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Arthur Hanlon presents his new EP, 2 Manos, 1 Mundo (“two hands, one world”), out Friday (April 11) via Sony Music Latin.
On the seven-track production, which follows his highly praised Piano y Mujer series, the Detroit-born pianist teamed up with nine of his friends — Ana Bárbara, Ángela Aguilar, Carlos Vives, Darell, Goyo, Manuel Medrano, Nia Skyfer, Tiago Ior and Yotuel — for an “ethereal and dreamy” production (as he describes it) that fuses worldly beats such as Brazil’s bossanova, Cuba’s cha-cha-cha and Colombia’s vallenato with his distinctive piano melodies.
“It was a good moment to go back and write,” Hanlon tells Billboard, whose last two albums featured cover songs interpreted by artists such as Ivy Queen, Ha*Ash, Kany García, Natalia Jimenez, Evaluna Montaner and more. “This is a musical manifestation of the friends that I’ve made from different parts of the world.”
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Crafted in his Miami-based home with the royal blue piano in his living room, Hanlon says his creative process always begins at home with friends, because he’s the type of artist who “likes to cook.” “This project is so personal,” he emphasizes. “It’s me connecting with the artists. If there’s no chemistry, no connection, it’s hard for me to collaborate.”
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Below, Hanlon breaks down some of the tracks on 2 Manos, 1 Mundo, which also includes a solo piano cover of Santana’s smooth hit “Europa.”
On “Bala Perdida” featuring Ángela Aguilar: “We wrote the song and got together with Ángela. I’m always looking for magic. And I knew that with this song and with Angela, by placing the piano in the desert, we would create a contrast between the music and the natural environment. That’s how this song was born.”
Hanlon and Aguilar premiered “Bala Perdida” at the 2025 Premio Lo Nuestro awards.
On “Repetimos” featuring Yotuel & Darell: “‘Repetimos’ was the first song I did for the album. Yotuel asked for a cha-cha-cha but to make it funky. I thought, how can we make it a Cuban-meets-Detroit sound? We needed that crunch on the song, so we called Darell.”
“Repetimos” peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Tropical Airplay chart last October.
On “Goodbye” with Carlos Vives & Goyo: “Carlos went to my house, we were drinking gin and tonic, and thinking of how interesting it would be if the Magdalena Rivera and Mississippi River connected. That’s how this song was born. We filmed the video in the streets of Bogota. We walked two nights around the streets to get the good vibes from the nightlife and that bluesy feel.”
Editor’s Note: Hanlon is married to Billboard’s Chief Content Officer, Latin/Espãnol, Leila Cobo.
With Coachella weekend one upon us, today’s top music stars are dropping new hits to enjoy as fans head out to the desert or enjoy the spring weekend at home. To kick things off, Lana Del Rey dropped “Henry, Come On,” a new song in advance of upcoming album The Right Person Will Stay. When announcing The […]
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The UFC goes to Miami for UFC 314. Two premier fighters face off against each other as the main event. Australian fighter Alexander Volkanovski (26-4-0) takes on Brazilian fighter Diego Lopes (26-6-0) for the vacant UFC Featherweight Championship belt on Saturday (April 12).
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UFC 314: Volkanovski vs. Lopes takes place at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, with a start time of 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. The main card is expected to begin at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
Want to watch UFC 314 online? This event is streaming on ESPN+ with pay-per-view access, which goes for $79.99 for subscribers only.
If you’re not a subscriber, you can get PPV access and an ESPN+ monthly subscription — which is $11.99 per month — for $91.98 in total, or pick up an ESPN+ annual subscription for $134.98. The annual subscription bundle is the best deal because it saves you more than 30% overall instead of going month-to-month.
Subscribers to ESPN+ and Disney+ can livestream the early prelim and prelim portions of UFC 314 for free. In fact, the prelims card airs on the cable networks ESPN, so it’s streamable on Fubo, as well as Hulu + Live TV — which comes with Hulu, ESPN+ and Disney+.
In addition, you can get the Disney Trio — which comes with ESPN+, Hulu and Disney+ — starting as low as $16.99 per month.
