While reggaeton and regional Mexican music is likely to be the dominating Latin genres proper now, if you hear intently, there’s an alternate aspect that is pushing these sounds into the long run. Puerto Rican famous person Bad Bunny tapped acts like The Marías to characteristic his blockbuster album Un Verano Sin Ti. Mexican-American teen DannyLux is placing out conventional Mexican corridos with a basic rock affect. That’s simply the tip of the iceberg on how different and Latin music are colliding in attention-grabbing methods. With Hispanic Heritage Month right here, we would like to have fun the brand new era of Latinx and Spanish artists who’re proudly rocking out in their very own language. Hopefully this will function a primer on these artists that must be listened to all 12 months spherical.
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The Marías
After years of working the music competition circuit, The Marías made their mark final 12 months with the stellar debut album Cinema. Throughout the dreamy assortment of songs, lead singer María Zardoya proudly represents her Puerto Rican roots by singing in English and Spanish. For occasion, she’s equally charming in each the alluring “Un Millón” and atmospheric “All I Really Want is You.” This 12 months, the indie rock outfit has continued to skyrocket, even incomes their first entry on Billboard’s Hot 100 with Bad Bunny on the elegant “Otro Atardecer,” which fantastically blended breezy guitar riffs with reggaeton beats.
Mariangela
Mariangela is representing Mexico within the Latin different music scene by the use of Texas. The Monterrey native, who later relocated to San Antonio, began out on YouTube by posting covers of Lana Del Rey and Mexican different icon Carla Morrison. Earlier this 12 months, Mariangela signed with Sony Music Latin and launched her debut single, the luxurious “Himalaya.” But every thing got here full circle when she opened for Morrison’s concert events in Texas quickly after. Now Mariangela is channeling Depeche Mode in her newest launch, the heartbreakingly stunning “Soñarte.” Like one other one in every of her inspirations, Hayley Williams in Paramore‘s “When it Rains,” Mariangela serenades a liked one who has sadly taken their very own life.
Álvaro Díaz
Álvaro Díaz is taking reggaeton music to locations the place it is by no means been earlier than. On his breakthrough album, final 12 months’s Felicilandia, the Puerto Rican singer and rapper blended components of rock, jazz, and hip-hop into the venture. In the breezy “18+1,” a rush of guitar riffs again Diaz and Jesse Baez‘s swaggering lyrics and within the thumping “Chinita Linda,” he channeled A Tribe Called Quest alongside funky Venezuelan group Rawayana. Diaz’s imaginative mind as a producer and artist has crafted incredible, futuristic reggaeton fusions. Perhaps his most electric moment yet is pop-punk banger “Ramona Flowers,” Diaz’s ode to Scott Pilgrim vs. the World which previews his next album Sayonara.
GALE
After writing hits for pop stars like Christina Aguilera, Shakira, and Cardi B, GALE is stepping into the spotlight this year. Earlier this year, the Puerto Rican singer-songwriter signed with Sony Music Latin and released her debut single, the angsty “Inmadura,” where she blended reggaeton beats from her island with pop-punk elements. From the get-go, GALE has set out to create her own lane with an alternative twist. Her follow-up single, the fierce and flirty “Problemas,” is even more electrifying. Backed by a blast of guitar shredding, she sings about working out relationship problems with some makeup sex.
Pol Granch
Pol Granch rose to global prominence last year as part of Marc Seguí‘s sunny “Tiroteo” remix with Rauw Alejandro. With that hit, people became acquainted with his adorably distinct Spanish and French accent. This past year, the Madrid native found the angst in his voice with a string of rock-infused bangers. Granch blasted into 2022 with the emo rush of “Kriño.” He followed up that love song with the heartbreaking ballad “No Te Bastó, Mi Corazón.” Granch channeled his frustrations of falling short in a relationship into a guttural scream that cut through the guitars. His pop-punk rebirth meets club-ready beats in “Solo x Ti,” the latest addition to his sad boy anthems that preview his album Amor Escupido that’s due out Oct. 28.
Blue Rojo
Blue Rojo is pushing Latin pop into the future with elements of punk music. After creating buzz online with his openly queer anthems, the Mexican-American signed with Universal Music Group last year. His debut album, Solitario, followed soon after. Blue Rojo channeled his angst for having an unrequited crush on a straight man into a musical rollercoaster of emotions. Industrial music and EDM collided in “Después de la Pandemia Volví a Ser Católiko,” where Blue Rojo pleaded to God for guidance. He embraced his inner baddie in the sexy “Eslabón de Bonbón,” a sonic lovechild of reggaeton and punk music. Blue Rojo’s operatic voice cuts through the genres he’s exploring to create an alternative sound that’s all his own.
DannyLux
DannyLux is putting a rock spin on regional Mexican music. The Mexican-American teen has created a stir with his Mexican corridos that are influenced by the classic rock bands that his parents grew up on. A psychedelic intro that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Beatles album opens his fiery kiss-off track “Tristeza y Traición.” There’s a breezy, Eagles-like soul in the nostalgic “Nuestro Pasado.” A Pink Floyd-like haze leads into his emo love ode “No Te Quiero Perder.” The guitar is a powerful instrument in corridos just as music just as much as it is in rock and DannyLux harnesses its full potential in his beautifully bicultural songs.
Kevin Kaarl
Kevin Kaarl is channeling the romanticism of Mexican music into his soulful folk sound. The Chihuahua native broke out in 2018 with his nostalgic love song “Amor Viejo.” His breakthrough album, San Lucas, arrived a year later with the winsome title track, an ode to Kaarl’s hometown. Earlier this month, he dropped his follow-up LP, Paris Texas, that added an electronic gloss on his heartfelt tunes. It sounds like the Lumineers meets Beach House in “Siente Más,” Kaarl somber ode to life after the party is over. In the alluring “Cuéntame Una Historia de Rencor,” he teamed up with El Guincho, the co-producer of Rosalía‘s El Mal Querer album. As an independent artist, Kaarl is doing folk music in his own way and leaving his stamp in Spanish.
Mau y Ricky
Mau y Ricky’s next musical project will be Desgenerados, which roughly translates to “with out style.(*10*)font-weight: 400;”>rifresh. The LP featured the breezy “Papás” and the punk-infused “Fresh,” which has become an empowering anthem in live shows. Recent delights among their electrifying fusions include the alluring “Mal Acostumbrao” with Argentine singer María Becerra and the frenetic “No Puede Ser” alongside rapper Eladio Carrión. Mau y Ricky are riding in their own lane while refreshing every sound they come across along the way.
Danna Paola
Danna Paola is going in an alternative direction for the next chapter of her career. Earlier this year, the Mexican pop princess teamed up with glam rock band Moderatto to cover a classic by telenovela band RBD. She dialed it back to the 2000s pop-rock era for her dreamy duet of “Sólo Quédate En Silencio” with lead singer Jay de la Cueva. In her comeback single “XT4S1S,” Paola has amped up her sound. It marks the primary time that she’s produced one in every of her songs alongside her boyfriend Alex Hoyer. Backed by the thump of guitars which are harking back to the xx, Paola sings about having fun with life on a continuing climax. There’s no coming down from the excessive that she evokes with this fierce, feel-good anthem.
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