Welcome to LATINA’s weekly roundup of the best new music. This week’s list features new albums from Thalia, Vale, and Eslabon Armado. Mexican singer Silvana Estrada returns with a surprise cover.
Also on the list: RaiNao supports her LGBTQ+ fans with “Tentretiene” and Arca releases the fierce video for “Ritual.” Plus, Jota Rosa makes his mark alongside Paopao and Dalex teases his upcoming Reggaeton Sex EP.
Silvana Estrada, “Tom’s Diner”
Silvana Estrada is putting her own spin on a classic track. The Mexican singer-songwriter’s new single is her version of Suzanne Vega’s “Tom’s Diner.” Estrada’s entrancing acapella version turns into a fun cumbia moment by the end. “We felt the urge to include a cumbia because of the dreamlike and rhythmic nature of the melody at the end,” she told LATINA. “It appears out of context but that’s why it seemed discursive to us.” Last year, Estrada won Best New Artist at the Latin Grammy Awards in a tie with Angela Álvarez.
Thalia, Bruses, and Ben Carrillo, “La Muralla Verde”
Thalia is paying homage to the rock en español movement with her new album. Thalia’s Mixtape includes the Mexican pop icon’s covers of classics like “Devuélveme A Mi Chica” with Hombres G’s David Summers and “Persiana Americana” with Soda Stereo’s Charly Alberti on the drums. A standout on the LP is her striking cover of Enanitos Verdes’ “La Muralla Verde” with Mexican alternative singer Bruses and Guatemalan singer Ben Carrillo. “I loved Bruses since the first time I saw her,” Thalia told LATINA. “She has a very peculiar and tremendous talent.” Thalia’s Mixtape series will start streaming on Paramount+ on May 2.
RaiNao, “Tentretiene”
RaiNao continues to be one of Latin music’s most exciting stars on the rise. The Puerto Rican singer celebrated her LGBTQ+ fans and Lesbian Visibility Day last week with the single “Tentretiene.” In the alluring song, she blended reggaeton and bachata music with her alternative edge. RaiNao sang about the time that she was captivated by another woman. “As a little girl, when mommy discovered my first crushes at school and questioned me, I would always tell her, ‘I don’t like [them],’ to avoid the conversation and hide it from her,” she told LATINA. “Mommy would always answer me, ‘Yes, yes baby, you don’t like [them], [they] entertain you.’ And that’s where this song comes from.”
Arca, “Ritual”
Arca continues to push boundaries with her music videos and art. The Venezuelan producer and musician released the video for “Ritual.” Arca originally dropped the fierce and thought-provoking song last year as a bonus track on her Kick album compilation. As Arca waxes poetic about feeling herself, exuding that confidence and style in the “Ritual” video. “This video is for the freaks, for the outcasts, for the dispossessed, for the weirdos, for the migrants, for the shunned, the mocked, the ridiculed, the misunderstood, and the othered,” she shared in a statement.
Vale, “Lo Que Me Harías En Otra Parte”
Colombian sister act Vale is turning up the funk in the new album A Contraluz. Vale is comprised of twin sisters Valeria and Valentina Perez. They previously teased their LP with the breezy track “Máquina Del Tiempo” alongside Mexican singer Marco Mares. In their feel-good single “Lo Que Me Harías En Otra Parte,” the women of Vale sing about a romance that feels out of this world. “A Contraluz is an album we hope can light up in the dark just as a candle does in the middle of a dark room,” Vale shared in a statement. “We hope these songs soothe and accompany you, just as they have been accompanying us since we wrote them.”
Jota Rosa and Paopao, “K Tas Haciendo?”
Jota Rosa is moving from behind-the-scenes hit-maker to artist with his debut album. Club16, Jota Rosa Presents, Vol. 2 includes the Puerto Rico producer’s smash “Como Ñengo” featuring Kris Floyd and Feid. Tainy’s protégé taps more into the Y2K sound and aesthetic with the reggaeton-infused electronica of “K Tas Haciendo?” Alternative Puerto Rican singer Paopao channels her angst into an ode about falling in lust. “I think it’s the first song I put out this year that isn’t sad,” she told LATINA . “What you are doing is a happy bellaqueo.”
Eslabon Armado and Grupo Frontera, “Quedate Conmigo”
Fresh off making history for regional Mexican music, Eslabon Armado released the new album Desvelado. The LP includes the Mexican-American band’s hit “Ella Baila Sola” with Peso Pluma, which became the first song in the genre to crack the top five of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Eslabon Armado push their emo sound into the future with acts like Grupo Frontera in norteño-infused “Quedate Conmigo” and Jhayco in the heartbreaking “Tomando Tequila.” “It’s basically sad romantic music to dedicate to anyone,” the band’s lead singer Pedro Tovar told LATINA. “It’s a good album in general to listen to whenever you’re down or whenever you’re happy.”
Dalex, “Me Llora”
Dalex is rolling out his upcoming EP with red-hot singles. The Puerto Rican shows an emotional side to his soulful reggaeton with his latest “Me Llora.” In the heartfelt track, Dalex sings about getting over an ex who wants to come back into his life. He comes through a perreo-ready kiss-off banger. His EP Reggaeton Sex is due out later this year. “It has the sound of reggaeton from the 2000s, which is when I started listening to music,” Dalex told LATINA. “That era inspired me to be an artist, so bringing that back with the flow of what’s happening now.”
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.
