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27 Jan 2023

Paul van Dyk Announces Genre-Blending VENTURE X Project: Fans ‘Deserve More Than a Top 10 Dance Chart Set Played From a USB Stick’

Paul van Dyk may have made his name as a trance artist, but his interests and skills extend well beyond the genre. Now, he’s demonstrating how far.

With his new VENTURE X project, the German pioneer is eschewing genre purity and simply playing what he thinks sounds best, with an upcoming tour finding van Dyk fusing progressive, trance and techno.

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“I try to stay curious and open-minded about new sounds, artists, and labels – always have,” van Dyk tells Billboard. “Different aspects of music, its genres and colorations of sound have always been part of my sets. With VENTURE X I take this approach even further, the set will be defined by itself.”

These VENTURE X shows launch on February 17 in Toronto, with the tour then hitting New York City, Montreal, Pontiac, Denver, Portland, San Francisco, and Austin. On the road, van Dyk hopes to satisfy audiences “in a way they didn’t know was possible. I do believe electronic music enthusiasts deserve more than a top 10 dance chart set played from a USB stick.”

For the tour, van Dyk’s setup will feature instruments, computers, and sequencers, a set that “enables me to find the right level of energy at any given moment throughout the set, as everything is basically live sequenced and played. And while some fans can get prickly about crossing sounds, he’s got “no worry that genre purists will be alienated, quite the opposite. There’s so much great music out there and my job as a DJ is to introduce it to you. That’s how I see it, at least. Otherwise, I’d feel like a jukebox.”

Indeed, genres hardly matter as van Dyk, who’s been making music for three decades, points out that genre names, sounds, and meanings keep changing anyways. “When I started DJing, all electronic music was called techno…. What was called progressive house some 20 years ago, would probably be called melodic techno these days. There are amazing releases on Drumcode that could easily fit in the trance genre and sometimes what is called techno sounds like chill out to me.”

VENTURE X’s call to arms anthem, itself not falling into one tidy genre-box, is also out today (Jan. 27.) It finds van Dyk collaborating with progressive house duo Weekend Heroes and singer/songwriter Christian Schottstaedt, who together deliver a dark voyage of a track that serves as the project’s thesis statement

“I like the proggy, deeper stuff, but with a tougher approach as you can hear,” van Dyk says. “[Making this music] feels very natural and organic.”

Paul van Dyk

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27 Jan 2023

Emmanuel Acho Packed Up By Black Twitter After Van Lathan Calls Him “Emotional Butler For White People”

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73rd Creative Arts Emmy Awards

Source: Penske Media / Getty

Emmanuel Acho‘s mentions are looking like a warzone. The former NFL player, sports analyst and alleged expert on race relations is getting fried on Twitter after media host Van Lathan took him to task over his approach to discussing racism with white people.

Acho was a guest on Lathan and Rachel Lindsay’s Higher Learning podcast on the Ringer and things got awkward on the top topic of race. Apparently, the Texas-born Acho claims he’s able to see both sides of race debates due to his Nigerian heritage.

“When white people say, ‘Well, racism doesn’t exist,’ I know why they say that. Because I’ve been in them rooms when they’re saying that,” said Acho in a clip Lathan shared of the episode. “When I kick it with Black people and they’re like, ‘All white people are racist,’ I know why you’re saying that. All the while, I have the privilege and luxury of not having generational trauma, because my parents were born in Nigeria. So my method is removing some of the sting, because I don’t have that sting, and trying to deliver it in a manner that people can receive it.”

While Acho went on his suspect spiel in the clip, you could tell that Lathan was stewing, ready to pounce. And he didn’t mince his words.

“Let me tell you why what you just said offends me,” began Lathan. “You’re saying that you didn’t have generational trauma, and you didn’t mean it this way, but you saying [that] in some way meaning that your delivery method to white people is going to be either more effective or more sanitized is, to me, dangerous, and let me tell you why.”

This is where things got extra spice, no pun intended.

“Everybody that you just named, and what you’re talking about, does what they do in different ways,” continued Lathan. “I don’t think that any of the things that they do are necessarily harmful, but what I could say, is a Black man, a prominent one, acting as an emotional butler for white people, and serving them the most milquetoast, un-spicy, unseasoned brand of racial discourse and accountability possible, could definitely be harmful. Like, we’re fighting for our lives, and to me, having a conversation like that, at that particular time, it’s not that it’s a different method. Everybody has a different method. It’s that it’s the wrong method.”

