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.
Eslabon Armado, Vibras de Noche II (Armado Records/Interscope Capital)
Eslabon Armado is so back. Staying true to its sad sierreño roots, the moody tracks that put the group at the forefront of música mexicana, Vibras de Noche II further solidifies its mainstay. As is tradition, since having a major breakthrough in 2020, Eslabon — led by frontman and songwriter Pedro Tovar — released its yearly album, and this one is extra special. It’s a follow up to the Vibras de Noche LP from five years ago, which spent 11 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Albums chart. Part two is just as emotional, as Tovar navigates love, heartbreak and solitude — themes that have powered most of his songs.
The 15-song set (plus an intro and outro) opens with “Sad Intro,” setting the mood for what’s to come. “How’s your situation now, Pedro?” a woman’s voice asks. “Honestly, it hasn’t gotten better/ I still think about her and I don’t know what to do,” Tovar responds. The 22-year-old then wounds through songs — powered by prickly guitars — like “Te Odio,” unleashing stirring emotions about love and loss, and “Otras 24 Horas,” where he gets nostalgic about the past. “Why don’t you look at me like before?/ At the beginning you wanted my kisses and laid on my chest,” he wails. In “El Alegre,” Tovar changes the tune, going from complete heartbreak to realizing it’s time to move on. Surprisingly, the only collaboration on this album is with Macario Martinez (“Esa Noche”), the viral folk singer from Mexico who went from street cleaner to hitmaker earlier this year. — GRISELDA FLORES
Anitta, “Larissa” (Republic Records/Universal Music Latino)
Throughout her career, Anitta has distinguished herself in the music world as a strong, determined woman. But in “Larissa” – a song from her recently released documentary Larissa: The Other Side of Anitta – the Brazilian superstar allows herself to show a more vulnerable side while singing about a relationship between two people who aren’t afraid to be themselves in front of each other. “We’re polar opposites, but I’m betting on this between us/ That we’re both here, that’s no coincidence,” the trilingual artist sings in Spanish.
“My music has always been about strength, right? Mainly feminine strength. But, talking about this track and also the film, I feel like I discovered a new type of strength by allowing myself to be fragile, to fail and to make mistakes,” Anitta says in a press release. Written by the artist herself alongside Essa Gante, Daniel Sobrino, and producer Caleb Calloway, “Larissa” incorporates elements of drum and bass and reggaetón. The music video, featuring footage of Anitta au naturel in various settings and stages of her life, creates a refreshing and lively collage. — SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS
FloyyMenor feat. J Balvin, “BANSHEE” (FloyyMenor/United Masters)
At the Billboard Latin Music Awards last October, where he won Global 200 Latin song of the year for “Gata Only,” FloyyMenor revealed that a collaboration with J Balvin was in the works. Five months later, the pair drop “BANSHEE” — named after one of the popular sports cars in Grand Theft Auto. Produced by the Chilean breakthrough star and co-written with the Colombian global sensation, the full-fledged reggaetón song is backed by similar catchy synth melodies that made “Gata Only” such a contagious track. Lyrically, and also following the same formula of Floyy’s No. 1 Billboard hit with Cris MJ, “BANSHEE” is about flirting and desiring a girl. “Everything she uploads, I give it a like/ You’re beautiful,” sings Balvin in the opening verse. Meanwhile Floyy chants in the chorus: “Call me at night to show up where you are / Tell your boyfriend, bye.” — JESSICA ROIZ
Joyce Santana, Nada Personal (Rimas Entertainment)
A masterclass in defiance and vulnerability, Nada Personal sees Joyce Santana turning wounds into weaponry and introspection into potential anthems. The album opens with “El Gigante de Carolina” and trembles with ancestral echoes. Produced by Nostra, it feels stripped to its emotional core, evoking Puerto Rico’s tribal essence while he raps unflinching personal truths — painting himself as a mythic figure, borrowing from the giant Felipe Birriel. “Esto es hecho en Puerto Rico pero pa’l mundo entero,” he spits. “Omertá” follows, a Tainy-produced composition that thrives on reggaetón’s pulse and shifts into an eerily whimsical synth melody.
Collaborations abound throughout the record — Feid brings seduction to the reggaetón-steeped “Ferxxoko,” while Yandel joins for “Crisis,” a guitar-laden lament of emotional wreckage, wrapped in tropical warmth. Yet Joyce’s poetic grit always takes center stage, especially on “De la Casa,” where he lunges confidently into rap reggaetón, unearthing his hometown ethos, or the menacing trap song “MJM,” alongside Álvaro Díaz. It’s the self-produced outro track “Nada Personal,” though, that feels like the peak: “Yo no rapeo, yo lo que hago es manifestar,” he declares, as the production morphs mid-beat, mirroring his unpredictable essence. With 17 tracks, the album burns with fire, ambition and a refusal to look away from life’s darker corners. — ISABELA RAYGOZA
Majo Aguilar, “Piel Azteca” (Fonovisa/Universal Music México)
Singer-songwriter Majo Aguilar delivers an anthem of Mexican pride for all her paisanos, offering a message of resilience at a time when the immigrant community in the U.S. has been directly impacted by the Trump administration’s callous policies. In the joyous norteña, rooted in the traditional sounds of mariachi, Aguilar sings about a community and culture that, while it has endured hardships, remains unbreakable. She honors the beauty of her heritage, standing against those who aim to diminish its value. The music video includes a poignant contribution by the Ballet de Monterrey. — G.F.
Caifanes, “Y Caíste” (Caifanes)
Marking the legendary Mexican rock band’s fourth single since returning to the stage in 2011 after a 16-year hiatus, “Y Caíste” is a powerful, dark, and timeless track that tells the story of a character who has seen better days, and must now find a way back on track. With electrifying guitars, the rock track becomes a very personal dialogue about the passage of time and graciously accepting life’s consequences. Written by singer-songwriter Saúl Hernández, the song was recorded in January at London Bridge Studios in Seattle and produced by Howard Willing. The single’s artwork was created by renowned Mexican designer Alejandro Magallanes. — NATALIA CANO
Check out more Latin recommendations this week below:
