Johann Vera, \u2018Nada Importa En Verdad\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"Screenshot\"](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Johann-Vera.jpg?w=300\")
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\n\n\tA decade after not making the cut for Latin boy band CNCO, Johann Vera pushed forward as an indie act. Much of that time was spent in the closet. The Ecuadorian heartthrob celebrated his coming out as a queer man in the jubilant \u201cNada Importa En Verdad.\u201d Not only has Vera found his footing as a Latin pop star, but also his voice in this liberating anthem. \u2014Lucas Villa<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nWeed420, \u2018Maluca\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-rollingstone-2022\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/weed420-songs.jpg?w=300\")
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\n\n\tThe liminal frustration of being stuck in traffic mutates into a beautiful oasis of nostalgia on \u201cMaluca,\u201d the stand out track from weed420\u2019s generational swan song, Amor de Encava<\/em>. Layering car horns, Venezuelan salsa ba\u00fal, reggaeton bass lines, spliced conversations and DJ tags, the mysterious collective casts the illusion of a cramped bus commute through Caracas, where noisy cacophony coalesces into a loving portrait of home. \u2014R.V.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nManuel Turizo and Ryan Castro, \u2018Menos El Cora\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"Screenshot\"](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ryan-castro-manuel-turizo.jpg?w=300\")
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\n\n\tWith his\u00a0Send\u00e9<\/em>\u00a0album, Ryan Castro embraced his roots from Cura\u00e7ao. The Colombian superstar leaned fully into his island swagger in the tropical banger \u201cMenos El Cora.\u201d The break-up anthem is even more irresistible with heartthrob Manuel Turizo in the mix. The two artists sing about never letting their hearts get the best of them when it comes to living the bachelor life. \u2014L.V.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nIsabella Lovestory, \u2018Vanity\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"Screenshot\"](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Isabella-Lovestory-eoy.jpg?w=300\")
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\n\n\tAfter years setting the world ablaze with raunchy neoperreo, Isabella Lovestory\u2019s sonic pivot on \u201cVanity\u201d yielded big rewards. Embracing Eighties synth-pop and strobing house, the Honduran-Canadian diva emerges from the sweaty reggaeton rave into a softly lit, angelic fantasy where she ponders why vanity might be mistaken for cruelty. And who can blame her, when looking so good is nothing short of sinful. \u2014R.V.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nChino Pacas, \u2018Ojitos Mentirosos\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"Screenshot\"](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/chinco-pacas.jpg?w=300\")
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\n\n\tThe least expected track to go viral on Chino Pacas\u2019 Cristian<\/em> turned out to be the one that made the biggest waves. Near the end of the album, \u201cOjitos Mentirosos\u201d blends 30-year-old Peruvian cumbia with a distinctly Mexican music feel, layering trumpets, charchetas, a cumbia bass, and a killer guitar solo at the end. Fans used the song to showcase themselves in clown makeup roaming barrios, \u00e0 la Gael Garc\u00eda Bernal\u2019s 2019 film, Chicuarotes<\/em>. Far from his usual style, the track opened a new musical landscape for Pacas where his vocals shine too. \u2014T.M.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nNick Le\u00f3n, Esty, Mediopicky \u2018Millennium Freak\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/nick-leon-list.jpg?w=300\")
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\n\n\tOut of the Miami club bedlam of Nick Le\u00f3n\u2019s A Tropical Entropy<\/em>, \u201cMillenium Freak\u201d downplays the explosive expectation of heavy hitter collaborators Esty and Mediopicky, instead keeping the focus on the spastic 140-BPM dembow beat. Of course, the buzzy Dominican guests shine through malevolent atmospheres, doling out verses that range between sensual and menacing, making for an eerie dance floor romp that\u2019s too fun to resist. \u2014R.V.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nYajaira la Beyaca and Genosidra, \u2018Pukita\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/pukita-vid.jpg?w=300\")
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\n\n\tIn a year when reggaeton\u2019s biggest stars went folk, Yajaira la Beyaca reminded us of the genre\u2019s uproarious, pearl-clutching infancy. A centerpiece of\u00a0Caracter Anal<\/em>, the Venezuelan club entity\u2019s throbbing collaborative album with Colombian producer Genosidra, \u201cPukita\u201d is a firestorm of perreo raunch that rattles off increasingly filthy one-liners like Plan B Mad Libs. Hilarious and with a beat so sick it\u2019s as if Beyonc\u00e9 sneezed on it, \u201cPukita\u201d delivered a master class in reggaeton history and a devilish pitch for its future.\u00a0\u2014R.V.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nDanna Paola, \u2018Khe Calor\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"Screenshot\"](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/danna-khe-calor.jpg?w=300\")
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\n\n\tAfter starting out as a children\u2019s telenovela actress, Danna returned to her roots with \u201cKhe Calor.\u201d The Mexican pop princess evoked classics like Fuego En La Sangre<\/em>, Destilando Amor<\/em>, and Soy Tu Due\u00f1a<\/em> in the sensual music video with reggaeton Mexa heartthrob El Malilla. While living out her telenovela fantasy, Danna channeled her sensuality into a tribal house banger, bringing the heat with her most daring release yet. \u2014L.V.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nSayuri and Sopholov, \u2018Secunena\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"Screenshot\"](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/sayuri-sopholov.jpg?w=300\")
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\n\n\tThis Mexico City duo may not have an expansive catalog yet, but their second single, \u201cSecunena,\u201d quickly went viral for its playful, tongue-in-cheek lyrics about horny high schoolers skipping class to meet boys. \u201cSoy una coqueta desde que era chamaquitaaaa,\u201d Sayuri and Sopholov sing with unmistakable sass. Midway through, a sudden Ixtapalapa cumbia sample ups the chaos, turning the track into a fun listen in true reggaeton mexa fashion. \u2014T.M.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nLatin Mafia, Omar Apollo, \u2018Hecho Para Ti\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/latin-mafia-omar-apollo.jpg?w=300\")
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\n\n\tThe Latino it boys from both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border joined forces. Mexican trio Latin Mafia teamed up with Chicano star Omar Apollo for the soulful \u201cHecho Para Ti,\u201d which seamlessly blends cumbia beats with R&B. Brothers Milton and Emilio commiserate with Apollo about being sad boys who are hopelessly in love, making the genre-crossing collaboration was a match made in melancholy heaven. \u2014L.V.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nEla Taubert, \u2018Es En Serio?\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"Screenshot\"](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Ela-Taubert-es-en-serio.jpg?w=300\")
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\n\n\tAfter breaking out last year with the vulnerable song \u201c\u00bfC\u00f3mo Pas\u00f3?,\u201d Ela Taubert hit back at the boy who broke her heart with \u201c\u00bfEs En Serio?.\u201d To bolster her cutting lyrics about a good-for-nothing ex, the Colombian it girl teamed up with pop masterminds Max Martin and Rami. Taubert tapped into her admiration for Taylor Swift to write one of this year\u2019s best kiss-off anthems. \u2014L.V.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nLucrecia Dalt feat. Camille Mandoki, \u2018Caes\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"Screenshot\"](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Lucrecia-Dalt.jpg?w=300\")
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\n\n\tColombian experimentalist Lucrecia Dalt has always found unexpected avenues into heady ideas and heavy emotion, and her album A Danger to Ourselves<\/em> is seeped in surreal tension. The record came just after she\u2019d had a near-death experience she had after experiencing an intense epileptic seizure, and songs like \u201cCaes,\u201d the first offering from the project, feels like an avant masterwork that ties together the corporal and the divine. \u2014J.L.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nCuco, \u2018Para Ti\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/cuco-online-album-review.jpg?w=300\")