The back and forth started trending after Acho took to Twitter to defend his stance, while claiming that Lathan used his friendship with his co-host to attack him on the show.

A Twitter user (@MindThePit) stated, “Emmanuel’s approach was to suggest he’s better equipped than African Americans to speak because he doesn’t have generational trauma as a Nigerian.”

Acho took exception to this assertion and responded: “I made no such suggestion, that was the reach the host of the show made and led the listener to (at the 39:45 mark). I stated my lineage to allow understanding for my predisposition to be *less* hostile. It was giving the listener insight as to why. Not implying I’m better.”

That’s certainly what it sounded like, though. “I’m not sure what you intended to convey by stating your Nigerian background frees you of ‘generational trauma’ and takes the ‘sting’ out of your convos with white people,” tweeted Lathan along with the clip. “But it feels like your purposefully othered yourself from the descendants of slaves. Why?

“By the way Black Twitter is currently packing up Acho, many would agree. Of course, the MAGA contingent is feeling different, but they’re always at the ready to falsely claim racism was just a fad. Also, Acho played victim with the whole “set up” jig.

Check out some of the slander, and education (no generational trauma since his parents are Igbo’s who left Nigeria, really),  being hurled Acho’s way in the gallery. The vitriol is intense considering Acho’s hosts his own podcast, Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man, which he flipped into a best-selling book.

You can also peep the full convo below.

27 Jan 2023

Rihanna Is ‘Pre-Gaming’ the Super Bowl in Sporty Savage X Fenty Collection

We’re less than three weeks away from the highly anticipated Rihanna concert, a.k.a the Super Bowl LVII halftime show, and the “Love on the Brain” singer is getting fans hyped for her upcoming performance on Friday (Jan. 27) with a new teaser video.

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In the clip shared to Twitter, RiRi strikes a number of poses in an oversized jersey and sweatpants from her new “Game Day” Savage X Fenty collection. “Pre gaming in @SavageXFenty,” she captioned the post.

The sporty Savage X Fenty drop features 17 styles, from hoodies to boxers, sweatpants, two-tone varsity jerseys, beanies, bandanas and tube tops, with sizes ranging from XXS to 4X. There’s also a white graphic tee with the important message: “Rihanna Concert Interrupted by a Football Game, Weird But Whatever.”

The newly rebranded Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show, which is being produced by DPS with Roc Nation, will take place on Feb. 12 in Glendale, Arizona.

According to WWD, the singer will also launch a three-day “Game Day” pop-up shop in Los Angeles from Jan. 27-29 where customers will be able to shop the entire collection in a football-themed store. As is customary, new mom Rihanna is keeping details of her halftime extravaganza under tight wraps, telling ET in Nov., “I can’t believe I even said yes. It was one of those things that even when I announced it, I was like, ‘OK, I can’t take it back. Now, it’s like final.’ The Super Bowl is one of the biggest stages in the world, it’s an entertainer’s dream to be on a stage like that,” she added. “But it’s nerve-racking. You want to get it right. You know, everybody’s watching. And they’re rooting for you. And I want to get it right.”

27 Jan 2023

STATE CHAMP RADIO MIX 163

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27 Jan 2023

STATE CHAMP RADIO MIX 162

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27 Jan 2023

Louisiana High School Cafeteria Worker Accused Of Selling Marijuana Edibles To Students

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Tymetrica Cohns mugshot

Source: Kentwood PD / Kentwood PD

In today’s episode of Now, Sis’, What Is You Doin’? a high school cafeteria worker in Louisiana has been arrested after being accused of selling cannabis edibles to students, which would indicate that she has taken the “high” part of “high school” far too literally. (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. Please don’t block me.)

According to WAFB, 45-year-old Tymetrica Cohns was actually a temporary cafeteria worker at Jewel M. Sumner High School in Kentwood, Louisiana, before she was arrested Friday for allegedly selling homemade baked goods laced with cannabis to teenagers, which, you know, is like selling Scooby snacks to Scooby and Shaggy for the most part (I mean, it’s still wrong, but I’m jussayin’).

