First Stream Latin is a compilation of the best new Latin songs, albums and videos recommended by the Billboard Latin editors. Check out this week’s picks below.
Nathy Peluso, “Mafiosa” (Sony Music España)
If “Veneno” or every other TikTok video where she’s dancing tropical classics are any indication, Nathy Peluso is a salsa lover at heart. Her new single, “Mafiosa,” also attests to that. A nearly five-minute track of pure salsa rhythms with a live orchestra (piano, trumpet, congas, guira … the whole nine yards), Nathy delivers a bossed-up track (once again!) about finding her self-worth and being the most powerful woman in the block. “I’m going to be a gangster, a wonder woman/ May bad men fear me/ When I arrive in my car/ They despair/ They get scared and speed away,” goes the saucy chorus.
Filmed in Madrid, where she’s currently on tour, Peluso is the creative director behind the music video, in which she flaunts different provocative outfits and her killer dance moves. She’s a dangerous and empowered woman on the loose, sending a clear message in “Mafiosa”: Men are afraid of powerful women. – JESSICA ROIZ
Nicki Nicole, Delaossa, “Me Has Dejado” (DALE Play Records/Sony Music Latin)
Argentine singer-songwriter Nicki Nicole recruits Spanish rapper Delaossa on her new single “Me Has Dejado” (“You’ve Left Me”). Co-penned by Nicki with Mauro De Tommaso and Evlay and co-produced with Delaossa and Kiddo, the song was born almost two years ago, after Delaossa discovered Nicki through her Bizarrap session.
Fusing the best of both worlds, “Me Has Dejado” brings a flamenco twist to hip-hop, which also blends with the feelings of the lyrics. The flamenco perfectly transmits passion and represents a lost broken heart in the second verse: “Today I feel that you no longer find ‘more’ of you/ In your mind and your hand buries in my chest/ I no longer unearth the fact and you have stolen my heart.” – INGRID FAJARDO
Jorge Drexler, “La Guerrilla de la Concordia” (Sony Music España)
Listening to Jorge Drexler’s “La Guerrilla de la Concordia” is a healing experience. A joyous celebration of love with a poignant message about disarming hate, the uplifting anthem previews Drexler’s forthcoming first album in four years. For “La Guerrilla de la Concordia,” which follows his Latin Grammy-nominated and COVID-inspired “Codo con Codo,” the Uruguayan singer-songwriter is joined by the Spanish choir Gospel Factory, musicians Borja Barrueta (percussion), Martin Leiton (bass) and Juan Pietranera (piano), with production by Drexler and Carles “Campi” Campón.
“Let’s arm ourselves with love,” Drexler proposes. “Today, to truly love is for the brave only. Let’s love each other because why not. Let’s love each other here and now.” — GRISELDA FLORES
Maluma, “Sobrio” (Sony Music Latin)
While the song’s title is “Sobrio (Sober),” Maluma is anything but that in his new single’s music video. Drowning his sorrows as one does after a messy breakup, the Colombian superstar turns to alcohol to truly be able to express everything he’s been wanting to tell the girl who left him for Scott Disick.
The pop-reggaeton track released July 8 becomes Maluma’s first official single of 2021 following a handful of collaborations with Reik, Pipe Bueno, and Manuel Turizo. Penned by Maluma, Édgar Barrera, Kevyn Mauricio Cruz, Alejandro Robledo, Filly Andres Lima, and Lenin Yorney Palacios, “Sobrio,” dropped alongside a star-studded music video shot in Los Angeles by Jessy Terrero (Cinema Giants) that features cameos by Disick and Saweetie, among others. And for those who’ve been following Maluma and Disick’s Twitter “feud,” the video will give you context. – G.F.
Blessd, The Rudeboyz, “Hace Tiempo” (JMWM/Warner Music Mexico)
Blessd, who derives from Colombia’s nueva escuela movement, has as of lately become a sensation on social media. He officially got on a wider radar with his Maluma-assisted remix “Imposible,” which was featured as a Billboard Latin Remix of the Week. Now, he continues to pave the way for a new wave of Latin rappers with “Hace Tiempo,” his first collaborative effort with hitmakers The Rudeboyz (Kevin ADG and Chan EL Geni).
The hard-hitting reggaeton that transforms into a futuristic hip-hop beat towards the end was penned by Blessd and tells the story of a person who wants to relive a past relationship. “I haven’t seen you for a long time/ and I’m still addicted to your body/ and how we made love/ with me it’s real and with him, it’s just fiction,” the newcomer chants in the chorus. — J.R.
Jerry Di, “Adicto A Tus Sabanas” (UMG Recordings)
Still on a high from his EDM-infused reggaeton TikTok hit “Mi Cuarto,” Jerry Di slows things down with “Adicto a tus Sábanas,” a reggaeton-pop ballad that finds the Venezuelan singer-songwriter confessing he is head over heels for his muse. So much so that he’s become “addicted to your sheets, to how your pillows smell,” he sings in his distinctive high-pitched, crisp vocals. Carried by an infectious subtle reggaeton beat, “Adicto a tus Sábanas” drops alongside a music video where fashion designer Jerry Di is as inspired as ever thanks to his model/muse. Their rendezvous doesn’t only result in beautiful designs, but a newfound love. — G.F.
Playa Limbo, “Luces de Sal” (Playa Limbo)
After positioning themselves as one of the hottest Latin pop-rock bands of the early 2000s, Playa Limbo has made an effortless comeback during the pandemic with their latest studio album, Universo. Assuring fans that they are here to stay, the Guadalajara-based band helmed by Jassiel Reyez, dropped their new single “Luces de Sal,” a sultry indie-pop track fused with jazz and funk melodies, bringing to life Playa’s ever-groovy aura. With her soulful voice, Reyez sings about a person who’s trying to find themself by erasing old memories and starting fresh. “She dreamed of the ocean because she knew she was the wave,” goes part of the song. – J.R.
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