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.
Pedro Capó, “La Sábana y los pies” (Sony Music Entertainment)
In the midst of these uncertain times, Pedro Capó blessed fans with a new quarantine-inspired bop called “La sábana y los pies” (the sheets and the feet). Fusing reggaeton with Andean folk music, Capo sings about casual relationships but also missing loved ones during the pandemic. “I was inspired by the start of a relationship that starts off casual and then one of the two starts wanting something more and asking for more time and to share their space,” Capó elaborated in an official statement. “It ended up being a prophetic song because now we have to share space with our loved ones or miss the people we love during this pandemic.” Directed by Rubén Martín, the homemade music video shows the Puerto Rican artist at home as he’s haunted by projections of his love interest. “We shot the video in a house in Miami, with a reduced crew respecting social distancing, with projectors, we got creative with the resources we had at the moment and I am very happy with the end result,” he added. “Besides the song talks about a homey space so we were able to shoot from that perspective.” — JESSICA ROIZ
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Ozuna x Wisin, “Gistro Amarillo” (Aura Music via Sony Music Latin)
Puerto Rican urbano hitmakers Ozuna and Wisin join forces for an explosive reggaeton anthem giving us old school reggaeton vibes sampling Wisin’s 2004 “La Gitana.” The reimagined version of the early 2000s hit stays true to Wisin’s seductive and hypnotizing lyrical vibe now with Ozuna taking it to the next level with his cutting-edge and infectious sound and distinctive voice. The track was recorded and produced at Wisin’s recently-launched La Base Music record label studios in Puerto Rico. If there’s a song that will get you on the dance floor this weekend at Club Quarantine, this is the one. — GRISELDA FLORES
Silvana Estrada, “Los Días”
“Los Días” by Silvana Estrada is ingrained on the rural pulsations of her native Coatepec, Veracruz’ son jarocho. The Mexican singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist bucks in her genuine poetic sensibility flaunting the range of her higher register, the heart of her sound, with soothing narrative: Los días se me van deshaciendo/ abajo de la lengua y al centro/ y busco un poquitito de calma/ pa’ ver si lo que canto me salva (“The days are falling apart/ down the tongue and to the center/ and I’m looking for a little bit of calm/ to see if what I sing saves me.”) Estrada paired up with American guitarist and producer Charlie Hunter who gave his own flavor to the song, one of 11-tracks of her revamped Lo Sagrado, an album recorded in 2016 which was never officially released, and which also includes collaborations by schoolmates Alex Lozano on drums, Octavio Álvarez on double bass, Obed Orozco on keyboards and Francisco Galán on trombone. The song’s music video is as meek as the three-minute tune, with the ceramic work by Pablo Muñoz, directed by Edwin Erazo and animated by Jorge Tirado. — PAMELA BUSTIOS
Mike Bahia, Llane, PJ Sin Suela ft. Mozart La Para, “Cuenta Conmigo” (Warner Music Mexico)
Also inspired during the coronavirus quarantine, Mike Bahia brought to life his new single “Cuenta Conmigo” in collaboration with Llane, PJ Sin Suela, and Mozart La Para. A mix of Colombian, Puerto Rican, and Dominican rhythms are heard in this feel-good reggae song. Translated to “count on me,” the collab features Bahia and Llane’s dulcet vocals and the witty rap verses of PJ and Mozart. “The end result has a lot of magic, it is a mixture of good energy, complicity, and joy, that is the vibe that I want to transmit with this new song,” Bahia said in a press statement. Produced by Fury Records and directed by Jean Paul Egred and Darío Burbano, the colorful and playful music video was filmed in four different cities: Medellin, Miami, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. “Cuenta Conmigo” forms part of Bahia’s forthcoming second studio album. Watch it below. — J.R.
Farruko, “La Tóxica” (Sony Music Latin)
Don’t let the slow start to Farruko’s “La Tóxica” fool you. The song is charged with reggaeton and dembow tunes after it hits the minute mark. So, you’ll want to stick around. “La Tóxica” starts slow with a simple piano melody but then quickly picks up transporting us to a reggaeton state of mind. “It’s the kind of reggaetón that made me,” Farruko previously told Billboard. As a true testament to Farruko’s slick writing skills, he includes a catchy chorus line. “Se va pa’ la calle, en busca de un jangueo,” sings Farru. The track was penned by Farruko, Sharo Towers, Ghetto and KG4 during a writing camp in Honduras back in February. — G.F.
