Pitchfork contributing editor Isabelia Herrera’s column covers the most captivating songs, trends, and scenes coming out of Latin America and its diaspora.
It’s no secret that the last year has warped our sense of time and place. Maybe it’s a function of the pandemic’s longevity, but the music I’ve connected with the most as of late has often fallen on two poles: deeply disorienting and disturbing, or effervescent and overflowing with life. Over the last few months, Latinx and Latin American artists have given us reminders of the joy and communion of the dance floor, as well as flashes of darkness to match the spirit of the time. Here are some of my favorites from 2021 so far.
Tokischa, Haraca Kiko, El Cherry Scom: “Tukuntazo”
Back in March, Tokischa, Haraca Kiko, and El Cherry Scom, dembow’s resident weirdos, joined forces for this deliciously indulgent ode to sex and weed. Haraca Kiko’s onomatopoeic hook is so addictive you might find yourself involuntarily yelling “tukutu tukuta tukuntazo” at the grocery store, in the shower, or just trying to get through the workday. The video harnesses Paulus Music’s affinity for raising eyebrows; Tokischa dons a custom patchwork blouse and jeans made from textile scraps, created by sustainable designers Tiempo de Zafra. The end result is the kind of incendiary eccentricity that is sure to have the Dominican elite clutching their pearls. When Haraca Kiko commands us to let our hair down, a reference to Gloria Trevi’s classic “Pelo Suelto,” we simply can’t refuse.
Sech: “Sal y Perrea”
The lack of perreo in our lives over the last year is reaching a breaking point. Maybe that’s why Sech’s “Sal y Perrea” resonates so much: his choice to open the track in full DJ mode is a nice reminder of what it was like to be at the club, spending a good portion of our paychecks on alcohol. At this point, I miss even that.
“Sal y Perrea” appears on Sech’s recently released album 42, showcasing the Panamanian artist’s talent as the architect of bulletproof breakup songs. His bleeding-heart R&B melodies and lyrics narrating drunken, devastating love have always infused his vision of reggaeton with a sense of tragic romance. “Sal y Perrea” harnesses the catharsis that comes from realizing that what you really need is some tequila, salt, and a night out to remind yourself you’re still alive. Simple but potent lines like “Se acabó la relación no la vida” (“The relationship ended, not your life”) demand to be yelled at full volume in your bedroom mirror.
Girl Ultra: “rosas (dímelo)”
Mexico City’s Girl Ultra, aka Mariana de Miguel, has always been fond of slow-burning R&B. Her recently released single “rosas (dímelo),” from a forthcoming EP, infuses that approach with a decades-old sense of melancholia. Old-school bolero flourishes, like Spanish guitar strings, sit right alongside Girl Ultra’s lush and unhurried melodies, which evoke Sade circa Promise. The refrain finds Miguel pleading with herself, asking how she is going to tell a lover that their relationship has come to an end. This is the kind of devastation that causes permanent wounds. But Girl Ultra is unafraid to leave it all on the floor, and she comes to own the quiet vulnerability that has led her to this moment of truth.
Xenia Rubinos: “Did My Best”
“Did My Best” vibrates with the high drama of cinema in mind. The track’s sound design uses effects like fireworks, doors closing, and a car’s turn signal, which function like diegetic sound, immersing us into Rubinos’ universe of mourning. The singer’s digitally harmonized vocals ooze with pain, evoking the kind of unflinching sensitivity Imogen Heap perfected, while still maintaining the intimate brassiness of Rubinos’ own voice.
But “Did My Best” transcends the category of technical triumph. It also conveys the tricky feelings of remorse and guilt that accompany the trauma of a sudden loss. When Rubinos’ voice quivers as she asks, “Can you forgive me for all the things I didn’t know just how to do?” she is also pleading for self-forgiveness—for the compassion she must grant herself in order to heal.