What Is Volkanovski and Lopes’ Walkout Music for UFC 314
Although the UFC has yet to announce each fighter’s walkout music for UFC 314, the pair usually go out to the octagon to the same songs during their matches. Volkanovski walks out to “Down Under” by Men at Work, while Diego Lopes prefers to walk out to “Devastated” by Joey Bada$$.
Check out the full UFC 314 fight card below, and PPV livestream here.
Main Card, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT
Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes (Light Heavyweight) — Title Fight, Main Event
Michael Chandler vs. Paddy Pimblett (Lightweight)
Yair Rodríguez vs. Patrício Pitbull (Featherweight)
Bryce Mitchell vs. Jean Silva (Featherweight)
Nikita Krylov vs. Dominick Reyes (Light Heavyweight)
Prelims Card, 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT
Dan Ige vs. Sean Woodson (Featherweight)
Yan Xiaonan vs. Virna Jandiroba (Women’s Strawweight)
Jim Miller vs. Chase Hooper (Lightweight)
Darren Elkins vs. Julian Erosa (Featherweight)
Early Prelims Card, 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT
Sedriques Dumas vs. Michał Oleksiejczuk (Middleweight)
Su Mudaerji vs. Mitch Raposo (Flyweight)
Tresean Gore vs. Marco Tulio (Middleweight)
Nora Cornolle vs. Hailey Cowan (Women’s Bantamweight)
UFC 314: Volkanovski vs. Lopes is streamable on ESPN+ with PPV on Saturday, April 12, starting at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT, with the main card beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
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Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) learned the hard way not to interrupt Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-CT) when she is making a point.
During a televised CNN town hall event, things got testy when the topic of discussion shifted to Elon Musk and DOGE’s (Department of Government Efficiency) cuts to federal agencies to stop what they deem as waste and fraud.
Hayes didn’t bite her tongue about Elon Musk after Lawler dared to defend Musk and DOGE’s actions, leading to a tense exchange between the two politicians.
Lawler defended Phony Stark, crediting him with a “turbocharged forensic audit through every department and agency.”
In response to Lawler’s praise of Musk, Hayes had to remind him and the American people how terrible cuts have been and that the American public has a “right to be concerned about Elon Musk because he’s an unelected billionaire who has a tremendous amount of influence.”
She continued, “This is not normal. All of this waste, fraud, and abuse we don’t want that either, but what we’re talking about is burning down the house…”
Lawler couldn’t stand for Hayes clowning of Musk and tried to interrupt her, but she quickly shut him down telling him to his face, “”I’m still talking, please!” He responded by asking her, “Is there one thing you agree with?”
Hayes Patience With Lawler Ran Out
He didn’t stop as he sat back down, continuing to interrupt Hayes as she addressed attendees until she stopped and asked, “Mr. Lawler, can you please let me finish my conversation?” as he continued to ask his question, forcing her to confront him once again, “What is your question?”
“Can you identify one thing of waste that they have found that you actually agree with that should be eliminated?” Lawler asked.
Hayes responded by calling out fraud in the unemployment system, adding “And we have processes and policies to do that, but for one person to make those decisions, everyone should have a level of concern by that.”
She wasn’t done. When Lawler mentioned that there were “career employees” in DOGE going over our data, Hayes asked the million-dollar question, “Who are they?” over and over.
Spoiler alert: Lawler didn’t answer her question.
Welp.
You can see social media reactions to the town hall in the gallery below.
This week in dance music: PinkPantheress shared the tracklist for her upcoming mixtape, we caught up with DJ Koze about his new album Music Can Hear Us, John Summit, Skrillex and more made moves on the dance charts, we spoke with Sherelle about her debut album With a Vengeance, Poolside shared their set from CRSSD spring 2025, Create Music Group acquired venerable indie electronic imprint !K7, IMS announced that it will honor dance world power agent Maria May with its Legends Awards at the event later this month in Ibiza and we chatted with Spanish psytrance star Indira Paganotto ahead of her Coachella debut this weekend.
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And in addition to all that, of course, these are the best new dance tracks of the week.