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\n\n\tCuco channels oldies and Chicano romanticism across his Tom Brenneck\u2013produced album Ridin<\/em>\u2019. And on the floaty ballad \u201cPara T\u00ed,\u201d he sings entirely in Spanish, showcasing the heartfelt storytelling he learned from acts like Los Terr\u00edcolas. The track finds him questioning the intentions of the woman he\u2019s courting: \u201cAt the end of the day, what am I to you?\u201d Cuco\u2019s tender vocals and nostalgic sound make the song a standout on the album. \u2014T.M.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nJuana Molina, \u2018Caravanas\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"LISBON,](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/juana-molina-caravanas.jpg?w=300\")
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\n\n\tOne of Argentina\u2019s most revered veterans of experimental music, Juana Molina has a vast arsenal that constantly reinvents her sound with each release. She\u2019s been making innovative dreamscapes for decades now, and her album Doga<\/em> was its own immersive journey filled with twinkling sonic tapestries like \u201cCaravanas.\u201d Built off celestial keys and layered vocals the track transports the listener to another place, much like the title itself. \u2014J.L.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nMiguel Bueno, Juan Duque \u2018Solcito\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"Screenshot\"](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/solcito.jpg?w=300\")
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\n\n\tAfter months of working on a collaboration with Miguel Bueno, Juan Duque asked him to scrap it for another song that he wrote and developed. Bueno trusted Duque\u2019s instincts and the two Colombian heartthrobs teamed up for the soulful serenade \u201cSolcito.\u201d With their radiant love song, Duque and Bueno not only tapped into the Afrobeats wave in Latin music, but also fueled the genre\u2019s global rise. \u2014L.V.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nVanita Leo, \u201cLa Cumbia Wepa\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"Screenshot\"](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/La-Cumbia-Wepa-vanita.jpg?w=300\")
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\n\n\tCumbia is experiencing a revival, and Vanita Leo has emerged as one of its most promising voices. On standout \u201cLa Cumbia Wepa,\u201d which didn\u2019t appear on her excellent EP Cumbiamente<\/em>, Leo\u2019s vocals glide over the sonidito<\/em> rhythms of Mexico City cumbia before a playful rap verse aimed at Cupid, who \u201cfucked up once again.\u201d The Alan Vega-produced track captures her embrace of freedom after a failed romance: \u201cUn coraz\u00f3n roto, se cura con otro!\u201d Leo\u2019s mix of classic cumbia, experimental delivery, and a Tejano touch makes the San Antonio-born singer\u2019s \u201cLa Cumbia Wepa\u201d a standout. \u2014T.M.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nGale, \u2018Skittles\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/gale-skittles.jpg?w=300\")
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\n\n\tThere are oblique touches of brilliance in everything Puerto Rican singer\/songwriter GALE does, and the visual for \u201cSkittles\u201d is no exception. It begins with choppy home-video fragments of a teenage romance, and is dedicated to Ati \u2014 GALE\u2019s first serious love, who died in a car accident. The track is an ode to remembrance, built on a circular, major-key progression that echoes Euro-summer pop. The emotional architecture is immaculate, from the nod to Arecibo \u2014 the town where she grew up \u2014 to the wistful, Farfisa-like keyboard solo in the outro. \u2014E.L.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nJombriel, DFZM, \u2018Vitamina\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"Screenshot\"](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/jombriel-Vitamina.jpg?w=300\")
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\n\n\tJombriel puts Ecuador\u2019s reggaeton scene on the map with \u201cVitamina,\u201d his collab with 18-year-old Colombian star DFZM and J\u00f8tta. The trio channeled La Familia<\/em> Balvin while creating a reggaeton track that feels both nostalgic and modern. \u201cI have your kryptonite \/ and for your girls I have a vi-ta-meeee-na<\/em>,\u201d Jombriel flows on the catchy chorus. The track appears on Warner Music Latina\u2019s debut, Jombriel de la Suerte<\/em>, which also features Ryan Castro on a remix of his breakthrough hit \u201cParte & Choke.\u201d \u2014T.M.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nNatanael Cano, \u2018Perlas Negras\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"PARIS,](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/perlas-negras.jpg?w=300\")
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\n\n\tCashing in on the afrobeats tidal wave of the past year, corridos tumbados stars Natanael Cano and Gabito Ballesteros teamed up for \u201cPerlas Negras,\u201d a dance floor scorcher about broken-hearted baddies drinking their troubles away. But this wouldn\u2019t be a Natanael joint without some winking double entendres, as the song derives its title from a cocktail of J\u00e4germeister and Red Bull once banned<\/a> by Mexican. \u2014R.V.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nBoza and Sech, \u2018Paris\u2019\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"Screenshot\"](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/boza-sech-paris.jpg?w=300\")
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\n\n\tPanamanian power figures Boza and Sech unite in all their silky-voiced glory for a long-awaited collaboration that feels like two titans colliding. The instantly catchy track has a bit of romance and yearning as the guys sing about a lover who has been on their mind again. In addition to feeling like a highlight reel of two of Latin music\u2019s smoothest crooners, while also repping their country. \u201cWe wanted to do something together for a while, and we\u2019ve been wanting to release a song and commercialize it with a style from us here in Panama, which is more sweet,\u201d Boza told Billboard<\/em> recently. \u2014J.L.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nYoung Miko, \u2018Wassup\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"Screenshot\"](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/young-miko-wassup.jpg?w=300\")
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\n\n\tWhen Young Miko was making her album Do Not Disturb,<\/em> she put her phone on mute and dug deep into an arsenal of influences. One reference that kept popping up was the upbeat playfulness of 2000s-era throwback pop and hip hop, and \u201cWassup\u201d honors that spirit fully. It\u2019s bouncy, risque, and instantly catchy, putting her silky smooth rap delivery on display\u00a0 \u2014 and it\u2019s tied together with a hilarious, perfectly placed Lil Jon cameo that drives it all home. \u2014J.L.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nSanta Fe Klan, \u2018Claves\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"Screenshot\"](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Santa-Fe-Klan-Claves.jpg?w=300\")
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\n\n\tOne of Mexico\u2019s leading hip-hop stars took an unexpected turn. Santa Fe Klan traded in his usual hard-hitting bars and tapped into the cumbia sounds of Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia. The alluring gem on the Mexican rapper\u2019s Baile Cholo<\/em> album is \u201cClaves.\u201d Santa Fe Klan channels a run-in with the law into a certified cumbia banger with plenty of bite. \u2014L.V.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nLos Sufridos, \u2018Poloch\u00e9\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/los-sufridos.jpg?w=300\")
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\n\n\tThere\u2019s plenty of sex, guns and booze in the cinema verit\u00e9<\/em>-styled visual of \u201cPoloch\u00e9,\u201d the high-voltage collaboration between the Dominican Republic\u2019s producers outfit Los Sufridos and local rapper N.I.T.O. Previous singles found the band working with tropical legend Anthony Santos and Spanish star Bad Gyal, but \u201cPoloch\u00e9\u201d embraces a grittier sound \u2014 a deconstructed bachata that harks back to the genre\u2019s m\u00fasica del amargue<\/em> credo with deep bass accents. The restless guitar line sways, slashes, and burns throughout the entire track. \u2014E.L.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nPink Pablo and Paopao, \u2018ME QUEDO AK\u00cd\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"Pink](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pink-Pablo-Video.jpg?w=300\")
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\n\n\tPuerto Rico\u2019s rising star\u00a0Pink Pablo<\/a>\u00a0feels like the new prince of dark-wave urbano and reggaeton, and he\u2019s known for crafting super cinematic videos to go with his songs, which often straddle moodiness and a little whimsy. His latest project\u00a0ALL I DREAM\u00a0<\/em>is full of his signature sounds, and perhaps no track captures his emotional vibe like the standout \u201cME QUEDO AK\u00cd,\u201d featuring Latin music\u2019s favorite sad girl\u00a0Paopao<\/a>. Pablo and Paopao take turns singing about a romance they can\u2019t let go of, all while the music twists and turns into unexpected and increasingly urgent electronic arrangements. \u2014J.L.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nR\u00d8Z, Peso Pluma, \u2018Apaga La Luz\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/roz-apaga-la-luz.jpg?w=300\")
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\n\n\tR\u00d8Z, the Mexican EDM duo of Manolo Cabrera and Hugo Lara, pull Peso Pluma into a new sonic world on \u201cApaga La Luz.\u201d The darker, electronic track showcases Pluma\u2019s softer, seductive side, contrasting his usual raspy vocals, as he sings about being entranced by a love interest: \u201cI love her kisses, smoking in the club \/ In every position, we do it real hard.\u201d \u2014T.M.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nRusowsky, Altagama\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"Screenshot\"](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/rusowsky.jpg?w=300\")
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\n\n\tWithin Rusowsky\u2019s adventurous full-length debut, DAISY<\/em>, \u201cALTAGAMA\u201d stands out as an exquisite braid of the mad Spaniard\u2019s talents in electronic production, acoustic arrangements, and crooner vocals. An inner dialogue about his gradual succumbing to the piercing gaze of a young beauty, the rollercoaster track swerves through a plethora of moods including hypebeast label flaunting and Plain White T\u2019s earnestness. \u2014R.V.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nIvan Cornejo, \u2018Me Promet\u00ed\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"Screenshot\"](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ivan-me-prometi.jpg?w=300\")
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\n\n\tThroughout his career, Ivan Cornejo has seamlessly blended his love for rock and m\u00fasica mexicana in his music. The Mexican-American crooner once again masterfully combines those worlds in the heartbreaking \u201cMe Promet\u00ed.\u201d Backed by strum of an acoustic guitar, Cornejo sings about having to face the reality of a moving on from a toxic relationship that had him hooked. \u2014L.V.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nWampi, \u2018RICA Y TO\u2019\u00a0<\/h2>\n
\t<\/p>\n
\n\tA decade after not making the cut for Latin boy band CNCO, Johann Vera pushed forward as an indie act. Much of that time was spent in the closet. The Ecuadorian heartthrob celebrated his coming out as a queer man in the jubilant \u201cNada Importa En Verdad.\u201d Not only has Vera found his footing as a Latin pop star, but also his voice in this liberating anthem. \u2014Lucas Villa<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tThe liminal frustration of being stuck in traffic mutates into a beautiful oasis of nostalgia on \u201cMaluca,\u201d the stand out track from weed420\u2019s generational swan song, Amor de Encava<\/em>. Layering car horns, Venezuelan salsa ba\u00fal, reggaeton bass lines, spliced conversations and DJ tags, the mysterious collective casts the illusion of a cramped bus commute through Caracas, where noisy cacophony coalesces into a loving portrait of home. \u2014R.V.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tWith his\u00a0Send\u00e9<\/em>\u00a0album, Ryan Castro embraced his roots from Cura\u00e7ao. The Colombian superstar leaned fully into his island swagger in the tropical banger \u201cMenos El Cora.\u201d The break-up anthem is even more irresistible with heartthrob Manuel Turizo in the mix. The two artists sing about never letting their hearts get the best of them when it comes to living the bachelor life. \u2014L.V.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tAfter years setting the world ablaze with raunchy neoperreo, Isabella Lovestory\u2019s sonic pivot on \u201cVanity\u201d yielded big rewards. Embracing Eighties synth-pop and strobing house, the Honduran-Canadian diva emerges from the sweaty reggaeton rave into a softly lit, angelic fantasy where she ponders why vanity might be mistaken for cruelty. And who can blame her, when looking so good is nothing short of sinful. \u2014R.V.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tThe least expected track to go viral on Chino Pacas\u2019 Cristian<\/em> turned out to be the one that made the biggest waves. Near the end of the album, \u201cOjitos Mentirosos\u201d blends 30-year-old Peruvian cumbia with a distinctly Mexican music feel, layering trumpets, charchetas, a cumbia bass, and a killer guitar solo at the end. Fans used the song to showcase themselves in clown makeup roaming barrios, \u00e0 la Gael Garc\u00eda Bernal\u2019s 2019 film, Chicuarotes<\/em>. Far from his usual style, the track opened a new musical landscape for Pacas where his vocals shine too. \u2014T.M.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tOut of the Miami club bedlam of Nick Le\u00f3n\u2019s A Tropical Entropy<\/em>, \u201cMillenium Freak\u201d downplays the explosive expectation of heavy hitter collaborators Esty and Mediopicky, instead keeping the focus on the spastic 140-BPM dembow beat. Of course, the buzzy Dominican guests shine through malevolent atmospheres, doling out verses that range between sensual and menacing, making for an eerie dance floor romp that\u2019s too fun to resist. \u2014R.V.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tIn a year when reggaeton\u2019s biggest stars went folk, Yajaira la Beyaca reminded us of the genre\u2019s uproarious, pearl-clutching infancy. A centerpiece of\u00a0Caracter Anal<\/em>, the Venezuelan club entity\u2019s throbbing collaborative album with Colombian producer Genosidra, \u201cPukita\u201d is a firestorm of perreo raunch that rattles off increasingly filthy one-liners like Plan B Mad Libs. Hilarious and with a beat so sick it\u2019s as if Beyonc\u00e9 sneezed on it, \u201cPukita\u201d delivered a master class in reggaeton history and a devilish pitch for its future.\u00a0\u2014R.V.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tAfter starting out as a children\u2019s telenovela actress, Danna returned to her roots with \u201cKhe Calor.\u201d The Mexican pop princess evoked classics like Fuego En La Sangre<\/em>, Destilando Amor<\/em>, and Soy Tu Due\u00f1a<\/em> in the sensual music video with reggaeton Mexa heartthrob El Malilla. While living out her telenovela fantasy, Danna channeled her sensuality into a tribal house banger, bringing the heat with her most daring release yet. \u2014L.V.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tThis Mexico City duo may not have an expansive catalog yet, but their second single, \u201cSecunena,\u201d quickly went viral for its playful, tongue-in-cheek lyrics about horny high schoolers skipping class to meet boys. \u201cSoy una coqueta desde que era chamaquitaaaa,\u201d Sayuri and Sopholov sing with unmistakable sass. Midway through, a sudden Ixtapalapa cumbia sample ups the chaos, turning the track into a fun listen in true reggaeton mexa fashion. \u2014T.M.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tThe Latino it boys from both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border joined forces. Mexican trio Latin Mafia teamed up with Chicano star Omar Apollo for the soulful \u201cHecho Para Ti,\u201d which seamlessly blends cumbia beats with R&B. Brothers Milton and Emilio commiserate with Apollo about being sad boys who are hopelessly in love, making the genre-crossing collaboration was a match made in melancholy heaven. \u2014L.V.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tAfter breaking out last year with the vulnerable song \u201c\u00bfC\u00f3mo Pas\u00f3?,\u201d Ela Taubert hit back at the boy who broke her heart with \u201c\u00bfEs En Serio?.\u201d To bolster her cutting lyrics about a good-for-nothing ex, the Colombian it girl teamed up with pop masterminds Max Martin and Rami. Taubert tapped into her admiration for Taylor Swift to write one of this year\u2019s best kiss-off anthems. \u2014L.V.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tColombian experimentalist Lucrecia Dalt has always found unexpected avenues into heady ideas and heavy emotion, and her album A Danger to Ourselves<\/em> is seeped in surreal tension. The record came just after she\u2019d had a near-death experience she had after experiencing an intense epileptic seizure, and songs like \u201cCaes,\u201d the first offering from the project, feels like an avant masterwork that ties together the corporal and the divine. \u2014J.L.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tCuco channels oldies and Chicano romanticism across his Tom Brenneck\u2013produced album Ridin<\/em>\u2019. And on the floaty ballad \u201cPara T\u00ed,\u201d he sings entirely in Spanish, showcasing the heartfelt storytelling he learned from acts like Los Terr\u00edcolas. The track finds him questioning the intentions of the woman he\u2019s courting: \u201cAt the end of the day, what am I to you?\u201d Cuco\u2019s tender vocals and nostalgic sound make the song a standout on the album. \u2014T.M.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tOne of Argentina\u2019s most revered veterans of experimental music, Juana Molina has a vast arsenal that constantly reinvents her sound with each release. She\u2019s been making innovative dreamscapes for decades now, and her album Doga<\/em> was its own immersive journey filled with twinkling sonic tapestries like \u201cCaravanas.\u201d Built off celestial keys and layered vocals the track transports the listener to another place, much like the title itself. \u2014J.L.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tAfter months of working on a collaboration with Miguel Bueno, Juan Duque asked him to scrap it for another song that he wrote and developed. Bueno trusted Duque\u2019s instincts and the two Colombian heartthrobs teamed up for the soulful serenade \u201cSolcito.\u201d With their radiant love song, Duque and Bueno not only tapped into the Afrobeats wave in Latin music, but also fueled the genre\u2019s global rise. \u2014L.V.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tCumbia is experiencing a revival, and Vanita Leo has emerged as one of its most promising voices. On standout \u201cLa Cumbia Wepa,\u201d which didn\u2019t appear on her excellent EP Cumbiamente<\/em>, Leo\u2019s vocals glide over the sonidito<\/em> rhythms of Mexico City cumbia before a playful rap verse aimed at Cupid, who \u201cfucked up once again.\u201d The Alan Vega-produced track captures her embrace of freedom after a failed romance: \u201cUn coraz\u00f3n roto, se cura con otro!\u201d Leo\u2019s mix of classic cumbia, experimental delivery, and a Tejano touch makes the San Antonio-born singer\u2019s \u201cLa Cumbia Wepa\u201d a standout. \u2014T.M.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tThere are oblique touches of brilliance in everything Puerto Rican singer\/songwriter GALE does, and the visual for \u201cSkittles\u201d is no exception. It begins with choppy home-video fragments of a teenage romance, and is dedicated to Ati \u2014 GALE\u2019s first serious love, who died in a car accident. The track is an ode to remembrance, built on a circular, major-key progression that echoes Euro-summer pop. The emotional architecture is immaculate, from the nod to Arecibo \u2014 the town where she grew up \u2014 to the wistful, Farfisa-like keyboard solo in the outro. \u2014E.L.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tJombriel puts Ecuador\u2019s reggaeton scene on the map with \u201cVitamina,\u201d his collab with 18-year-old Colombian star DFZM and J\u00f8tta. The trio channeled La Familia<\/em> Balvin while creating a reggaeton track that feels both nostalgic and modern. \u201cI have your kryptonite \/ and for your girls I have a vi-ta-meeee-na<\/em>,\u201d Jombriel flows on the catchy chorus. The track appears on Warner Music Latina\u2019s debut, Jombriel de la Suerte<\/em>, which also features Ryan Castro on a remix of his breakthrough hit \u201cParte & Choke.\u201d \u2014T.M.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tCashing in on the afrobeats tidal wave of the past year, corridos tumbados stars Natanael Cano and Gabito Ballesteros teamed up for \u201cPerlas Negras,\u201d a dance floor scorcher about broken-hearted baddies drinking their troubles away. But this wouldn\u2019t be a Natanael joint without some winking double entendres, as the song derives its title from a cocktail of J\u00e4germeister and Red Bull once banned<\/a> by Mexican. \u2014R.V.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tPanamanian power figures Boza and Sech unite in all their silky-voiced glory for a long-awaited collaboration that feels like two titans colliding. The instantly catchy track has a bit of romance and yearning as the guys sing about a lover who has been on their mind again. In addition to feeling like a highlight reel of two of Latin music\u2019s smoothest crooners, while also repping their country. \u201cWe wanted to do something together for a while, and we\u2019ve been wanting to release a song and commercialize it with a style from us here in Panama, which is more sweet,\u201d Boza told Billboard<\/em> recently. \u2014J.L.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tWhen Young Miko was making her album Do Not Disturb,<\/em> she put her phone on mute and dug deep into an arsenal of influences. One reference that kept popping up was the upbeat playfulness of 2000s-era throwback pop and hip hop, and \u201cWassup\u201d honors that spirit fully. It\u2019s bouncy, risque, and instantly catchy, putting her silky smooth rap delivery on display\u00a0 \u2014 and it\u2019s tied together with a hilarious, perfectly placed Lil Jon cameo that drives it all home. \u2014J.L.