50 songs and albums submitted this week for reviews
Antes de Ti, single by Silvia Estrada. I could listen to this song for hours. Although I only barely understand the Spanish lyrics, its simplicity, its minimalism, and the contrast/harmony of Silvia Estrada’s voice with Pablo Pablo’s voice just makes me sway happily. It’s so beautifully restrained but emotional. It really expands Estrada’s sound without losing the confident emotional core that characterizes her music. Spanish. Stream happily everywhere.
Pa’Quererme Bien by Yaninsaavedra. This song is so enjoyable, but very sophisticated. It manages to be fun, uptempo, tropical, and catchy all at once; and it seems to be built for immediate replay value with a light, danceable feel. However, her vocals and the arrangements are not simple- she engages you. No wonder. The Colombian singer, producer, and songwriter María Isabel Saavedra has written more than 800 songs, 200 of which have been recorded, awarded, and sung by internationally renowned artists such as Andrés Cepeda, Piero, Alberto Plaza, Helenita Vargas, among others. Spanish. Stream everywhere.
Wild Ride, single by Meïa. A good ride, but not quite wild. Kinda mellow and very listenable; I am hitting repeat. A Caribbean beat in English by a Spanish singer – definitely Music Sin Fronteras. Meïa Santiago is a Spanish singer-songwriter, composer, and actor who splits her time between Barcelona and New York, which accounts for her cross-border appeal. “Wild Ride” is the first advance single from her forthcoming EP Foreigner. Stream happily everywhere.
Our Home, single by Rodrigo y Gabriela. Wow. “Our Home” opens their new chapter with a “lovely, restrained instrumental” that lets every note breathe, more contemplative than their speed-show pieces but still rooted in tight, interlocking grooves. The Mexican duo have created something unique – a way to grab you in the gut, but quietly, building an emotional arc out of interlocking melodies and pulse instead of lyrics, – it doesn’t need a single word to tell a complete story, Gabriela’s right-hand engine creates a steady, heartbeat-like pulse while Rodrigo’s melodies circle and climb around it, suggesting movement, memory, and a sense of peace. I have heard nothing like it, and it is now one of my favorites. Stream on all major platforms.
Soy Como Soy, single by Jenny B. Get off your ass and dance—that’s the message of “Soy Como Soy,” Jenny B’s new single. No matter what the lyrics say, it’s a Tejano cumbia shot in the arm, mainlining happiness straight into your feet. The reigning “La Tejana Barbie,” named Best New Female Artist at the 45th Tejano Music Awards, she uses this single to cement her place in Tejano’s next-generation vanguard. But the only step that really matters here is right-left-forward-back-twirl, then do it all over again with your partner. Spanish. Streaming everywhere. Spanish. Stream everywhere.
Quiero Amarte, single by Texas Latino. I call this “high-end” Tejano. It has everything you want in a Tejano love song, but it does it with an almost Frank Sinatra–like polish: deep orchestration, classic horns, and the feeling that the band could step off the stage and surround you and your date, wrapping you in romance as it pulls you onto the dance floor. A romantic, radio-friendly Tejano soon-to-be classic that helps anchor the album Homenaje A Los Grandes and proves Texas Latino can still generate current hits, not just nostalgia. Spanish. Streaming on all major platforms