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Charlotte de Witte, “The Realm”
Techno fans have been waiting a long time for this moment, with genre titan Charlotte de Witte this week releasing the first single from her forthcoming album — the first LP from her 15-plus year career. “The Realm” is just that, a windy, sleekly tough track that functions as a sort of space to move through, and in. “The lyrics capture the essence of what I believe music can do,” the Belgian producer says. “Techno, and by extension clubbing, has always been about more than just dancing for me. It’s about connection, transcendence and exploration. It’s a way of accessing something unseen, something powerful. There’s a tension and release in the structure that mirrors the feeling of letting go, of stepping into something bigger than yourself.”
De Witte’s eponymous 11-track LP is coming November 7 through her own Kntxt label. Ahead of that, she’s touring heavily across Europe, the U.S. and Asia this spring and summer.
Bob Moses, “Time of Your Life“
Bob Moses return with their first new music in three (!) years via “Time of Your Life,” a song the duo wrote in a few hours at their L.A. studio. In a joint statement they say “the song is about the devil on your shoulder. The one whispering to you to indulge in the moment and worry about everything else later. That impulsiveness can feel intoxicating. We felt that feeling in the moment, embraced it, and wrote the song from that perspective: throwing caution to the wind and having the time of your life.” While the theme seems to be fresh for them, the song itself is the classic plodding, sleek and sexy synthwave the pair have long been known for. Bob Moses will play the Do Lab stage tonight (April 11) at Coachella.
Röyksopp, True Electric
The latest album from Norway’s finest Röyksopp collects 19 studio versions of music from the duo’s 2023 True Electric tour in 2023, with an emphasis on the club-oriented elements of a catalog that goes back almost 25 years. True Electric also features a previously unreleased track, the oversized and deliciously cacophonous “The R.” Out on their own Dog Triumph label, the project also includes the previously released and very essential update to their 2014 Robyn collab “Do It Again,” among other favorites.
Walker & Royce, “Death By Love”
Walker & Royce have been longtime torch bearers for underground West Coast tech house, with their latest being one of their coolest contributions to date. Out on Insomniac Records, “Death By Love” is a textural multi-movement heater with a heft and style that makes it feel longer than its two minutes and 50 seconds. The L.A. duo will surely play it out a lot out on a spring and summer tour that includes dates at EDC Las Vegas, Movement, Dirtybird Campout x Northern Nights, HARD Summer and Outside Lands.
Haai, “Shapeshift”
The latest from Haai slowly pulses to life, with a long burn intro built with the Australian producer’s own vocals and a repeated note that sounds like the sonar on a submarine. But oh, how it takes off. Lyrics from Kam-bu take the song into its second movement, with the London rapper stating “still don’t got love for cages, feel like we haven’t spoke in age” as the beat builds and the production takes a darker, clubbier turn and then takes off into sub-bass hyperspace around the 3:06 mark. Haii herself says the track is about the “duality of being both the person you are onstage and the person you are at home, in the normal world,” a theme that will play out when she plays Coachella twice this weekend, once on the Quasar stage and once in the Yuma Tent.
Jason Aldean rings up his milestone 40th top 10 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart as he hoists “Whiskey Drink” three spots to No. 8 on the list dated April 19. The song rose by 8% to 18.6 million audience impressions April 4-10, according to Luminate.
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The single, which Kurt Allison, Jonathan Edwards, Tully Kennedy and John Morgan co-wrote, is from Aldean’s LP Highway Desperado. In November 2023, the set arrived as his 12th top 10 on Top Country Albums.
Aldean has the eighth-most Country Airplay top 10s since the chart launched in 1990. Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw and George Strait are tied for first with 61 each. He also scores simultaneous Country Airplay top 10s for the first time. He’s featured on Morgan’s “Friends Like That,” which pushes 5-4 for a new best (24.3 million, up 10%).
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Aldean’s run of Country Airplay top 10s began in 2005 when “Hicktown” reached No. 10 that October. “Why” followed, becoming his first of 25 No. 1s in May 2006.
