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.
Greeicy, Cultura Profética, “Te Creí” (UMG Recordings)
Greeicy has been teasing fans on social media about “the most beautiful collaboration.” This week, she finally revealed her new single “Te Creí” alongside the Puerto Rican group Cultura Profética. Created by DARK and AEME in the midst of the pandemic, the slow-tempo reggae bop finds Greeicy melancholic and disappointed at someone’s broken promises. “Forget my songs/ I’ll return your promises/ You didn’t do any of them/ And I believed you,” she chants in the chorus. Frontman Willy Rodriguez, whose verse comes towards the end of the song, harmonizes effortlessly with Greeicy throughout the track. A self-proclaimed fan of their music, the Colombian pop singer even traveled to the Isla del Encanto to film the vibrant music video helmed by Cacho Diaz. Watch it below: — JESSICA ROIZ
Feid, Karol G, “FRIKI” (Universal Music Latino)
After getting their freak on during a show in their native Medellín, where Feid joined Karol G onstage for a perreo masterclass, the pair dropped their new collaboration titled “Friki.” The head-bobbing reggaetón single marks the first time Karol and Feid team up for a track — which they also sang for the first time ever during their weekend show in Colombia — and it comes on the heels of the singer’s tour, where she’s joined by Feid as her opening act. Interpolating Karol G’s 2018 hit “Pineapple,” the song was produced by Noize and Sky Rompiendo. — GRISELDA FLORES
Cosculluela, “Tarde o Temprano” (Rottweilas, Inc.)
The Puerto Rican rapper and reggaetón star dropped “Tarde o Temprano,” marking the first single from his upcoming studio album slated for 2022. The song is not only a gift for his fans but also highlights a fresh proposal, blending Coscu’s signature sound with a mid-tempo urban-pop beat. “Always listening to Romeo and Drake on Spotify/But when she feels alone, she wants Coscu, Papi there’s no break, brr, brr,” he chants in one verse. — INGRID FAJARDO
Monsieur Periné, “Volverte A Ver” (Sony Music Latin)
Staying true to their signature big-band jazz sound, Monsieur Periné’s “Volverte A Ver” is a feel-good song that is meant for dancing and singing along to. The Rafa Sardina-produced track previews Monsieur Periné’s forthcoming album set to be released in 2022. About “Volverte A Ver,” the band’s co-founders Catalina García and Santiago Prieto expressed: “We all have people we love that are far away. Friends, family, and partners whom we miss and want to tell that we’re here for them from the other side waiting for, thinking about, and loving them.” — G.F.
Micro TDH, Nueve (Warner Music Latina/KING TDH)
Micro TDH’s connection with numerology reflects on his new album Nueve, which he released on Dec. 9 via Warner Music Latina. This month’s Latin Artist on the Rise explained to Billboard that he understood numbers are spiritual and that the number nine “goes with the word Micro TDH and my mission as an artist and public figure.” On his 14-track set, the Venezuelan rapper takes fans on a musical journey that starts off with “Negro Mate,” a downtempo reggaetón jam that’s fused with his signature Andean music fusions.
It then continues with previously-released singles like “El Tren” with Myke Towers and the Pablo Alboran-assisted “Lobby” before going full experimental: “Peligrosa” is a saucy Brazilian funk, “Arrancame la Piel” escalates to a groovy funk jam, and “La Mentirosa” has punk rock undertones. Micro also included some R&B gems and heartfelt ballads on this album because, as he put it himself, “it has music for all kinds of people, for all kinds of tastes.” In the ultra-personal “El Inca,” Micro, who comes from Merida, located in the Andes mountains of northwestern Venezuela, unleashes his killer rapping skills and success story.
“This album was made with a lot of sweat, a lot of effort, and a lot of blood,” he says — but most importantly, the set “contemplates all the facets of Micro TDH and preserves the essence of the beginning and also my sound today.” Stream and listen to Nueve below: — J.R.
Erika Vidrio, Lupita Infante, Nena Guzmán & Grupo Emperatriz, “Las Mexicanas”
When Mexican singer-songwriter Erika Vidrio created her network dubbed Las Compositoras earlier this year, it was not only meant to help connect up-and-coming female songwriters in the regional Mexican realm, but also to write and record songs together for more visibility and solidarity. “Las Mexicanas” is born from that project bringing together Vidrio, Lupita Infante, Nena Guzmán, and Grupo Emperatriz for this new banda anthem that is an ode to the Mexican woman, who is fearless, gutsy and perseverant. — G.F.
Tempo x El Alfa, “Happy Birthday” (Rompe Records)
Puerto Rican artist Tempo and Dominican dembow star El Alfa join forces to bring back the infectious rhythms from the ’90s dance hit “I Like to Move It,” originally released in 1993 by Colombian-American DJ and music producer Erick Morillo’s Reel 2 Real project. In this new rendition, El Alfa and Tempo spit witty verses with their signature vocals backed by thumping urban beats fused with the classic house rhythms of the song. — I.F.