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tOne of Mexico\u2019s leading hip-hop stars took an unexpected turn. Santa Fe Klan traded in his usual hard-hitting bars and tapped into the cumbia sounds of Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia. The alluring gem on the Mexican rapper\u2019s Baile Cholo<\/em> album is \u201cClaves.\u201d Santa Fe Klan channels a run-in with the law into a certified cumbia banger with plenty of bite. \u2014L.V.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tThere\u2019s plenty of sex, guns and booze in the cinema verit\u00e9<\/em>-styled visual of \u201cPoloch\u00e9,\u201d the high-voltage collaboration between the Dominican Republic\u2019s producers outfit Los Sufridos and local rapper N.I.T.O. Previous singles found the band working with tropical legend Anthony Santos and Spanish star Bad Gyal, but \u201cPoloch\u00e9\u201d embraces a grittier sound \u2014 a deconstructed bachata that harks back to the genre\u2019s m\u00fasica del amargue<\/em> credo with deep bass accents. The restless guitar line sways, slashes, and burns throughout the entire track. \u2014E.L.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tPuerto Rico\u2019s rising star\u00a0Pink Pablo<\/a>\u00a0feels like the new prince of dark-wave urbano and reggaeton, and he\u2019s known for crafting super cinematic videos to go with his songs, which often straddle moodiness and a little whimsy. His latest project\u00a0ALL I DREAM\u00a0<\/em>is full of his signature sounds, and perhaps no track captures his emotional vibe like the standout \u201cME QUEDO AK\u00cd,\u201d featuring Latin music\u2019s favorite sad girl\u00a0Paopao<\/a>. Pablo and Paopao take turns singing about a romance they can\u2019t let go of, all while the music twists and turns into unexpected and increasingly urgent electronic arrangements. \u2014J.L.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tR\u00d8Z, the Mexican EDM duo of Manolo Cabrera and Hugo Lara, pull Peso Pluma into a new sonic world on \u201cApaga La Luz.\u201d The darker, electronic track showcases Pluma\u2019s softer, seductive side, contrasting his usual raspy vocals, as he sings about being entranced by a love interest: \u201cI love her kisses, smoking in the club \/ In every position, we do it real hard.\u201d \u2014T.M.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tWithin Rusowsky\u2019s adventurous full-length debut, DAISY<\/em>, \u201cALTAGAMA\u201d stands out as an exquisite braid of the mad Spaniard\u2019s talents in electronic production, acoustic arrangements, and crooner vocals. An inner dialogue about his gradual succumbing to the piercing gaze of a young beauty, the rollercoaster track swerves through a plethora of moods including hypebeast label flaunting and Plain White T\u2019s earnestness. \u2014R.V.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tThroughout his career, Ivan Cornejo has seamlessly blended his love for rock and m\u00fasica mexicana in his music. The Mexican-American crooner once again masterfully combines those worlds in the heartbreaking \u201cMe Promet\u00ed.\u201d Backed by strum of an acoustic guitar, Cornejo sings about having to face the reality of a moving on from a toxic relationship that had him hooked. \u2014L.V.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\nWeed420, \u2018Maluca\u2019<\/h2>\n
\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\nManuel Turizo and Ryan Castro, \u2018Menos El Cora\u2019<\/h2>\n
Isabella Lovestory, \u2018Vanity\u2019<\/h2>\n
Chino Pacas, \u2018Ojitos Mentirosos\u2019<\/h2>\n
Nick Le\u00f3n, Esty, Mediopicky \u2018Millennium Freak\u2019<\/h2>\n
\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\nYajaira la Beyaca and Genosidra, \u2018Pukita\u2019<\/h2>\n
Danna Paola, \u2018Khe Calor\u2019<\/h2>\n
Sayuri and Sopholov, \u2018Secunena\u2019<\/h2>\n
Latin Mafia, Omar Apollo, \u2018Hecho Para Ti\u2019<\/h2>\n
Ela Taubert, \u2018Es En Serio?\u2019<\/h2>\n
Lucrecia Dalt feat. Camille Mandoki, \u2018Caes\u2019<\/h2>\n
Cuco, \u2018Para Ti\u2019<\/h2>\n
Juana Molina, \u2018Caravanas\u2019<\/h2>\n
Miguel Bueno, Juan Duque \u2018Solcito\u2019<\/h2>\n
Vanita Leo, \u201cLa Cumbia Wepa\u201d<\/h2>\n
Gale, \u2018Skittles\u2019<\/h2>\n
Jombriel, DFZM, \u2018Vitamina\u2019<\/h2>\n
Natanael Cano, \u2018Perlas Negras\u2019<\/h2>\n
Boza and Sech, \u2018Paris\u2019\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Young Miko, \u2018Wassup\u2019<\/h2>\n
Santa Fe Klan, \u2018Claves\u2019<\/h2>\n
Los Sufridos, \u2018Poloch\u00e9\u2019<\/h2>\n
Pink Pablo and Paopao, \u2018ME QUEDO AK\u00cd\u2019<\/h2>\n
R\u00d8Z, Peso Pluma, \u2018Apaga La Luz\u2019<\/h2>\n
Rusowsky, Altagama\u2019<\/h2>\n
Ivan Cornejo, \u2018Me Promet\u00ed\u2019<\/h2>\n
Wampi, \u2018RICA Y TO\u2019\u00a0<\/h2>\n