Ed Maverick: “contenta”
Over the last three years, Ed Maverick has captured the hearts of sad boys, sad girls, and sad people across Mexico, racking up hundreds of millions of streams and nabbing performances at Lollapalooza and Coachella. The 20-year-old makes indie rock and soft ballads, but you can practically feel the quiet gloom of corridos radiating off of each of his tracks; he excels when he refracts the nostalgic despondence of his norteño roots through a modern lens. “Contenta,” from his debut album eduardo, meditates on young love, growing up, and leaving home, with the soft strumming, breathy harmonies, and lonely saxophone offering a foundation for Maverick’s reflections. It’s not quite the profound sorrow he’s known for; instead, the song is bottled saudade, capturing the melancholy moments of gratitude that allow us to accept the everyday turns of life.
RED: “La Moneda”
In the video for “La Moneda,” the Dominican drill upstart RED bounces around in a tight white tank top, clean khakis, red socks, and fresh AF1s, spouting threats that pour out of her small frame with piercing, menacing precision. At times, her steady, low cadence mutates into squeaky, high-pitched playground taunts, an effect that sets her apart from standard drill fare. The barbs are razor-sharp; “La Moneda” opens with Red rapping, “Doble cara vira’o/No sirve ni’ pa’ hace’ manda’o/Mi flow no lo encuentra ni fia’o,” which roughly translates to, “You’re a no-good two-face/Can’t even do an errand/Can’t even get my flow on credit.” At this point, if you’re not keeping up with drill’s spread across the globe, then you’re missing out.
Interspecifics: “Bogotá”
Though the Mexico City collective Interspecifics has long created at the intersection of art, technology, and science, their new release Aire v.3 may be their most ambitious yet. For this project, which was created in collaboration with the Air Quality Department of the World Resource Institute in Mexico, the collective developed a machine learning tool that analyzed air pollution data from Bogotá, Mexico City, and São Paulo and assigned a sound identity to pollutant statistics. Each song is also accompanied by a video that recreates its respective city’s landscape through 3-D maps and satellite images. Opener “Bogotá” is a standout among the three. The track begins as an ambient production that conjures a soft universe of comfort. But over 10 minutes, gentle tendrils mutate into disquieting, burning waves of synths, gradually reminding us of the urgent threat of climate change.
Jhay Cortez, Myke Towers: “Los Bo”
Jhay Cortez and Myke Towers have quietly become go-to features for milquetoast Latin pop stars looking for some edge. They’ve strategically straddled the lines between pop, reggaeton, and rap, but they are both most impressive when they return to their rap roots and show off their nimble flows. On “Los Bo,” the Puerto Rican artists rap over a horn-driven beat, shooting off rounds of punchlines and barbs with brisk, effortless ease. The hook is simple but straight to the point, more of a lifestyle framework than a flex. When Cortez spits, “Esto’ cabrone’ me lo tienen que mamar” (“These assholes have to suck it”), you’ll be praying you’re not one of the targets.
El Experimento, Gailen La Moyeta, La Manta, Jc La Nevula, Paramba, El Chuape, and Young Gatillo: “Bobolonga”
If you blink, you might miss all of the explosive dembow posse cuts dropping on YouTube these days. “Bobolonga” is a perfect example of the talent blossoming in el bajo mundo, the DR’s dembow underground. Though the song features a couple impressive verses from veterans like El Chuape, as well as rookies like Young Gatillo, it’s really Gailen La Moyeta that steals the show here: in a crisp, indigo-colored jumpsuit, the Dominican dembowsera breathlessly rides the beat, a coy playfulness radiating off her bars. The song is going viral on TikTok, so here’s hoping Gailen, who has long been underrated in Dominican dembow, finally gets her roses.
Sofia Kourtesis: “By Your Side”
Lima-born, Berlin-based producer Sofia Kourtesis’ Fresia Magdalena EP, released in March, was a springtime revelation: a rosy collection of blissful house tracks drenched in shimmering ripples of synths, pads, and vocal samples from Kourtesis’ own father. “By Your Side” is an immediate standout, if only for its watertight composition: expertly placed horn sections, bells, and vocal samples bloom into lustrous, soothing moments of triumph. It’s the kind of song that will immediately make you feel lighter, more hopeful, and more certain that joy will come again.
