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.
Manuel Medrano, “Hay Una Luz Dentro De Ti” (Warner Music Mexico)
After testing the waters with a pop-funk-meets-urban sound, which he simply nailed, Manuel Medrano returns to his roots on “Hay Una Luz Dentro De Ti.” In a true and authentic Medrano fashion, the Colombian crooner laces a soulful alternative beat with heartfelt lyrics that will simply make anyone fall in love. “There are so many things within you that I can’t resist” and “your heart and mine join forces and it feeds my entire body,” are some of the lyrics that Medrano’s deep vocals chant, flaunting his ease with poetry. The music video is just as symbolic, showing a couple’s love story through lyrical dance as Medrano performs the song in an abandoned train station and inside a vintage theater. – JESSICA ROIZ
Mon Laferte, Seis (Universal Music México)
Mon Laferte wrote her sixth album, aptly titled Seis, while hunkered down in the pueblo mágico Tepoztlán, nearly two hours south of Mexico City. The Chilean singer-songwriter started writing it a month after the COVID-19 lockdown was imposed. “I was like everyone else, just filled with uncertainty,” she told Billboard. “So I clung onto my music and my guitar because I thought, if the world ends, I at least want people to know how I was feeling.” It’s the first album in which she sings regional Mexican (banda, corridos tumbados, mariachi) music in homage to the country she’s live in for the past 14 years. In it, she doesn’t hold back while singing about toxic relationships, past and future loves, and the love she has for her mother and other women. “The entire writing process was very solitary, bleak and melancholic … it was nights of just me and my guitar, drinking mezcal, with the crickets in the background,” she adds. – GRISELDA FLORES
Jay Wheeler, “Viendo Al Techo” (Linked Music/Empire)
Jay Wheeler continues to prove why he’s considered “La Voz Romantica” (the romantic voice) with the release of his new single “Viendo al Techo.” The Puerto Rican newcomer, and one of Billboard’s Latin Artists to Watch in 2021, drops a romantic urban bop that perfectly sums up one’s feelings after a breakup: emptiness, confusion, shame. “I’m not good at pretending that I forgot you/ Baby, I miss you, the nights are long without you,” Wheeler, who penned the lyrics, sings. The music video captures a heartbroken man in his bedroom remembering his best memories with his ex-girlfriend. — J.R.
La Doña, “Setas y Ceros” (Human Re Sources)
Bay Area artist La Doña, whom we’ve been following throughout the pandemic in our In a Pandemic series, released her new bachata-inspired song “Setas y Ceros.” The track kicks off with a chill bachata vibe but it quickly picks up speed transitioning to a reggaeton tune led by La Doña’s slick accordion skills. While at first listen it may sound like a party track (which it could be), true to La Doña’s style, “Setas y Ceros” has a deeper meaning exploring how we function under capitalism. “I work hard and I save but it’ll never be enough,” La Doña tells Billboard. “Although I’ve completed my main goal in life, which was to buy a house, I’m still working multiple jobs and 60+ hour weeks, juggling so much. When does that ever end?” – G.F.
Myke Towers & Ñengo Flow, “Burberry” (Warner Music Latina/Warner Records/One World International)
Myke Towers teamed up with old-school reggaeton star Ñengo Flow for the release of “Burberry,” a raw drill with trap-influenced beats that not only sends a message to haters but also flaunts all the hustle paying off. Just moments after dropping the video for “Burberry,” Myke Towers and Ñengo Flow landed on the YouTube trends page with the music video, where the two artists are pampered by luxurious goods, including the designer brand. “Burberry” marks the second single off of Towers’ upcoming studio album Lyke Myke. –– J.R.
Danny Felix & Mariachi Vargas De Tecatitlán, “Mariachi Tumbado” (Fonovisa)
In his new single, which follows his debut album Vuelve, the up-and-coming artist gives traditional mariachi music a contemporary twist. Teaming up with Mariachi Vargas De Tecatitlán, Danny Felix fuses mariachi with tumbado giving the song some edge. The track, penned by the Mexican-American artist, began with a guitar and romantic lyrics, eventually evolving into a mariachi tumbado song once Mariachi Vargas jumped on the project. Most recently, Felix – who produced a handful of Natanael Cano’s hits – co-wrote Karol G’s “200 Copas” with Karol and Ovy On the Drums – G.F.
Juanes, “El Amor Después del Amor” (Universal Music Latino)
The first preview of Juanes’ forthcoming 10th studio album titled Origen – a collection of reimagined songs that have inspired his career – the Colombian star released a captivating cover of Fito Paez’s 1992 love anthem “El Amor Después del Amor.” True to Juanes’ essence, this new version is a bit more rock deftly fused with gospel influences and blues powered by Juanes’ smooth guitar skills. “‘El Amor Después del Amor’ is one of my favorite rock songs of all time,” Juanes said in a statement. “Since the day it came out, what it spoke to, and still does, resonates with me and a whole generation. I have the utmost admiration for Fito- I admire his greatness as a composer and his lasting influence on Latin Rock.” The singer-songwriter will perform his version of “El Amor Después del Amor,” co-produced by Juanes and Sebastian Krys, live at the Latin AMAs on April 15. – G.F.
Luis Figueroa, “Hasta El Sol De Hoy” (Salsa Version) (Sony Music Latin/Magnus Media)
Luis Figueroa, this week’s Billboard Latin Artist on the Rise, flexes on his artistic versatility with his new single “Hasta El Sol de Hoy.” With his dulcet vocals, the Puerto Rican artist pays an homage to the timeless 1993 salsa song by Edgar Joel y Su Orquesta, whose vocalist at the time was Anthony Colón, Luis’ uncle. “He plays an important role in my career because he would always accompany me to the studio at the beginning of my career,” he told Billboard. The single marks the first single from Figueroa’s debut studio set, slated for May, called Canciones del Alma, an album that will include his versions of songs that have “inspired and molded me into the artist I am today.” — J.R.
Jay Maly, Ñengo Flow & Darell, “Juguete” (Rompe Records Music)
After joining forces with Arcangel on “Rosas y Pistolas,” Jay Maly reels in Ñengo Flow and Darell on his new single “Juguetes.” Produced by Lanalizar and Cromo La X, the sultry reggaeton track “talks about the game of seduction and how some girls don’t like to fall into serious commitments,” the Cuban newcomer explained in a statement. “Sometimes men fall into their temptation but they just want momentary fun.” The official music video was directed by José Javy Ferrer in Miami and shows all three artists. – J.R.
