CNCO has officially kicked off the year with their single “PHA” (an acronym for party, humo y alcohol) out Thursday (Jan. 13) via WK Records/Sony Music Latin.
In their first track of the year that follows “Toa’ La Noche,” their debut single as a quartet group, Christopher Velez, Erick Brian Colon, Richard Camacho and Zabdiel de Jesus bring a new, refreshing sound that’s different from the sugary pop bangers they’ve released in the past.
“We wanted to start off the year doing something different and this song was the correct one for this new era that we’re entering,” Zabdiel tells Billboard during an Instagram Live interview.
“PHA,” produced by HV and Kairo La Sinfonia and written alongside the Latin band, is an infectious pop song full of ’80s retro vibes. A just-as-groovy music video accompanies the track.
“The song is literally about empowering women when they get their heart broken,” Christopher adds. “In the lyrics, we tell her to go out, be confident and live her life.”
CNCO is the latest act to hop on this “espousing experimental pop — often fused with rock, folk, reggaeton, and disco — that turns heads and sets the bar high for what pop tunes can be,” as Billboard described in its Latin Trends to Watch in 2022.
This year, the group promises a lot of new music and collaborations, as well as a few concerts in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
Watch the music video for “PHA,” followed by our Live With Billboard Latin interview below: