New Music Latin is a compilation of the best new Latin songs and albums recommended by Billboard and Billboard Español editors. Check out this week’s picks below.
Pablo Alborán, KM0 (Warner Music Spain)
Pablo Alborán’s personal and heartfelt seventh album, KM0, is a set of 14 songs and four bonus tracks in which he explores a variety of rhythms and styles. Born from the pain and uncertainty of a loved one’s illness, as the artist recounted in a recent interview with Billboard, the album showcases a more mature and determined musician with renewed artistic freedom. Here, Alborán takes on the songwriting of all the songs and, for the first time, produces and arranges most of them, experimenting with rhythms like country/folk (“Vámonos de Aquí,” with Indiara Sfair), salsa music (“La Vida Que Nos Espera”) and merengue (“Si Te Quedas”).
The album opens with “Clickbait,” a pop track that critiques the superficiality and fake news of social media, addressing the obsession with fame and “likes.” And continues with the emotional title track, “KM0,” in which he sings about facing a new start after going through a very difficult period in his life. It also features collaborations with Luan Santana (“Qué Tal Te Va”), Ana Belén (“Inciso”), Vicente Amigo (“Planta 7,” named after the hospital floor where his relative was located), and Japanese artist Lilas Ikuta (“Perfectos imperfectos”). In true Alborán style, it is a sublime and thoroughly enjoyable work, full of heart and musicality. – SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS
Santa Fe Klan, “No Seré Quien Canta” (473 Music)
There’s a serenity to Santa Fe Klan’s new single, which captures the Mexican rapper at his most raw and vulnerable state. “No Seré Quien Canta” is a welcome departure — both sonically and lyrically — from his hard-hitting rap songs that have catapulted him to fame over the past decade. Powered by soft guitar notes, the soul-baring cumbia finds Santa in a state of healing, reflecting on love that once was and the peace that comes from letting go. “I was broken into pieces, my steps were unsteady,” he sings with pathos. “And when you hear a loud voice, you’ll think it’s your lucky day, but I won’t be the one singing, I won’t be the one making you vibrate.” — GRISELDA FLORES
Zhamira, Curita Para El Corazón (Dynamic Records/EMPIRE)
Almost 10 years after gaining momentum on Univision’s reality talent show, La Banda 2, Zhamira unleashes her highly-awaited debut studio album Curita Para El Corazón. If its title is any indication, which translates to “bandaid for the heart,” the 14-track set explores love and heartbreak, offering personal and vulnerable songs that can heal the deepest wounds. The Venezuelan singer-songwriter delivers a full-blown pop album sprinkled with heart-wrenching ballads and some tropical tunes.
For example, the bachata-infused “Mil Preguntas” is about a girl questioning her boyfriend’s intentions. The country-tinged “Otra Vez,” alongside her artist husband Jay Wheeler, is about making broken promises, and “No Me Quiero Ir” is a soft-paced merengue. In Curita Para El Corazón, Zhamira collaborates with Greeicy (“como fué?”), Noreh (“me hubiese gustado”) and KENNY (“desvelo”). The set is also home to a salsa version of the Jay Wheeler-assisted “extrañándote” that earned Zhamira her first Top 10 on the Latin Pop Airplay chart when it peaked at No. 4 in February 2024. — JESSICA ROIZ
Edén Muñoz & Bacilos, “Chimba” (Sony Music México)
Edén Muñoz is fulfilling one of his biggest dreams: releasing a collaboration with Bacilos, a band that strongly influenced him during his teenage years and whose songs are part of his set list at shows. With the release of “Chimba,” a song written and saved for many years by Muñoz, Mexico and Colombia come together once again in music and joy. What begins with soft guitars continues with a very danceable rhythm set by trumpets and timbales. The tuba also plays a part, adding that Sinaloan touch, while the accordion gives it a vallenato flavor. The lyrics couldn’t be more catchy: “And she gave me a little kiss, invited me to her apartment, we had a great time, really awesome, and I was left thinking, how lucky I am,” referring to a serendipitous encounter between two people who want to heal their broken hearts. — TERE AGUILERA
Estevie, La Traición y El Contrabando (Warner Music Latina)
Beneath her signature cowboy hat, Estevie is carrying the emotional depth and firepower of música mexicana’s brightest newcomers — but with a style that’s entirely hers. With her latest EP, La Traición y El Contrabando, the Beaumont-born vaquera doesn’t ease you in at first play. Instead, she spins haunting falsettos over accordion-laced melodies in the ghostly opener “La Eternidad.” And then there’s “Esa Fui Yo,” a tender-yet-defiant declaration of love and heartbreak, as she sings, “Y cuando te caiste quien te recogió, esa fui yo” over a rich cumbia groove, steeped in nostalgia and illuminated by the shimmer of a 12-string guitar. By the time you reach the flashy “Diamantes en mi Boca” or the melancholic closer “Contrabando,” her emotional range and high-pitched vocals leave you captivated. Estevie’s voice resonates throughout that lush blend of cumbia-pop, and leaves an impression that lingers long after the music fades. — ISABELA RAYGOZA
Check out more Latin recommendations this week below:
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