Welcome to LATINA’s weekly roundup of the best new music. This week’s list features two acts who are celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride Month, Bruses and Young Miko. Karol G’s song on the “Barbie” soundtrack is here.
Also on the list: Paty Cantú and León Leiden’s sexy collaboration, Silvana Estrada’s ode to healing, and Fito Páez revisits one of his classics with Mon Laferte. Plus, BORJA’s soulful song with Vale and Bizarrap’s surprise corrido with Peso Pluma.
Bruses, “Más Que Amigas”
Bruses kicks off LGBTQ+ Pride Month with her new single “Más Que Amigas.” In her Twitter bio, the Mexican singer-songwriter describes herself as an “emo lesbian queen.” In the dreamy synth-pop track, Bruses sings about a falling for one of her close girlfriends. There’s also an alternative edge that she’s known for in the angst-driven love song. “Lyrically it talks about when I fell in love with my best friend,” Bruses wrote on Twitter about the song’s meaning. “Moral of the story: don’t fall in love with straight people.” Her latest release arrived on the one-year anniversary of her debut album Monstruos.
Young Miko and Jowell y Randy, “ID”
Another artist who is celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride Month is Young Miko. “Mommy always told me, ‘Life is too short not to fall madly in love,’ and she is absolutely right!” the rising Puerto Rican star wrote on Twitter. “Live your pride and be happy. You are perfect just the way you are.” Young Miko, who is openly queer, teamed up with iconic Boricua duo Jowell y Randy for her new single “ID.” Backed by reggaeton beats that speed up and slow down, she sings about women who are driving her wild. Alongside Jowell y Randy, she proves that she can fit her fierce flow into a perreo-ready banger.
Karol G and Aldo Ranks, “Watati”
Karol G brings reggaeton into the world of the upcoming “Barbie” movie with her new single. She teamed up with Panamanian legend Aldo Ranks for “Watati.” She embraces the sound of reggae en español, a Panamanian precursor to reggaeton, in the frenetic club track. “For a long time, I wanted to make music that would remind me of the great Panamanian songs that I danced to and enjoyed years ago that are still part of my playlist,” Karol G wrote in her Instagram stories. “It’s an honor. Obviously, we will have Barbie perreando.” The “Barbie” movie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling and Barbie The Album will be released on July 21.
Silvana Estrada, “Milagro y Desastre”
Silvana Estrada lets the power of her voice shine in her new single “Milagro y Desastre.” In the heartfelt ballad, the Mexican singer is solely backed by a piano at first as she sings about finding the good and the growth from challenging experiences. The song then crescendos into an orchestral tornado with Estrada giving a powerful and unwavering performance. “This song was born out of my belief that big life-changing events are equal parts miracle and disaster,” she told LATINA. “This idea has helped me a lot to understand and heal my experiences over the years. In this song I wanted to vindicate all the faces of love, even the love that hurts when it ends.”
Paty Cantú and León Leiden, “A Las 3”
Paty Cantú has returned with her new single “A Las 3.” The Mexican pop icon teamed up with one of her country’s rising stars, León Leiden. In the alluring love song, Cantú and León sing about taking a romance from the club to the bedroom. Leiden shows a sexier side to his artistry alongside Cantú’s sultry performance. They turn up the heat with their red-hot chemistry. “This song is all about impulses, attractions, and not leaving behind a trace,” Cantú said in a statement. “It’s three o’clock, when everyone stays at their party, so you can have your own party with that special person anywhere.”
Fito Páez and Mon Laferte, “Sasha, Sissi y El Círculo De Baba”
Fito Páez revisits his classic album El Amor Después Del Amor with EADDA9223. He re-recorded the songs from the best-selling Latin rock LP in Argentina’s history with other icons and superstars. “The original material somehow had to be destroyed: that was the initial concept, in the sense of not being afraid of it, of being able to raze it, to turn it upside down,” Páez said in a statement. A standout on the album is “Sasha, Sissi y El Círculo De Baba” where Páez joined forces with Chilean rocker Mon Laferte. Her folkloric alternative soul proves to be the perfect complement to the rock en español pioneer’s free-wheeling spirit. Together, they up the melodrama of this captivating collaboration. Also, check out Páez’s new trippy version of his signature hit “El Amor Después Del Amor.”
BORJA and Vale, “Terco”
BORJA completes his debut album Rimas Del Verbo Amar with his new single “Terco.” The Spanish singer-songwriter teamed up with Colombian duo Vale. In the spellbinding song, BORJA sings with the twin sisters about wanting to forget about a past lover. In their soulful performances, they drive home the point that their stubborn hearts won’t let them move on. “The song turned out so beautiful thanks to their incredible talent, and how thoughtful and detail oriented they are,” BORJA told LATINA. “This has been quite an experience from the moment we wrote it to shooting the music video, and I hope everyone can see how much fun we had creating this beautiful song.”
Bizarrap and Peso Pluma, “BZRP Music Sessions #55”
Bizarrap dabbles in regional Mexican music for the first time. The Argentine producer teamed up with the most-streamed Mexican artist in the world, Peso Pluma. In “BZRP Music Sessions #55,” Bizarrap blends Peso Pluma’s trap corrido sound with elements of EDM. In the triumphant track, Peso Pluma sings about being proud of his hard work helping corridos achieve global success. He comes through with another feisty performance that has set him apart from his Gen-Z contemporaries. “I was very very very happy making this song,” Bizarrap said in a statement about working with Peso Pluma. “I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.”
LATINA’s New Music Picks are published every Monday.
Lucas Villa is a freelance music contributor for LATINA. His work is also featured in Rolling Stone, Billboard, Teen Vogue, MTV News, and W Magazine.
