New Music Latin is a compilation of the best new Latin songs and albums recommended by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors. Check out this week’s picks below.
Myke Towers, La Vida Es Una (Warner Music Latina/Warner Records/One World International)
Since his debut studio album in 2016, Myke Towers was destined to become one of the most notable acts of the nueva escuela in Latin urban. His life story, authenticity, captivating vocal range and hard-hitting bars ultimately took him from an aspiring freestyle rapper on Soundcloud to earning 45 titles on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart (nine of which entered the Top 10), and beyond. Now, on his fourth studio set La Vida es Una (Life is only one), Towers demonstrates he’s still a force to be reckoned with—and that indeed, you only live once. Released two years after predecessor Lyke Mike, a set that stemmed 100 percent from his trap and hip-hop core, LVEU is jam-packed with a more experimental sound (“No Salgo” and “Lo Logré” are the few tracks that maintain his rap essence).
The set kicks off with “Voodoo,” a sultry Afrobeats jam where the Puerto Rican artist chants about conquering the girl he likes. Along those lines follows “Mi Droga,” a reggaetón bop fused with flamenco flair. In tracks such as “Más Allá” and “Mundo Cruel” he flirts with EDM beats, whereas in “Sábado,” he drops a feel-good retro ’80s funk groove that will empower the ladies, and in “Flow Jamaican,” he goes full-on reggae. He’s more chameleonic than ever — but it works, and of course, he couldn’t make his comeback without the infectious reggaetón and perreo melodies that made him a household name: “Tu Rehén,” “Bella Kyal,” and “El Alta” are the perfect examples. On La Vida es Una, Towers recruits big dogs Daddy Yankee, Arcángel, Ozuna and J Balvin, as well as newcomer Chita, who shines on “Cama King,” a smooth, early 2000s-inspired R&B track. — JESSICA ROIZ
Humbe, ESENCIA (Humbe/Sony Music Mexico)
Humbe’s fourth studio album deeply connects the regiomontano’s (a word that describes someone from Monterrey) emotions and celebrates love, willpower and self-confidence. Best showcasing the unique sounds of the Mexican singer-songwriter, the 11 tracks on the set fuse beautiful atmospherics with his signature pop sound. It’s an album full of introspection — or in Humbe’s own words via a press release, he had to “search through his own story to deliver his essence.”
He perfectly proves this from the opening track “Mamá,” which portrays one of the purest loves that exist, through “Manada,” which reflects the love he receives from his fans. Moreover, “Para Siempre” — vocally and musically — makes you feel every single word, and reminds that when it comes to love, “sometimes it heals/ sometimes, it kills/Many call it, the perfect weapon.” ESENCIA is charged with musical messages for the soul and closes with two powerful anthems: “Lo Logré,” a song about how we can fight for all the things we desire, and “Serotonina,” about the meaning of serotonin, which contributes to the feeling of happiness and mood regulation. — INGRID FAJARDO
Rosalía & Rauw Alejandro, RR (Columbia Records/Sony Music/Duars Entertainment)
Rosalía, an unflinching artist who’s rooted in tradition and bears an unmatched knack for experimentation, and Rauw Alejandro, a sly reggaetón crooner armed with a genre-spanning dance-driven moxie, combine for RR — or R♾Я, for the sake of style. The expectations were sky-high for their first public collaboration, and these two musical omnivores not only meet them here, but exceeded them. Their beautiful music video for “Beso” even came equipped with their engagement announcement. Leading with an upbeat keyboard melody, Rosalía sings about yearning for a kiss with her signature high-pitched rasp in “Beso.” Rauw meets his match with his R&B-laden coo, asserting he echoes her feelings.
Then comes the more sinister “Vampiros,” dripping in post-coital swagger, as this incendiary pair take off into the night á la Bonnie and Clyde, backed by an old-school-styled reggaetón thump. “My gun has no safety/ It shoots by itself/ She’s from Barcelona but she’s a cabrona/ She’s not a follower,” the Puerto Rican hitmaker hisses. On their confessional bolero ode “Promesa,” another facet of their love is revealed: a tender, classically styled love letter that brims with sweetness and sensuality. “A promise is never to look back / If you were to ask, I would swear it to you again / Like a pearl that returned to the bottom of the sea, if I lost you, I know I would find you again,” cries the Spanish singer.
All in all, RR is a swoon-worthy, open-hearted slice of Latin pop that’s swirled together with adventure, lust and romance — giving any love skeptics hope. — ISABELA RAYGOZA
Andrés Cepeda & Gusi, “Duele” (Sony Music Colombia)
Andrés Cepeda and Gusi take us to the 1950s as they join forces in “Duele,” a bolero-cha song about heartache whose title translates as “It Hurts.” Written by Gusi and Benji Cordero, “Duele” talks about the end of a relationship and the painful memories that the absence of the loved one can evoke. The track allows both singers to shine separately before blending their voices in subtle-but-beautiful harmonies. “And it hurts/ To think that you are leaving me, love/ You did not give it importance/ How much this distance weighs/ To say goodbye to us,” they cry in the chorus. “Duele” is part of Cepeda’s upcoming album, which will be released in May. The song’s music video — directed by Salomón Simhon and filmed in Colombia, in Cienaga, Magdalena — is as colorful as its lyrics. — SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS
Conexión Divina, “Anestesia” (Sony Music Latin)
Gearing up to release their debut album, 3 Mundos, on April 14, Conexión Divina is now blessing fans with another single just before the big release. With “Anestesia,” the all-women team of Ashlee, Liz and Sandra continue building on their core sierreño sound, powered by a mashup of melancholy acoustic and electric guitar tunes. “This was one of the songs we had the most fun recording because we had the freedom to add effects to the music,” the trio says in a joint statement. (They’re referring to the addition of thunder mid-song, which only intensifies the dark and somber vibes of the lyrics of a heartbreak that’s palpable.)
“I know nothing will change, I took some anesthesia and I couldn’t wake up anymore,” Liz sings on the track. “Sometimes I sleep when I’m awake and I don’t how to feel about it because it bothers me, and sometimes I feel like I have amnesia.” If you’re itching to see the group live, Conexión will be making their Coachella debut in April. — GRISELDA FLORES
Miranda! & Cristian Castro, “Prisionero” (Sony Music Argentina)
Miranda! welcomes Cristian Castro as a guest in the new version of the song “Prisionero,” which is part of their upcoming album Hotel Miranda!, which presents new versions of the hits acculumated over the more-than-20-year musical career of the Argentine duo, formed by Ale Sergei and Juliana Gattas. The electro-pop track was first released in 2007, and although the feathery-voiced duo has always had a retro sound, the new mix that highlights the beat, bass and a stronger presence of synthesizers, which gives it a more ’80s touch.
In the video, Castro can be seen as a captive of the couple, and several allusions to his hit “Azul.” For those who recognize this song, it will undoubtedly be a nostalgic journey to the 2000s that will provoke singing, with an Argentine accent, “Nadie va a amarte como yo lo haré” (No one will love you like I will). — LUISA CALLE
