Photo by Leon Velazquez
It may be a new year, but the Magic City music scene is holding its signature, unique, and unpredictable mélange of genres and sounds over for the 2026 season.
And if your resolutions at the outset of this trip around the sun didn’t include a bullet point about supporting the local music scene, rectify that stat: As you’ll see below, there is far too much amazing work being done in this city to let it die on the vine for lack of love.
Got a bead on something new we should be listening to? Hit this button right here.
Claudia Pavel + Pavlo Vicci — “Close Your Eyes”
“Just close your eyes and roll the dice ‘cause we ain’t gonna live forever,” Claudia Pavel — an aughts Romanian pop legend now based in Miami — coos on the latest anthem from her fruitful ongoing collaboration with DJ Pavlo Vicci. (See also “Win it All.”) But the vibe on this trance-pop electronic is definitely feels like a reach for eternity — on the dance floor and beyond.
Flokid (Featuring Tund3 & Miami Got Jokes) — “Meant to Be”
North Miami Beach rapper Flokid returns with Nobody Cares Work Harder, a dynamic, diverse, and unpredictable LP upon which virtually every flow reinforces the no-boast ethos of its title. “Meant to Be,” in particular, is a show-don’t-tell masterclass in authenticity and skills. Don’t sleep on the rest of the album, though. Flokid speaks volumes.
La niña brava – “En búsqueda de errores”
This self-titled EP from La Niña Brava — the band led by Venezuelan-American Fernanda Rojas — is about as perfectly realized and affecting a collection of indie folk songs as you’re likely to encounter anytime, anywhere. Here, soaring melodies and a real pop sensibility intertwine with nuance and vulnerability, and sophisticated, soul-stirring compositions remain grounded in the most genuine organic emotions and instrumentation. It’s an achievement worthy of a much wider audience.
Maeve McMahon — “Recklessly Blind”
Switching gears from last year’s excellent pop folk EP Traffic Lights, Maeve McMahon debuts a more swaggering, mischievous rock n’ roll sound for this new single that falls somewhere between Michelle Branch and something that would be the perfect theme song for a ’90s television dramedy. McMahon has got that range — and clearly isn’t afraid to use it. Where will the young rising singer go from here? Who knows! But we will follow.
Oro Fresco — “Nubes”
Oro Fresco — our Best Latin Act 2023 pick, not for nothing! — has returned with “Nubes,” an infectious ethereal-yet-driving ambient-pop-meets-jungle track that feels like piloting a cloud through a kaleidoscopic projection of your best days ever. “For us, ‘Nubes’ is about emotional clarity — about drifting until you find peace,” says Darwin Figueroa, who, along with Jesús Mago, comprises the duo. “It’s personal, but universal too.”
Sonora Tukukuy — “Malandra”
Sonora Tukukuy bill themselves as “vintage Latin sounds for the end of times,” and it’s unlikely you’ll be inclined to argue after spinning “Malandra,” an eclectic little single that definitely guides listeners to some magical, wild — and wildly appealing — places. As Hunter S. Thompson advised: Buy the ticket, take the ride.
Zyan Reign — “Mockingbird”
On her uplifting and ceaselessly beautiful debut album Mockingbird, Miami-based jazz vocalist Zyan Reign reinterprets classic soul and R&B for a new generation — with extraordinary results. By cleverly pairing originals alongside standards (“Somebody to Watch Over Me”; “Nature Boy”), Reign positions herself as part of a much longer story and, as this title track clearly demonstrates, she is not only up to the challenge but poised to make her chapter one that helps transition the entire genre into the future.
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