fuego’s known for his diverse musical repertoire, constantly bouncing around genres like reggaeton, trap, and bachata, to name a few. And with “Bonita,” he adds another trophy to the EDM side of his collection. – Jeanette Hernandez
Tatiana Hazel – “Talk”
After a year of pause to realign with her creative vision, Tatiana Hazel returns with her first release and music video for “Talk” — a song that taps into the power of being alone and denying second chances after a bad love has gone awry. The carefree track is fueled by midnight energy, driven by fuzzed electric guitars, a heady, deep bassline, and infectious synths that meld heavy pop, alternative rock, and darker electronic styles together. As she carves out her new direction into the walls of abandoned dark corners, the visuals — created by Lost Noise — take note and follow suit as they follow Hazel, finding solace in darkened isolation and navigating the abandoned spaces around her. – Jeanette Diaz
Divino Niño – “XO”
Arguably Chicago’s most exciting band working today, Divino Niño continues to unveil surprising and profoundly groovy new tracks off their forthcoming LP Last Spa on Earth, scheduled for release on Sep. 23. Their latest gem arrives with the delightfully sacrilegious “XO,” metabolizing trauma from cultish Christian upbringings into an uproarious joyride loaded with sensual bass lines, plasticine auto-tune, and a funk-into-reggaeton beat change that’ll fill your hips with the holy spirit. – Richard Villegas
Pocah – “Não Sai da Minha Mente feat. Lionel”
Afrobeats and baile funk are essential dots bridging the gap between Brazil and Africa’s music today, a connection only in the beginning. Pocah’s new single shows what lies ahead of this link — or one of the possible outcomes. In “Não Sai da Minha Mente,” she brings the lustiness and steaminess of both genres into a tight lo-slung jam concocted by producer Ajaxxx. Backed by Rio’s trapstars Bin and Lionel and their tight-locked bars, the Brazilian singer unleashes a soulful tone she had been hiding for years. It’s another face of the fka Pocahontas, an MC with a couple of energetic baile funk hits that can also explore the R&B fields. — Felipe Maia
Su Lee x Ariza – “Super Happy”
South Korean singer/songwriter Su Lee has grown a sizeable fanbase on social media over the last two years, with her DIY musical reports from the 10×10 room she quarantined in during the pandemic ringing true to a generation(-Z) that was also overwhelmed by sudden anxiety and uncertainty. Now, she’s releasing her first studio tracks and teamed up with Colombian artist Ariza to take her talents to a new level. “Super Happy” continues her dream-pop lean but with even more polish and effectiveness in a Korean/English/Spanish package. It’s her catchiest track yet, and hopefully, it portends even more K-pop/Latine music collabs in the future. — Juan J. Arroyo
Silvana Estrada – “Brindo”
On Marchita, Veracruz singer-songwriter and musician Silvana Estrada grappled with heartache and ruminated on the dissolution of young love. However, glowing triumph and a sense of hopefulness persisted throughout its 11 songs. Born out of what she describes as “joy and gratitude,” “Brindo” picks up where Marchita left off, honoring those profound and forever life-altering connections. Backed by the strums of her now-signature Venezuelan cuatro, Estrada’s smooth and dynamic poet-folk vocals captivate passerbys in this stunning live performance of “Brindo” as part of La Blogothèque’s “A Take Away Show” series. – Nayeli Portillo
Ulises Hadjis – “Estar”
For his latest five-track EP, Errores en el Extranjero, seasoned Mexico City-based artist Ulises Hadjis surrendered production duties to multitalented Black Pumas member Adrian Quesada, who helped him expand his aesthetic universe. Take “Estar” as an example. It’s probably the most rocking moment in Hadjis’ discography, where he supercharges his frustration and resignation with the song’s pounding drums and overdriven guitars to relieve the feelings of being on the brink of emigrating from a country and its decaying reality. – Cheky
Fol De Rol – “Anáfora”
With their second single, Mexico’s Fol De Rol takes a bold step towards the unknown. While their previous song relished on motorik rhythms and layered noise that has become synonymous with psychedelic rock in the country, “Anáfora” trades it all for claustrophobic-yet-euphoric industrial rock. Artificial drums power a dance floor-ready beat while the lyrics are repeated mantra-like, with electronics and spiky guitars entering the mix to shape the soundscape. This is rock music that dares you to have a good time while relishing in darkness. — Marcos Hassan
Mariel Mariel – “La Batalla”
The Chilean singer Mariel Mariel released “La Batalla” off her new 12-track album under the same name. “La Batalla” is a beautifully chaotic sonic journey from start to finish. It carries heavy almost punk-like Latine percussion, Andean flutes, and psychedelic riffs that take your eardrums into a hypnotic state of mind. Written and produced by Andrés Landon and the Chilena herself, the song will enthrall you into euphoria with Mariel’s hard-hitting chants, ready to face any challenge in 2022. What a way to wrap up the diverse and fierce album. – Jeanette Hernandez
Ex-Mañana Feat. Xelli Island – “Solo Sé”
Set to a dreamscape of alt-R&B meets melancholic electronica, long time friends turned collaborators Ex-Mañana and Xelli Island provide a track that melts away the darker sides of depression and steps into radical acceptance, closer to the brighter days that inevitably lie ahead. A lush and ambient overtone is met by dreamy vocals and stimulating percussion that makes the song read like an affirming sonic waterfall, cleansing a ruminating mind stuck in dark thoughts. It’s hope-inducing, mantra-like lyrics that serve as a practice in self-trust that depression doesn’t always last forever. – Jeanette Diaz
Aroe Phoneix – “Cansar En Paz”
Los Angeles-born, Mexico-raised singer/songwriter Aroe Phoenix has stoked buzz for the last couple of years with a string of vibey singles framing her silky retro voice within neo-soul and skeletal jazz. Turning the page, Phoenix’s next chapter comes with a brand new EP titled Alba, out now via Normandie Records, casting the rising chanteuse as your new favorite nightclub diva. The record kicks off with brazen good-luck-without-me anthem “Cansar En Paz,” bouncing on some of the most satisfying house music this side of Beyonce’s brave new world, while still delivering the liberating catharsis one can only truly achieve on the dance floor. – Richard Villegas
Siso – “Não Sabe”
In his third album, Vestígios, São Paulo-based artist Siso played the role of singer-songwriter and also put his explorer hat on, a contemporary detective that goes after lost songs from a recent past. All of the album’s eight tracks were first released in the late 2000s by Brazilian indie groups. Living in between P2P platforms and music blogs and the rise of streaming services, maybe lost along the way, these artists are now revisited by Siso. “Não Sabe (O Que É o Amor?)” takes the highlight among the album’s several good retakes. The reggae-soaked rock ballad is reshaped with grooviness while keeping the MPB warmth and inventiveness found in the Minas Gerais’ band Minimalista, the song’s original composers. — Felipe Maia
Epilogio – “12AM”
Epilogio’s debut LP, Modo, was one of the better rock en español debuts of the late-2010s, and every single they’ve released since then has only heightened their follower’s calls for a new album. Their wait will soon be over, as the Puerto Rican quartet has announced a sophomore release early next year with its newest single, “12AM.” From its opening notes, the song harkens to a serene ‘60s folk/pop-rock sound, while its lyrics introduce the concept of a dream pill — a motif that will run through all the upcoming album’s tracks and accompanying music videos. For a band whose music has always had a wistful daydream essence to it, it’s an interesting approach that might just play to their strengths. — Juan J. Arroyo
Hermanos Gutiérrez, Dan Auerbach – “Tres Hermanos”
Zurich-based brothers Alejandro and Estevan Gutiérrez are channeling the vividness of Western film scores and the spirit of Sergio Leone’s 1966 film The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly into their forthcoming album El Bueno Y El Malo. On “Tres Hermanos,” the two guitarists enlist Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys to animate the desert-inspired instrumental. Warm, fleecy fretwork and slick lap steel guitar interweave to play off of that timeless ‘60s Nashville sound and nod to some of the duo’s influences, like Chilean pop band Los Ángeles Negros. – Nayeli Portillo
