Welcome to LATINA’s weekly roundup of the best new music. This week’s list features Danna Paola’s breakup anthem “1Trago,” Ice Spice’s surprise collaboration with Nicki Minaj, and Kenia Os’ ode to love with Gera MX.
Also on the list: Lali samples Britney Spears, RaiNao remakes a club classic with ÌFÉ, and Conexión Divina’s corridos tumbado song with Gabito Ballesteros. Plus, Rauw Alejandro and Rosalía become “Vampiros” and Fito Páez revisits one of his hits with Ángela Aguilar.
Danna Paola, “1Trago”
Danna Paola is raising a glass to getting over an ex. The Mexican pop star released her new single “1Trago” where she sings about partying away the heartache with a few drinks. Paola is actually in a happy relationship with boyfriend Alex Hoyer, but she understands that some of her fans might need a song to kill la tusa. Backed by throbbing house beats, she celebrates for those who find freedom from a breakup. “It’s the stage where you are on an empowered high at the party dedicating every phrase at the top of your lungs to your ex,” Paola told LATINA. “A very direct hint while you drink too much trying to heal.” This Thursday, Paola will perform her hit single “XT4S1S” live at the Latin American Music Awards on Univision.
Ice Spice and Nicki Minaj, “Princess Diana” (Remix)
Since the release of her breakthrough hit “Munch (Feelin’ U)” last year, Ice Spice has become one of hip-hop music’s rising stars to watch out for. In March, the Dominican-American rapper received a co-sign from Nicki Minaj. She called Ice Spice the “People’s Princess” in a tweet. Now Ice Spice is having a full-circle moment with Minaj on a remix of her song “Princess Diana.” In the standout from Ice Spice’s Like..? EP, Minaj catches her swaggering drill flow. Minaj ups the fierceness level of their knockout collaboration with her hard-hitting bars. “Go stream ‘Princess Diana’ with Nicki Minaj, the queen (screaming),” Ice Spice wrote on Instagram. She also dropped a lavish music video for the remix where she is pretty in pink with Minaj.
Kenia Os and Gera MX, “Rumores”
Kenia Os is crazy in love with Gera MX. The Mexican pop star teamed up with her rapper boyfriend for the song “Rumores.” In the sexy reggaeton romp, Os puts rumors of their separation to bed while singing about their red-hot relationship. Gera MX rounds out their fiery collaboration with his slick guest verse. “Gera is an artist I know very well,” Os told LATINA. “When I heard the track with Gera I said, ‘Wow, yes this is everything I imagined.’ He gave it that flow that I knew he would.” The song is Os’ first taste of new music since the release of her K23 album last year. The U.S. leg of her K23 Tour wraps up next month with five more dates.
Lali, “Obsesión”
Lali is back with her self-titled album. The Argentine pop star channels the sound of the 2000s in her new single “Obsesión.” The kiss-off anthem sounds like a blend between the work of Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins and Max Martin from that era. While Lali tells her ex to backoff, Britney Spears interjects with “Stop!” from the 1999 remix of hit “(You Drive Me) Crazy.” She salutes Moria Casán, who is an icon for the Argentine LGBTQ+ community, in the liberating club track “Quiénes Son?” Lali revisits the past while pushing her Latin pop into the future. “I feel that it closes a cycle of my life and my career,” Lali told LATINA. “Now a new path opens up for a new Lali. Long live Pop! This is for you, unruly lovers.”
Conexión Divina and Gabito Ballesteros, “Paso A Pasito”
Conexión Divina gets into the corridos tumbados groove with Mexican singer Gabito Ballesteros. The all-girl sierreño group teamed up with Ballesteros for their new single “Paso A Pasito.” In the empowering collaboration, Conexión Divina’s Liz Trujillo and Ballesteros trade verses about achieving their dreams in the face of adversity. In the band’s new interview with LATINA, Trujillo said, “I learned a lot from that collaboration. [Gabito] has this cool tone to his voice and I had to match the same energy. I learned to add more style to the corrido through my voice.” The song is from Conexión Divina’s debut album Tres Mundos. The trio is proudly representing women in regional Mexican music at both weekends of Coachella this month.
RaiNao and ÌFÉ, “I Wonder If I Take You Home”
On La Brega: El Álbum, classics by Puerto Rican artists get revisited by a new wave of Boricua acts. RaiNao, who is known for putting an alternative spin on reggaeton, tackles “I Wonder If I Take You Home” by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam. She breathes new life into the freestyle track with fresh oriza rhythms courtesy of ÌFÉ. “RaiNao is crushing it and it was really cool to be able to get together on this song,” ÌFÉ’s Otura Mun told LATINA. The EP by produced by the acclaimed La Brega podcast also includes a new wave remake of Willie Colón’s “El Gran Varón” by Ana Macho. The non-binary pop star brings a queer perspective to the heartbreaking song about a man who was presumably passing from the AIDs epidemic.
Rauw Alejandro and Rosalía, “Vampiros”
The best song on Rauw Alejandro and Rosalía‘s RR EP finally got a music video. The power couple becomes creatures of the night in the stylish visual for “Vampiros.” The perreo-ready banger blends the reggaeton flow of Alejandro with Rosalía’s experimental edge from her Motomami album. The two lovebirds sing about partying like there’s no tomorrow. The EP also includes the sweet “Beso” and heartfelt bolero “Promesa.” In a music video for “Beso,” Rauw Alejandro and Rosalía revealed they were engaged. “After more than three years [together], these three songs are here, and each one of them belongs to a different stage of love,” Rosalía previously shared in a statement about their joint project.
Fito Páez and Ángela Aguilar, “Brillante Sobre El Mic”
Fito Páez is revisiting one of his classics with a regional Mexican music superstar. The Argentine rock icon teamed up with Ángela Aguilar for a new version of his hit “Brillante Sobre El Mic.” Aguilar is known for her powerful voice that fits into any genre and she truly shines alongside Páez while singing the feel-good song. “When I listened to the mix, I couldn’t help but get emotional when listening to the melody by her voice, singing those words I once dedicated to one of the people I love most in the world: Fabiana Cantilo,” Páez shared in a statement. He will re-release his iconic El Amor Después Del Amor album in May. A Netflix series with the same title about Páez’s life will start streaming on April 26.
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.
