In an effort to create new spaces for Latin music discovery, Apple Music is revamping two existing Latin playlists, Nuevo Nuevo and La Nueva Grasa.
Formerly Breaking Latino, the Nuevo Nuevo playlist will “be a place where you can find new artists that we’re really excited about and championing mixed in with the big songs of the week,” says Krystina DeLuna, Latin Music programmer at Apple Music. “But the focus will be on new artists versus say a playlist like Dale Play that is based on the bigger hits.”
It’s worth noting that some songs will overlap and can be included in both Nuevo Nuevo and Apple Music’s Dale Play playlist. For example, Maluma’s new ballad “Amor De Mi Vida,” which dropped last week, was featured on both playlists given that it’s a new song by a hitmaker.
“Maluma is a huge artist and we believe in the song so we put him on the cover of Dale Play, but that song is also brand new and if you’re looking for new music you’ll find it on Nuevo Nuevo,” explains Jerry Pulles, Latin Music programmer at Apple Music.
Meanwhile, La Nueva Grasa, previously known as Breaking Urbano Latino, becomes the premiere discovery space for all things Latin Urban. With the ever-increasing fusion of genres, specifically urban-regional, the playlist will also include fusions under one condition: “If we think that it’s a song that a Latin urban fan would be interested in, we are definitely going to put it on La Nueva Grasa,” says Pulles.
Nuevo Nuevo kicked off April 24 spotlighting up-and-coming Colombian artist Nobeat’s new song “Perreo Sano.”
“We had a listening session with Nobeat’s label and they were only about half way through with the tracks and we already had an internal group chat going talking about how excited we were about his music,” says DeLuna. “The song we launched with was done fully in quarantine and it coincided with the launch of the playlist.”
La Nueva Grasa will go live Friday, May 1 and will feature rising urban singer-songwriter Catalyna. “She’s a new artist that is signed by Yandel and we’re excited about her single “Acompáñame” feat. Yandel and Guaynaa,” Pulles says. “We didn’t team up with her just because she’s a great artist or it’s a new song but because there’s few women who do well in the urban scene and we’re excited to be able to team up with her to launch this playlist.”
Both playlists will be updated “at the speed of music” says DeLuna. “There’s music coming out constantly, not just Fridays anymore. So, these playlists can be updated multiple times a week.”
Fun fact: La Nueva Grasa was named after a Daddy Yankee visit to the Apple Music office last year.
“We obsess over the names of playlists,” Pulles says. “We were stuck on a name for La Nueva Grasa and Daddy Yankee happened to be in the office promoting ‘Con Calma’ and we asked him to record some drops of how he would present this song and he said it’s ‘la grasa.’ That’s how you say the hot new stuff so, we took his phrase. I don’t even think he knows that that’s the story behind the name of the playlist.”