Tangipahoa Parish said they were notified about Cohns’ alleged extra-illegal-curricular activities through a Crime Stoppers app. In fact, apparently, it was a student who blew the whistle on the alleged operation, which, well, might have made them somewhat unpopular around the lunch table if anyone found out. (Again, jussayin’)

“I want to commend this student who saw something and used the app to bring this threat to the attention of our school officials and law enforcement,” Tangipahoa Parish School Superintendent Melissa Stilley said in a statement. She also explained that Cohns was a substitute worker hired by Education Staffing Solutions (ESS), a staffing service that places substitute employees in schools.

“The safety and well-being of our students are paramount,” Police Chief Jimmy Travis of the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office said. “We encourage using the P3 app to report anything they feel threatens their ability to learn in a safe environment.”

Yeah, man, you can’t, as a middle-aged adult especially, be out here selling weed to kids while they’re in their learning environment. Imagine adding 4/20-friendly pastries to a high school lunch menu. People are while, bruh.

27 Jan 2023

Mariah Carey Can’t Get Enough of ‘Lambs Serving Justice’ for ‘It’s a Wrap’ With TikTok Challenge

Let her take a breath and regain her composure. Mariah Carey is feeling the love after seeing the flood of reactions to her “It’s a Wrap” challenge from the Lambily.

The Elusive Chanteuse initially launched the TikTok challenge on Jan. 15 by lip-syncing her way through a sped-up version of the Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel fan favorite while flanked by a bevy of backup dancers in the snow, inspiring Lambs across the globe to join in on the fun.

“Battery about to die.. just watched hundreds of videos of IT’S A WRAP ON TIKTOK!!! I can’t even know what to say!!!” she tweeted Thursday in reaction to the outpouring, later adding, “”Lambs serving justice..it’s a WRAP!” while retweeting one fan’s recreation of her lip sync.

One fan page in particular tweeted that after the challenge, “It’s a Wrap” notched its “biggest update ever on Spotify yesterday, gaining a massive 243 THOUSAND streams.” While Mimi originally included the kiss-off on her 12th studio album in 2009, she later collaborated with Mary J. Blige on a duet version of the song, which appeared as a bonus track on the deluxe version of 2014’s Me. I Am Mariah…The Elusive Chanteuse.

The living legend’s revisiting of “It’s a Wrap” comes on the heels of yet another iconic Christmas season, which saw “All I Want for Christmas Is You” return to No. 1 on the Hot 100 for the fourth year in a row.

Next up, Carey is set to headline the 2023 edition of Lovers & Friends in Las Vegas along with Missy Elliott, Pitbull, Usher, Christina Aguilera and more.

Check out Mariah’s original “It’s a Wrap” challenge as well as some of her best reactions to the Lambs below.

27 Jan 2023

HHW Gaming: Video Games That Always Resonated With Hip-Hop Culture

Hip-Hop is set to hit the semi-centennial mark in 2023, and Hip-Hop Wired and our brother site Cassius Life are coming together to celebrate the moment while focusing on the genre of music’s influence on culture. There is nothing Hip-Hop does not touch, whether it be alcohol, clothes, or food. This post focuses on Hip-Hop’s love for video games and the franchises that rappers have loved and continue to play.

Video games’ presence in Hip-Hop is no secret. Your favorite rappers will drop some bars referencing video games in their songs every chance they get.

Rappers who use their music to document their early struggles pointed to video games being either a luxury at the time growing up poor or a means to keep them off the streets and out of trouble.

One bar immediately comes to mind is the Biggie Smalls‘ “Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis when I was dead broke, man, I couldn’t picture this,” on his iconic track “Juicy,” off his debut album Ready to Die.

On ScBoolBoy Q’s “Hoover Streeter,” he rapped, “Grandma said she loved me, I told her I loved her more, she always got me things we couldn’t afford, the new Js and Tommy Hill in my drawers, Sega Genesis, Nintendo 64, see GoldenEye was away at war.”

Now you can’t visit a rapper’s studio and not see a classic arcade cabinet or console where the musician can pick up the sticks and enjoy a break outside the booth.

In the gallery below, we show love to the video games and established franchises that have become beloved by rappers throughout the years that span genres of games.

1. Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!

In the late 80s and the early 90s, Mike Tyson took the sports world by storm as he viciously knocked out his opponents in the ring. So it made perfect sense, at the time, to make him the face of his video game. In 1987, Nintendo linked up with Tyson for Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! for the Nintendo Entertainment System, a home version of the arcade hits Punch-Out!! and Super Punch-Out!!. 

You would be hard-pressed to find a home that didn’t have the NES cartridge sitting inside the console with players trying to take underdog Little Mac on his journey to professional boxing greatness. 

On your quest to become champ, you face contenders like Glass Joe, Soda Popinski, King Hippo, Super Macho Man, Great Tiger, and Piston Honda, who each have different special techniques you have to avoid while figuring out their patterns to defeat them. Some even had weak points enabling Little Mac to score one-punch knockouts. 

Once you beat those guys, it’s time to face the legendary black trunks and black boxing sneakers-wearing Mike Tyson. He was no pushover and was considered by many to be one of the most challenging video game characters to defeat. 

2. Double Dribble

Another sports game that you would more than likely find a rapper’s home is Double Dribble. This wasn’t Konami’s first basketball video game, but it is the video game company’s most popular.

Double Dribble arrived in arcades in 1986 before being ported to the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987. It was ahead of its time thanks to its fast-paced basketball action and the in-game dunk sequences, a first for sports video games, and the signature sound when you shoot a 3-point shot.

3. Tecmo Bowl/Tecmo Super Bowl

Before Madden NFL took over the football video game world, Tecmo Bowl was king. Tecmo Bowl started in arcades in 1987 before coming home to NES consoles in 1989. 

When it reached North America, it was the first game to feature the NFLPA license, and of course, who could forget the unstoppable Bo Jackson, who was the running back for the Los Angeles Raiders and was arguably the most op cyber athlete ever. 

Tecmo Bowl would come back even stronger with the release of Tecmo Super Bowl, the first game to be licensed by both the NFL and NFLPA. 

Fans loved the game because it kept the fun Tecmo Bowl gameplay but added a season option, injuries, and those cool animations when you scored a touchdown, intercepted a pass, sacked the quarterback, or made a spectacular catch. 

4. NBA Jam

Oh my, he’s on fire! 

NBA Jam, the 1993 successor to Arch Rivals, took the arcades by storm when it arrived in 1993. Instead of made-up hoopers, the game featured two stars from your favorite NBA franchises. 

Acclaim would bring the game to home consoles where players would enjoy the no holds barred NBA action where players can push opponents without consequences, do outrageous dunks, and hit three points bombs way before Steph Curry arrived in the league. 

The game was also unique in that it only featured two-on-two action with teams of five players to choose from, initially three in the arcade version. 

One person noticeably absent from NBA Jam which was the highest-earning arcade game at the time was Michael Jordan. Due to his marketing agreement with Nike that didn’t allow him to be a part of the NBPA’s licensing deal, his absence in the game was felt. 

But, developers tried their best to make up for it by giving players the ability to input codes for hidden characters like formers US President Bill Clinton, his wife Hillary Clinton, Will Smith, Larry Bird, and more. 

5. NBA Live

In October 1994, the basketball video game world took a giant leap when EA Sports dropped NBA Live 95.  Yes, EA dropped other great basketball games like Lakers versus Celtics and the NBA Playoffs, Bulls versus Blazers and the NBA Playoffs, and NBA Showdown, but NBA Live 95 was a game-changer. 

Unlike its predecessors, NBA Live 95 was much faster and felt more authentic to the NBA experience we witnessed during those games we watched on NBC. 

NBA Live 95 laid the groundwork for future basketball simulators by introducing a dedicated sprint button, detailed player ratings, instant replay, offensive-defensive strategy, and of course, those alley-oop dunks that get a rise out of you have you talking trash every time you pull one off.

For many years, NBA Live would be the premiere basketball video game franchise until NBA 2K dethroned it. 

6. Mortal Kombat

Street Fighter II was the king of fighting games, but Mortal Kombat had its sights on the throne and damn near took the crown. 

When Mortal Kombat hit arcades in 1992, it brought a level of video game violence gamers had never experienced. On top of pulling off special moves, these wonderful fatalities allowed players to punctuate a match and brutally kill their opponents. 

The game became an instant hit in arcades, and, of course, the energy was the same when it came home to consoles. When you rolled up at a friend’s house, the studio, it would be a safe bet you would see a Mortal Kombat cartridge, primarily the Genesis version, because it was the only one with the classic code that allowed blood to be in the game. 

Super Nintendo, unfortunately, didn’t allow that. 

7. Street Fighter II

Before there was Mortal Kombat, you could find everyone at the local arcade, Carvel ice cream shop, and bodega wasting quarters playing Street Fighter II in 1991. 

Street Fighter II eventually made its way into homes and, by 1996, became one of the most popular games in homes, with 6.3 million SNES cartridges sold. 

The game was extremely popular in Hip-Hop circles and arguably is among rappers’ most referenced songs. Lupe Fiasco is an avid Street Fighter player, and when he was not dropping albums, the Chicago rapper was actually participating in tournaments showing off his playing skills. 

8. John Madden Football / Madden NFL

Now known as  Madden NFL,  EA Sports once again shook the video game world with John Madden Football when they brought it to the Sega Genesis in 1990. 

Like Tecmo Bowl before it, John Madden Football did not have the benefit of the NFLPA or NFL license to make it an accurate NFL simulation, but it did provide football fans with a fantastic game to play. 

It would eventually gain the NFL license in 1993, bringing your favorite NFL team or teams to the game and, finally, players in Madden 95 after adding the NFLPA license. The acquisition of both rights meant something from the games had to be removed, noticeably the hilarious moment when the ambulance would rush onto the field to pick up an injured player running while running over other players. 

Madden NFL would become a behemoth in the sports video game world after it outright bought the exclusive rights to use the NFL’s teams, stadiums, and players in a video game because it honestly feared the growing competition from the NFL 2K franchise. 

Madden NFL, despite its flaws, is beloved among the Hip-Hop community, with rappers such as Ludacris making exclusive songs for the game and having huge fans in other rap stars like The Game, Bow Wow, Chris Brown, and Snoop Dogg, who displays his passion for the game during streams where he does hilarious express his anger when things don’t go his way while playing. 

9. NBA Street

At a time when NBA Jam was put on ice, EA Canada and NuFX decided to fill that void with 2001’s NBA Street on PlayStation 2. 

Published by EA Sports BIG, the game took the NBA action to the streets or the hardtop, and guess what? Michael Jordan was in the game. 

NBA Street became insanely popular, selling 1.7 million copies on the PlayStation 2 while featuring an insanely Hip-Hop heavy soundtrack, so it’s no secret the game became beloved in Hip-Hop circles. 

10. Def Jam: Vendetta

This is a no-brainer, a wrestling game featuring your favorite rappers? Of course, this game would be on the list. The game would also spawn a sequel called Def Jam: Fight For New York. 

The games featured Lil’Kim, Snoop Dogg, Method Man, Ludacris, Ice-T, N.O.R.E., Memphis Bleek, Fat Joe, Funkmaster Flex, Busta Rhymes, Joe Budden, Keith Murray and more. 

11. NFL 2K

NFL 2K was another that started out on the Sega Dreamcast and featured Randy Moss on the cover and who many consider one of the best cyber athletes ever, not named Bo Jackson or Michael Vick. 

After the demise of the Dreamcast, NFL 2K would find life on the Xbox and PlayStation 2 and dropped NFL 2K5, which many said was better than the Madden game that came out that year and only cost $20. 

NFL 2K5 spooked EA so much that they quickly gobbled up the NFL licenses for an insane amount of money, making Madden the only football video game on the market. 

12. NBA 2K

NBA Live laid the groundwork, and NBA 2K took the rock and ran with it. The NBA 2K franchise first burst onto the scene on the Sega Dreamcast and featured NBA Hall-of-Famer Allen Iverson on multiple covers. 

The game eventually arrived on other consoles and delivered basketball fans an even better basketball video game experience than NBA Live, thanks to the incorporation of ESPN’s presentation. 

NBA 2K is now THE premiere basketball video game franchise and works closely with Hip-Hop by incorporating artists’ music while introducing players to new acts. Of course, your favorite rappers also spend their free time trash-talking to each other online and meeting up in The City,  NBA 2K’s online hub.

13. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Call of Duty is THE biggest video game franchise on the planet right now, and the game that helped it become a global phenomenon was none other than 2007’s Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. 

The franchise has since blown to epic proportions, spawned numerous sequels, a separate free-to-play game, Call of Duty: Warzone, a popular mobile game, and features athletes, movie stars, and Hip-Hop artists in their ads regularly.

14. Fight Night

Outside Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! there wasn’t a great boxing game until EA Sports blessed us with Fight Night in 2004. 

The game featured plenty of professional boxers not named Floyd Mayweather Jr. and delivered an authentic boxing match feel.

One big fan of the franchise was iconic producer Just Blaze, an avid gamer in the Hip-Hop world and filmed plenty of videos handing all trash talkers who wanted the smoke a virtual fade. 

Fight Night, unfortunately, was put into early retirement following 20122’s Fight Night Champion, but who knows? Maybe the folks at EA are working on bringing it back.

15. Grand Theft Auto

Grand Theft Auto is one of those franchises immersed in the Hip-Hop world. 2001’s Grand Theft Auto III took the GTA franchise to new heights, and the Hip-Hop world took notice. 

Also, while out committing all kinds of crimes and embarking on zany missions bopping to the Hip-Hop station just made all the sense in the world. 

2002’s Grand Theft Auto: Vice City would further pull us into the GTA universe, but Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas proved how much Hip-Hop influenced the game. CJ, a fictional Grove Street Gang member, is one of the most beloved video game characters ever. 

2008’s Grand Theft Auto IV was well received, leaving many to believe it is criminally underrated, but now, it’s 2013’s Grand Theft Auto V that is still the talk of the world. 

GTA V has become one of the highest-selling pieces of entertainment in the world, spawning two re-releases and countless numbers of DLC for the online component. 

It’s so popular in the Hip-Hop world that Dr.Dre, who still hasn’t dropped Detox, is in the game and has his own storyline. 

27 Jan 2023

Kanye West Seen Shopping At Balenciaga While Wearing A German Reich Shirt

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Bianca Censori x Kanye West dining

Source: TMZ / TMZ.com

Kanye West is down bad. The antiemtic trope spewing multihyphenate was spotted shopping at Balenciaga while wearing a shirt bearing a logo of the German Reich.

As per TMZ, the Chicago, Illinois native is back to doing the most. This week he took his new wife out for some retail therapy in Beverly Hills. Out of all places the “Flashing Lights” rapper patronized the Balenciaga Rodeo Drive location on Wednesday, January 25th and apparently cashed out. According to the celebrity gossip site he and Bianca Censori purchased several bags worth of merchandise which ranged from apparel to some accessories. Considering their pieces are not cheap it is safe to say Yeezy still has some major coins even after losing his billionaire status.

The shopping trip is peculiar to say the least as Balenciaga cut ties with him back in October after he made several antisemitic comments. But things get even more bizarre when you consider what Kanye wore to visit the boutique. He was allegedly sporting a white t-shirt with an old coat of arms once used by the German Reich. Under the design is the word “Bundeswehr” which reportedly translates to “federal defense forces” in German.

The new couple were also seen browsing at a Neiman Marcus next door but is unclear if they made any purchases at the retail chain.

Photo: TMZ

27 Jan 2023

First Stream Latin: New Music From Christian Nodal & Tini, Rosalia and More

First Stream Latin is a compilation of the best new Latin songs, albums, and videos recommended by Billboard Latin editors. Check out this week’s picks below.

Christian Nodal & TINI, “Por El Resto De Tu Vida” (Christian Nodal/Sony Music México)

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On their first collaboration together, Christian Nodal and TINI make a dazzling duet. Leading with beautiful bolero guitar interplay, the mariacheño trailblazer and Argentine pop singer match hearts as their voices collide to make one of the sweetest of love songs of the year so far. What’s most intriguing, however, is Nodal’s continued ability to experiment within the confines of regional Mexican music, and TINI is a great singing partner to enhance that sound. Hi-hats enter nearly a minute into the song to coalesce with the güiro, a subtle but riveting transition that morphs into a bolero-trap thump. — ISABELA RAYGOZA

Rosalía, “LLYLM” (Columbia Records)

“El que quiero no me quiere como quiero que me quiera,” Rosalía sings over her signature handclap beat. The opening verse of “LLYLM” is almost a tongue twister with lyrics that showcase despair after she realizes that the guy she likes doesn’t like her like she’d like him to like her. She then effortlessly transitions into English, to get her point across in case something gets lost in translation. “I don’t need honestly, baby, lie like you love me, lie like you love me,” she sings, soaring over a guitar-led tune fused with magnetic handclaps. It’s the Spaniard’s first single of the year following her 2022 Latin Grammy-winning album Motomami. — GRISELDA FLORES

Marc Seguí, “Plaza en el Cielo” (Taste the Floor Records/Warner Music Spain)

Marc Seguí kicks off 2023 with a new single and a new musical era. This time, the Spanish artist is steering away from his signature reggaetón-pop sound and venturing into rock. “Plaza en el Cielo,” along with its accompanying video, brings to life Seguí’s new roquero stage. Produced by Carlos Ares, Andrés Goiburu, and Jack Stone, the rebellious punk tune showcases Seguí’s captivating vocals, singing about the mistakes he’s made in his life (but also learning from them). “I wanted to talk about a darker stage in my life where I was quite lost, a stage in which the music that accompanied me the most was rock,” he explains in a press release. “Plaza en el Cielo” is the first single off his upcoming EP. — JESSICA ROIZ

Peter Nieto x Lenier, “Conocerte” (Diamond Music)

Up-and-comers Peter Nieto and Lenier both grew up in Cuba but now live in the U.S., a fact that helps explain the more international sound they bring to their respective brands of tropical music. Together, they’ve paired up for “Conocerte,” a romantic bachata where Nieto’s smooth, plaintive tenor contrasts beautifully with Lenier’s raspy vocals. Despite Lenier’s chanteo, it’s a more melodic bridge between tropical and urban, made all the more appealing by genuinely lovely lyrics. — LEILA COBO

KYEN? ES? x Maffio, “Sopita” (Saban Music Group)

KYEN? ES? (a Spanish play on words that means “who is it”) is a conceptual musical project by Saban Music Group that focuses on paying tribute to Latin music. For his latest single, the performer — who keeps his identity private behind large, dark sunglasses and facemasks — reeled in Dominican hitmaker Maffio for “Sopita” (little soup). The feel-good bop pays homage to the all-time fiesta classic “Sopa de Caracol,” originally released in 1991 by the Honduran group Banda Blanca. Produced by Maffio, the new version moves the traditional punta song to a mid-tempo merengue, keeping its party essence well alive. A vibrant music video features the two artists at a Latin party, where they even flaunt the next viral dance trend. — J.R.

Rauw Alejandro & Daddy Yankee, “Panties y Brasieres” (Sony Music Latin/Duars Entertainment)

In line with Rauw Alejandro’s throwback album Saturno — and space/time-traveling spirit — El Fókin Zorro and the Big Boss team up to drop “Panties y Brasieres,” a.k.a. hidden track number seven. What was once the 19-second “Loading” interlude in the album is now converted into a vintage banger, where the pair embrace old school hip-hop drums, from before the reggaetón drum pattern was solidified in the late ‘90s. In fact, the dance floor cut contains a sample from Yankee’s “Camuflash,” from DJ Playero’s 1996 set Playero 40: New Era. — I.R.

Daniel & Me Estás Matando, “Sólo Tú” (Inmadurez Records)

“Sólo Tú” finds Mexican duo Daniel, Me Estás Matando (Daniel Zepeda and Iván de la Rioja) doing what they do best — bolero glam. To the beat of soft congas and dreamy acoustic guitar riffs, the pair chants about a love so pure, and about feeling safe with that special person. “I know that if I’m holding your hand/ And if fear looks for us, we’re not here/ We left to a faraway world, where only you is there,” goes part of the chorus. The romantic track stays truthful to the sophisticated bolero genre and later transitions into a psychedelic instrumental exploration. — J.R.

Miguel Campello & Nya de la Rubia, “RUMBACUMBIA” (Chatarrero Records)

Following a string of singles leading up to his next album Noche y Día (due out Feb. 3), Miguel Campello drops two very different outings: the experimental flamenco cut “Vete” and “Rumbacumbia.” The latter, which features Sevilla actress and singer Nya de la Rubia, is an electrifying rumba song included in the “day” side for concept album, that feels as uplifting as the sun’s warmth. Flamenco guitar fretwork and silky smooth percussion take the fore, as the former El Bicho frontman’s and Nya’s voices both invigorate with their poetic verses of love and embrace. — I.R.