Viva Friday is a compilation of the best new Latin songs, albums and videos recommended by the Billboard Latin editors.
Arcángel, Historias de Un Capricornio
Finding the balance between doing commercial music without losing the essence is not an easy task. But, Arcangel did it for Historias de un Capricornio (Stories of a Capricorn), his fifth studio album. The set is the representation of the real Austin Agustín Santos (Arcangel’s real name), a person who is passionate about urban music and has grown in the genre to perfectly know what to offer his fans. The album is like being in a rollercoaster of emotions. It’s romantic, edgy, danceable but most importantly it doesn’t carry strong or explicit language. The songs you can’t miss while listening to the album are “Llename de Luz,” “Capricornio” and “Ponte Bonita” as well as “Rehén” with Ozuna and “Infeliz” with Bad Bunny. – SUZETTE FERNANDEZ
X Alfonso, “Dime Qué Hay Que Hacer (Qué Pasa Aquí)”
How do you cure a holiday funk? With funky music of course! Cuban pied piper X Alfonso’s participatory video for his track “Dime Qué Hay Que Hacer (Que Pasa Aquí)” – from his upcoming album Inside – is a groove-while-the-world-burns celebration featuring dancing, singing, music-making friends and fans from Cuban kitchens, Havana streets and beyond to Miami, Mexico City and Madrid. Christmas cheer just when we need it. — JUDY CANTOR-NAVAS
“+” – Aitana, Cali & El Dandee
Aitana, Cali and Dandee have released a powerful pop/rock song “+” keeping alive the legacy of a genre that almost gets totally replaced by urban music. The song breaks into a romantic melody that talks about how two lovers fall in love and miss each other because they are apart. Musically, the track kicks off as a soft ballad but becomes more soft rock at the end. And, of course, the combination of their voices makes the song to be hot-blooded. — SF
“Billion” – Emilia
Emilia was put on our radar in early 2019 with her single “Recalienta,” which was followed by “No Soy Yo” in collaboration with Darell. Now, she’s ready to wrap up the year with her fresh bop “Billion.” In her new single, the Argentine pop artist highlights the importance of a woman’s self-worth, telling the story of a lady who’s not impressed by a man’s money, flowers, or DM’s on Instagram. “You send me millions but I’m worth billions,” the lyrics express. The music video, directed by Joaquin Cambre, shows Emilia enjoying a luxurious lifestyle that she worked hard for. “Billion” is a catchy reggaeton with flairs of Middle Eastern melodies. — JESSICA ROIZ
“Culpable o No” – Ana Guerra, Cepeda
Ana Guerra and Luis Cepeda, artistically known as Cepeda, have joined forces to bless their fans with “Culpable o No” (Guilty or not). Putting the Spanish pop scene on the map, both artists, who are former contestants of the reality TV show Operación Triunfo, sing about a relationship that’s perfectly imperfect. “Even if it’s not perfect, what we have is real and it’s ours,” both powerhouses beautifully harmonize in the chorus. The music video features live concert scenes from their joint tour, flaunting Guerra and Cepeda’s chemistry. Watch it below. – JR