Moving forward, Billboard‘s Viva Friday has been rebranded as “First Stream Latin,” a compilation of the best new Latin songs, albums and videos recommended by the Billboard Latin editors. Check out this week’s picks below.
Luis Coronel, “Una Historia Más” (Sony Music Latin)
Crooner Luis Coronel drops his new romantic ballad “Una Historia Más” from his forthcoming album, a track about a youthful love un-lived and un-tested. “I am very happy to be able to share this new song with my fans,” Coronel said about the song. “It is a romantic ballad that talks about how beautiful love could be if fate would allow the two people to be together. But, sometimes, things are not as one would like, so it remains ‘Una Historia Más’ (just another story).” The heart-wrenching lyrics to the regional Mexican song were co-written by rising singer-songwriter Giovanny Ayala and Coronel and produced by Luis Diaz. The music video finds Coronel and his real-life girlfriend Cristina Bernal revisiting their last day together before they part ways. The clip was filmed in Riviera Nayarit located in the town of Sayulita. — GRISELDA FLORES
Gente De Zona & Becky G – “Muchacha” (Sony Music Latin)
Cuban duo Gente de Zona (Alexander Delgado and Randy Malcom) play two princes to Becky G’s modern-day Latina Cinderella in their new single “Muchacha” (Girl). The track and video, which both premiered Thursday, are a departure from Gente De Zona’s more tropical fare of late, incorporating a Cuban clave rhythm with Becky G’s raps as she transforms from car mechanic to princess (after praying to la virgen y los santos), clad in a slinky blue dress with sneakers. “She’s an empowered Cinderella for 2020,” Malcom tells Billboard (see our full interview with Gente de Zona and Becky G First Stream+ here). “We want women to identify with this song. It empowers women. It gives them strength — more than they already have.” Becky G’s first-ever collab with Gente de Zona came about when the duo was looking for music for their new album. A song camp organized by Sony Music Latin netted “Muchacha,” which Gente de Zona infused with their trademark Cuban sound and vocals. “Fun fact: I grew up basically on a little junkyard,” Becky adds. “I was always in the garage, playing with things. Actually, on set, I had to school a couple of people because they were giving me tools to do certain things and I said, ‘That doesn’t really make sense.’” — LEILA COBO
Nobeat, “Perreo Sano” (Interscope Records)
Hailing from Santa Marta, Colombia comes Nobeat with his captivating hybrid sound in “Perreo Sano,” which loosely translates to “Harmless Twerking.” The 20-year-old artist and producer kicks off the first one-minute and 15-seconds of the song by flaunting his deep, raspy vocals over a piano ballad. “Maybe you’re the right person but it’s not the moment,” he croons. “It’s difficult but the last thing you lose is faith.” The melody quickly transforms into an upbeat fiesta, fusing old-school reggaeton beats with dembow and hints of salsa and electronic music. “Perreo Sano,” which is Nobeat’s debut single under Interscope Records, is about living life as a single person. Listen to the track below. — JESSICA ROIZ
Maluma – “ADMV” (Sony Music Latin)
We’re used to seeing Maluma looking hot in his videos, often surrounded by hordes of girls. But the video for “ADMV” — which stands for “Amor De Mi Vida,” or Love of My Life — showcases a completely different Maluma: introspective, hopelessly in love and… old. Yes, the old man featured in the video is Maluma himself, made up to look like an 80-year-old, and not in a farcical way. “I went to the set at 4 a.m. and got into makeup until 9 in the morning,” Maluma tells Billboard. “When I opened my eyes, I saw myself in the mirror and said: Oh. My. God. I was looking exactly like my grandpa, my mother’s dad.” That was fitting, considering that “ADMV” is about a man who lives his life with the love of his life. The song, a beautiful, acoustic ballad set only to guitar, highlights a very different kind of Maluma than the one we usually see. — L.C.
Rita Indiana, “Como Un Dragón”
Rita Indiana’s “Como Un Dragón” marks her return after a decade following the revolutionary “El Juidero.” The unique sui generis nature of her singing remains intact in this first single which previews her forthcoming Mandinga Times produced by Eduardo Cabra (Calle 13’s Visitante). The tune falls into the canon of her songs as the singer-songwriter brings her Dominican zeal to a gnarly composition of swift turns, backed by the power of her voluble cadence and married with Caribbean folklore, metal and electronica. The dembow tune echoes the singer’s admiration for the dramatic craft of bands Os Mutantes, Aramis Camilo and Iron Maiden with verbose storytelling that imposes the attention of her rapper counterparts: Pi, pi! Llegaron los camiones a recoger la mierda que tú crees que son canciones (“Beep beep! The trucks have arrived to pick up the pieces of shit you think are songs.”) The 3D animated music clip was directed by Indiana’s partner Noella Quintero, a universe of paper, a satire in which “living beings coexist with lethal technology which La Mostra develops in her musical lab in this new album,” as per Quintero. –– PAMELA BUSTIOS
Domino Saints, “Sol y Playa”
Dominio Saints is ready for the summer with their new single “Sol y Playa” (Sun and beach). Over an infectious melody that fuses Latin urban and tropical beats, the duo, composed of David Leal and Giselle “Gigi” Ojeda,” brings to life a sensual song about spending time with that special someone at the beach. “I want the sun, I want the beach, smoke, and alcohol, and for you to never leave,” kick off the lyrics. The music video, filmed in Puerto Rico by Jorge Arroyo, shows Domino Saints honoring the lyrics as they enjoy the beach throughout the day. — J.R.
Abel Pintos & Beatriz Luengo, “El Hechizo”
Part Argentine cumbia, part flamenco, part pop with Middle Eastern vibes and part rap, « El Hechizo » is an unexpected pairing between Argentina’s Abel Pintos and Spain’s Beatriz Luengo. Their origins provide the backbone for this often heady mix, where Pintos –one of Argentina’s most successful acts– sings in an almost improvisational tone before the catchy chorus. Luengo’s raps, in the last quarter of the track, add an element of surprise and added texture to an already multi-layered track that definitely breaks the monotony. — L.C.
Banda El Recodo, “De Ti Me Enamoré” (Fonovisa Universal Music Group)
Just when you thought you were losing your faith in love, comes Banda El Recodo De Cruz Lizárraga with their heartfelt “De Ti Me Enamoré” (I fell in love with you). Meshing their distinguished sound of cymbals, trombone, clarinets, trumpets, and more instruments, Banda El Recodo gives life to a romantic banda song about two people unexpectedly falling in love with each other. “And I always looked at you like someone so unreachable / Who would imagine that after sighing for you / Now you’re in love with me,” says part of the sweet lyrics. — J.R.