Romeo Santos & Alex Bueno, “Nuestro Amor” (Mayimba Music)
On his 39th birthday, earlier this week, Romeo Santos surprised fans with an upcoming single. Today, he presents “Nuestro Amor” in collaboration with renowned Dominican artist Alex Bueno. In true Romeo fashion, the heartfelt song is a traditional bachata with modern guitar melodies. “They don’t respect how beautiful it is to be in love / that a poor man with love feels like a millionaire” part of the lyrics say in Spanish. “Nuestro Amor” is a message to all haters who can’t accept a happy, healthy relationship. “For me, it’s such an honor collaborating with one of the most complete artists of the Dominican Republic,” Santos expressed on Instagram. Listen to the audio below. — J.R.
J Balvin, Tainy, Dua Lipa & Bad Bunny, “Un Día (One Day)” (Universal Music Latin Entertainment)
In what can perhaps be considered the collaboration of the year, J Balvin, Tainy, Dua Lipa, and Bad Bunny team up for this dreamy, downtempo pop tune that evokes nostalgic vibes longing for a lost love that they hope will come knocking on the door again. “Un Día” finds Balvin and Dua Lipa trading nostalgic and verses like “one day you’ll love me again, one day you’ll love me for sure, one day you’ll wake up feelin’ how I’ve been feelin’.” Then Bunny jumps on the track to drop some rhymes sampling Tito El Bambino and Jadiel’s “Sol, Playa Y Arena.” It’s the first time the English pop star teams up with hitmakers Balvin, Bunny, and Tainy. Listen to “Un Día” below. — G.F.
Alicastro, “Respira” (Alicastro Group, Sony Music Latin)
Singer-songwriter Fabián Alicastro intends to elicit optimism in a moment of emotional complexity with “Respira,” the Colombian’s new single which chronicles the rise of individual challenges. His return to music rests on his attempt for collective catharsis, releasing negative psychic energy by breathing and allowing new avenues to resolve unconscious conflict: “The current state of the world is very complex, and I hope this song provides a little bit of optimism and lift everyone’s spirits.” Co-written and co-produced with Jared Faber, the song’s music video includes cameos by a brew of Latin actors including Colombian Juliana Sáenz, Puerto Ricans Amar Sotomayor, Guillermo Valedon, Darlene Vazquetelles and Allan Michaels, and American Pim De Boer and was co-directed alongside Pipe Delgado. — P.B.
Son Rompe Pera, “Mi Vida Sin Tu Amor” (AYA Records)
The Gama brothers are back with their own marimba ska-infused take of “Mi Vida Sin Tu Amor,” the underground classic written by Cuban born, Jamaica-based Laurel Aitkin, the “Godfather of Ska” –the final track on his only Spanish language album during his 50 plus year career. The song was revamped during the brothers’ first trip to Chile in tandem with Chilean Sonora de Llegar ska band’s frontman Miño, recorded at Macha (Chico Trujillo)’s studio who fused the bone-bared sounds of his band El Bloque Depresivo with the wit and unmitigated swagger of the Gama brothers and their folky swells. The tune is paired up with a bouncy music clip directed by Chris Vinan, which takes the crew around the quaint streets of Mexico City in 2019. — P.B.
Santiago Cruz, “Otra Mañana Más” (The Orchard Music on behalf of Santiago Cruz)
With his soothing vocals and romanticism, Colombian singer-songwriter delivers “Otra Mañana Más,” which translates to “another morning.” With melancholic pop-ballad is about a person who wants to fix a broken relationship. “Come to save me / Come and we’ll try / Maybe we learned something from the past / Another morning and I don’t know where you are and I already lost count,” Cruz sings. Produced by MadLove and animated by Animaedro, Cruz dropped a lovesick video, showing a cartoon version of himself searching for his long lost love. — J.R.
Nación Ekeko, “Hermanos,” featuring Muerdo (Espantapájaros Network)
The steely and resolute “Hermanos” by Argentinean Diego Pérez under his project Nación Ekeko, emphasizes on the alliance of cultures among a common purpose: cosmogony. The first single off his forthcoming Qomunidad, features Spanish singer and poet Pascual Cantero, aka Muerdo. With an ingrained sense of belonging and the principle of equality and harmony, the tune, written and produced by Pérez with Agustín Lumerman on percussion, spreads a message of solidarity and respect plunging in Andean sounds of Latin America while fiddling with electronica: “La fuerza del monte es mi alimento/ lo que respira la tierra es lo que siento/ nos cría luna y nos amontona el viento/ somos hermanos por lo que llevamos dentro” (“the strength of the mountain is my food/ what the earth breathes is what I feel/ the moon raises us and the wind gathers us/ we are brothers for what we carry inside.”) — P.B.