Moroney Is A-‘Okay’
Megan Moroney earns her second Country Airplay top 10 as “Am I Okay?” hops 13-10 (16.5 million, up 9%). The Savannah, Ga., native wrote the song with Jessie Jo Dillon and Luke Laird, and Kristian Bush produced it. The single is from Moroney’s same-named LP, which entered Top Country Albums at its No. 3 peak last July, marking her second top 10. Her Lucky hit No. 10 in May 2023.
Moroney notched her first Country Airplay top 10 with her rookie single, “Tennessee Orange” (No. 4, June 2023). She then added two top 20 hits: “Can’t Break Up Now,” with Old Dominion (No. 19, May 2024), and “I’m Not Pretty” (No. 14, July 2024).
Making Themselves at ‘Home’
LOCASH, the duo of Preston Brust and Chris Lucas, tops Country Airplay for a career-high second week with “Hometown Home” (29.9 million, down 1%). The act previously led with “I Know Somebody” for a week in October 2016.
Ester Dean is responding after Keri Hilson expressed regret over her Dean-co-written “Turnin Me On (Remix)” aimed at Beyoncé.
The songwriter hopped on Instagram Thursday to clear the air after Hilson said during an interview with The Breakfast Club that the decision to shade Queen Bey on “Turnin’ Me On” negatively impacted her career. “It’s a regret,” Hilson said at the time, denying that she wrote the song and pointing to Dean’s pen instead.
Dean noted that her post is an “open letter” to Hilson and other creatives. “Back in July 2008, I started working with [producer] Polow Da Don in Atlanta,” she began. “Later, I moved to Los Angeles to write for Polow’s artist over at Interscope. I wasn’t famous. I wasn’t chasing clout. I was in the studio – day and night – writing 3 to 4 songs a day. No friends. No family. Just work.”
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She went on to rewrite some of the lyrics off the “Turnin’ Me On (Remix)”: “Your vision cloudy if you think that you’re the best/ You can dance, she can sing/ But she need to move it to the …,” which many believed to be in reference to Beyoncé’s 2006 hit “Irreplaceable.”
Those lyrics, Dean admitted in her open letter, were “tacky,” but not forced. “No. That was me. I wasn’t in the room with Keri writing this together,” she continued. “I didn’t know her personally. She was already a star. I was just a writer trying to earn my place. I did my job and left. Keri came in another time and wrote her own verse – her pen, her voice.”
Dean went on to clarify, “I didn’t work with Beyoncé until years later when I signed to Roc Nation as a writer. There was no ‘plot’ no ‘beef squad’. No secret industry mission. Just writers writing.”
She added: “Keri was already massive. She didn’t need saving. She was out here making history. Why Speak Now? Keri was speaking on big platforms I didn’t have access to – and it was her story to tell, not mine. I stayed writing. No hate. No shade. Just truth.”
Dean concluded her letter by noting that what Hilson went through was unfortunate. “She’s a great artist, a beautiful spirit, and she deserves grace,” the songwriter wrote. “She took her lessons. I’ll take mine.”
In Hilson’s aforementioned interview with The Breakfast Club, she said part of the blame belonged to Polow.
“I tried to fight him on it and I began writing my own,” the singer said. “The mistake that I made was not continuing to fight. But I was in tears, I was crying, I was adamant that I did not want to do that.”
Dean had previously come forward and issued her own apology on Wednesday (April 9) after Hilson’s interview, claiming the verse was “childish.” She wrote in what appears to be a now-deleted post: “I see how it hurt people, especially women, and I take full accountability.”
Check out Dean’s full response shared April 10 below.
This week, Billboard’s New Music Latin roundup and playlist — curated by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors — features fresh new music, including albums by Luck Ra (Que Sed), Gepe (Undesastre Deluxe: Cerodrama) and Arthur Hanlon (2 Manos, 1 Mundo). Plus, Silvestre Dangond and Carín León team up for their hypnotizing new collaboration “Cosas Sencillas,” powered by vallenato’s signature accordion melodies, which was […]
The first track on Jon Pardi’s new album may be called “Boots Off,” but don’t expect the project to simply be a repeat of songs similar to his signature hits “Dirt on My Boots” and “Head Over Boots.”
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Each of his previous four albums reached at least the top 5 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart, with his 2016 album California Sunrise debuting at the listing’s pinnacle. He’s lodged several songs in the upper echelons of the Country Airplay chart, with five No. 1s — such as “Heartache Medication” and “Last Night Lonely.”
On his fifth studio album Honkytonk Hollywood, out on UMG Nashville today (April 11), Pardi continues paying homage to his California roots and penchant for rock-infused, neo-traditional country, but he also crafted an album that showcases both the 39-year-old’s maturity as a person (he’s now a father to two young daughters) — and how, more than a decade into his career, he continues eschewing any creative confines.
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With the new project, the Red Light-managed singer-songwriter leaned into the influences of classic rock artists such as the Eagles, Tom Petty and Fleetwood Mac.
“The ‘70s country of the West Coast was Hollywood; when I say rock ‘n’ roll, that’s what I’m thinking about. Sonically, it’s there in the snare drums and the grit of the guitar and the grit of the whole recording itself. Classic rock, it blends so well with traditional country music, ’cause it doesn’t sound too crazy or modern. I feel like this record has good soul to it.”
Key to that sonic shift was Pardi’s choice to switch up producers and work with Jay Joyce, known for his no-boundaries, music-forward approach to making records. Grammy winner Joyce has fashioned enduring albums for Eric Church and Cage the Elephant, with Pardi crediting Church’s Carolina as a factor that drew him to working with Joyce.
“Some people call him a mad scientist. I call him a professor,” Pardi says of Joyce. “He always had an edge, something different about him. He’s a respectful music guy and I’ve been a big fan of his. I felt more than ever this was the time to reach out and he doesn’t work with everybody.”
They holed up at Joyce’s east Nashville church-turned-recording studio for the better part of a month, recording and piecing together the album’s 17 songs. Pardi also welcomed in his touring band to play on the album, placing the band’s tight-knit musicianship at the album’s fore.
“He took me and my band to school and we became even better players,” Pardi says of Joyce. “I remember him telling my guitar player, ‘Why are you f–king playing so much? You played so much on every song.’ It was just funny and we were learning. We had time on our side and that really helped this record be what it is. I’m not saying anything bad about the Nashville way. It’s a machine, it’s fast, it’s great, but it was nice to slow down. We were always in the studio, focusing on music. I wasn’t out bush-hogging or feeding cows.”
Honkytonk Hollywood builds upon and broadens the country-leaning, tough-minded sounds he forged on songs such as “Dirt on My Boots.” That rock influence is threaded through songs such as the slinky groove of “Hey California” and hard-charging “Friday Night Heartbreaker.”
The album isn’t all night-out party anthems. “He Went to Work” pays tribute to a father’s dogged determination to provide for his loved ones. Alongside “Hard Knocks,” it offers a double set of songs that inspired by his family and his father.
“Looking back as a grown man, he had a lot on his plate,” Pardi says. “He had ran a big construction business and just a lot of hustle and bustle. We learned so much. We were always out in the country, either on big construction sites developing land or in agriculture. His side of the family is all farmers. And he could fix anything.”
Meanwhile, “She Drives Away” finds Pardi looking to the future and the kind of days that are ahead of him as a parent to his daughters Presley Fawn and Sierra Grace. Though Pardi wrote eight of the album’s 17 songs, he couldn’t resist recording this song, penned by Seth Ennis, Jordan Minton, Zach Abend and Jimi Bell.
“I wanted to write a Presley song, but that song showed up in the inbox and how are you not going to record that? You hear that song and you’re like, ‘I’m not going to write a better one. That one’s great.’ So I got my dad and daughter song, and I feel like the universal aspect of that song touches so many people. I was like, ‘This is going to be a father-daughter dance song all day… that is the pure emotion of songwriting, and that is why we write songs.”
It’s not lost on Pardi that his new album comes at a time when country music’s impact — both domestically and globally — has been surging, with artists including Morgan Wallen, Zach Bryan, Luke Combs and Kane Brown doing headlining large international tours in areas including the U.K. and Australia, while continuing to headline arenas and/or football stadiums stateside.
“It’s not just one artist. There’s a handful. We’ve now entered the level where there is the football [stadium] level [of performers] and multiple artists are doing it,” Pardi says. “It’s always been like one guy— Garth, and Kenny Chesney — now it’s a bunch of people. It’s crazy.”
Though artists such as Jelly Roll and Morgan Wallen have released elongated, 30-something track albums, Pardi says he won’t be following suit anytime soon.
“I mean, I thought [long albums] were going away,” Pardi says, “Then Morgan came out and was like, ‘I’m doing another 37.’ I’m like, ‘D–n it, I thought my 17 was a lot.’ That’s 20 more songs. I don’t think I’d ever go that many. I think 20 is a good amount of songs. I don’t think I would go more than 20.”
Pardi has seen the country music genre’s progressive-to-traditional ebbs and flows, and takes a “rising tide lifts all boats” perspective.
“Traditional country will always come back and save country music when it’s gone too far,” he says. “I compare Zach Top to when Randy Travis came out with songs [in the 1980s] and it’s like just a stone-cold country comeback. I’m always on everybody’s team. Country’s going to be poppy and popular, but you’re going to get all these new artists coming out with more of a rootsy-country song, or [a] traditional song that starts picking up steam.
“But all that pop, hip-hop and all the super-popular songs — that helps everybody, and it’s good for a traditional artist. It sucks sometimes — I mean, I’m on the Pardi train and I’ve been a steam engine since 2012. I’m never going to get a rocket ship, but I’m fine on the train tracks. Still chugging along, but you stay your path and you do what makes you feel good.”
New Music Latin is a compilation of the best new Latin songs and albums recommended by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors. Check out this week’s picks below.
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Luck Ra, Que Sed (Sony Music Latin)
Following his debut Que Nos Falte Todo, which was Spotify’s most-streamed album of 2024 in Argentina, Luck Ra drops his sophomore set Que Sed. Argentina’s breakout star, born Juan Facundo Almenara Ordónez, continues on the same streak that made him a household name: lyrics about heartbreak backed with feel-good, party melodies and his captivating falsetto vocals. Seriously, there’s no time to be moping over an ex with tracks titled like “Que Idiota,” “Un Clavo” and “Por El Ex No Se Llora.” On the 14-track set, Luck Ra reeled in collaborators Nicki Nicole, Kenia Os, Lola Indigo, Ke Personajes, Dread Mar I, Ulises Bueno and Tiago PZK, who’s on the focus single “Fue Culpa Tuya.” It’s also home to his previously-released notable team-ups with Chayanne (“Un Siglo Sin Ti”), Elvis Crespo (“Suavemente”) and Maluma (“Hola Perdida Remix”).
Que Sed, which loosely represents his ambitious thirst and hunger in the music industry, puts the country’s cuarteto or cuartetazo movement on the map — a musical genre born in Córdoba similar to merengue — fused with urban, reggae and cumbia beats. “It’s very exciting to see the fruits of our labor come together. This album is an expression of my roots, with an eye reaching international markets,” says Luck Ra, one of Billboard’s 2025 Latin Artists to Watch. “It’s made with appreciation and love for the fans, and with an immense passion for music.” — JESSICA ROIZ
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Ela Taubert, “¿Cómo Haces?” (Universal Music Latino)
Colombian singer-songwriter Ela Taubert pays a meaningful tribute to her mother in “¿Cómo Haces?,“ the latest single from her debut album Preguntas a Las 11:11, to be released on May 9. With a mid-tempo pop rhythm driven by drums and guitar, the 2024 Latin Grammy winner for best new artist sings to that unconditional person who has always been with her, through thick and thin. The music video is an emotional collage of images of Ela in concert and backstage with her mother, as well as spending time with fans. In a powerful ending, the track concludes with a version of the chorus recorded live during a show with the crowd singing along at the top of their lungs. – SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS
Servando & Florentino feat. Maelo Ruiz, “No te Vayas” (Goalz Music – OPJR)
The Primera brothers, Servando & Florentino, joined forces with romantic music icon Maelo Ruiz for “No Te Vayas.” This single is another preview of their awaited album, SE BUSCAN: VIVOS O INMORTALES. The track masterfully revives the authentic essence of salsa. From the first verse, Maelo Ruiz’s distinctive and soulful voice commands attention as he shares heartfelt lyric. His delivery interlaces beautifully with the harmonious and sweet high vocals of Servando & Florentino, creating a rich tapestry of sound that reflects their musical heritage. — INGRID FAJARDO
Gepe, Undesastre Delux: Cerodrama (Altafonte)
Gepe’s two-disc album Undesastre Deluxe: Cerodrama is a testament to reinvention. Building on his tenth studio album Undesastre, this deluxe edition adds three new tracks that delve into themes of transformation and healing with a whimsical essence. “NOstás,” a nylon guitar ballad, captures feelings of longing with poetic prose, while “Cumbia Chica” (featuring emerging Chilean singer-songwriter Beléncha) brings festive energy with a dash of reggaetón. On the hip-hop-tinged “Otro Plan,” rapper Bronko Yotte delivers an introspective verse alongside the Santiago de Chile musician. Disc two also spotlights “La Cueca del Canario V.2,” originally released in February, enriched by Niño de Elche’s flamenco artistry. Fluidly genre-hopping and packed with memorable hooks, Gepe deftly blends tradition with innovation, crafting music that is heartfelt, danceable, and undeniably human. — ISABELA RAYGOZA
Rauw Alejandro, “Carita Linda” (Sony Music Latin)
Rauw’s first single since releasing his Top Latin Albums chart-topping LP Cosa Nuestra, “Carita Linda” is at its core a love letter to Puerto Rico — both sonically and lyrically. Powered by a hypnotizing fusion of bomba with urban beats, the single — penned by the artist himself and produced by Dímelo Ninow — continues Rauw’s commitment to elevating tropical music. The song’s lyrics capture an instant connection between two souls who are meeting for the first time, and that deep yearning for eternal love. Rauw debuted the song on April 5 during his Cosa Nuestra Tour stop in Seattle, where he sang “Carita Linda” for the first time. — GRISELDA FLORES
Banda MS & Luis Antonio López “El Mimoso,” “Sé Sincera Corazón” (Lizos Music)
Two of Sinaloa’s greatest banda exponents come together for this collaboration, with a ranchero-focused style. Written by Omar Tarazón and Sergio Lizárraga, “Sé Sincera Corazón” speaks of a relationship that is fading and of being at a crucial point to either continue it or end it. “Be sincere, heart/ Where is the arrow pointing/ Let’s revive love/ Or do we let it die?” they sing with great feeling. The union of Banda MS with Luis Antonio López “El Mimoso” is undoubtedly a pleasant surprise. The feeling they give it is the icing on the cake, which invites you to accompany it with a tequila. — TERE AGUILERA
Silvestre Dangond & Carín León, “Cosas Sencillas” (Sony Music Latin)
When Urumita, Colombia (Silvestre Dangond) meets Hermosillo, Sonora (Carín León), a new vallenato anthem emerges. The two hitmakers unite for the first time in this exciting collaboration — a partnership that was inspired by a spontaneous meeting during the renowned Vallenato Festival in Valledupar, Colombia last year. During the festival, Silvestre invited Carín to his home to enjoy a parranda with other Colombian musicians and composers. From this gathering, the idea for their collaboration was born. The song features beautiful accordion melodies that blend Silvestre’s high vocals with Carín León’s raspy tones. — I.F.
Yeisy Rojas, “Inmigrante y Qué?”
Latin Grammy-nominated Cuban artist Yeisy Rojas returns with a single, released independently, about the migrant experience and the importance of celebrating our roots, embracing our identity, and breaking down prejudices during times of tension for many immigrants in the U.S. “We live working, fighting for a dream/ You call me an immigrant, I proudly answer/ Immigrant, so what? / I bring my joy and my pain too,” Rojas sings over a contagious and sophisticated fusion of Cuban rumba, funk, salsa and hip-hop. “‘Inmigrante y Qué?’ is a song that seeks to make visible the stories of struggle and hope of those who have had to leave their homeland to build a new life,” Rojas tells Billboard Español, adding that “migrating is not a shame, but an act of courage and a source of pride.” — S.R.A.
Check out more Latin recommendations this week below: