New Music Friday 8/27 – Something New from Everyone!

The weekend is here and Summer is on it’s last legs. This week’s New Music Friday brings us new music which we definitely need.

We have new tracks from Maluma, J Balvin, Anuel AA, Selena Gomez, Ozuna, Marc Anthony, and plenty of other great artists!

This week we also have a new album from Nicky Jam (review here when ready).

Without further ado, let’s get after it.

L.N.E.M (Gata) – Maluma, Kapla y Miky, Philip Ariaz, Blessd

Maluma has officially reached the stage in his career in where he’s elevating his own crop of young artists. J Balvin, Ozuna, and Bad Bunny have all built their own group of young artists that they’ve elevated. This seems to be Maluma’s group and I have to say, it’s not a bad group. This is a pretty decent track and at a minimum, accomplishes its goal of getting me interested in these artists.

Perra – J Balvin, Tokischa

We all know how big of a fan I am of J Balvin. This just isn’t my style. “Perra” is a Dominican dembow track in the same style as El Alfa. This just really isn’t my scene. I guess if we’re being positive then at least this shows the range that Balvin has? That’s the only positive spin I can put on it.

23 Preguntas – Anuel AA

The earliest release of the week, Anuel’s latest track is an interesting one. It’s a pretty good track but there’s something holding me back from saying it’s a great song. I’m not sure what exactly that is. I think this is a good example of the very different style we’ll see from Anuel in this new phase of his career. Definitely worth the listen.

999 – Selena Gomez, Camilo

Even though we weren’t huge fans of Selena Gomez’s Spanish-language project earlier this year (read our review here), this is actually a pretty solid song. Maybe my expectations are low for Selena, but this is a decent track. I will say, to be honest, that this track feels super long even though its only 3 minutes and 45 seconds.

A La Buena, El Mejor – Ozuna

I don’t know if this even really counts as a new release. It’s a minute long promo song for the newest Call of Duty mobile game. That being said, it really doesn’t do much to stem the narrative that Ozuna is not who he once was and his music is not as good as it was just a few short years ago. Not a song worth revisting by any means.

Pa’lla Voy – Marc Anthony

Marc Anthony is my favorite artist of all-time but I have to be objective and fair here. This isn’t the worst song I’ve heard from him, but this probably wouldn’t make a greatest hits album. This song honestly feels like an interlude between tracks. There aren’t many lyrics and its highly repetitive. Still danceable and enjoyable enough but not the kind of quality we should expect from Marc Anthony.

Wow Wow – Maria Becerra, Becky G

The girls did not come to mess around. This is a great reggaeton track from two of the top women in reggaeton today. It’s an unapologetic track that goes hard. I’m a big fan.

Bzrp Sessions Vol 43 – Chucky73, Bizarrap

This is a great example of why Bizarrap is one of the best producers in the game right now and why he is so important to the urban scene. I knew nothing about Chucky73 before this song but came out interested in what he can deliver. Bizarrap has an important spot in Latin music and this just reinforces that.

Nadie La Controla – Piso 21

Piso 21 is an interesting group. They lost arguably their biggest member in Llane but have moved forward. They’ve created a unique spot for themselves in Latin music in between the pop scene and the urban scene. This song really toes a lot of lines but it works well. It’s a unique and fun song that’s worth the shot.

Intocable – Akon, Lapiz Conciente

On one hand, I’m glad Akon is putting out Spanish music. We should be open to crossover artists. On the other hand, this song sounds a decade overdue. It probably would have been a much bigger hit in 2011 instead of 2021.

Uva – Lalo Ebratt, Yera

I still believe that Lalo Ebratt will hit a critical mass and become an A-list performer at some point. This song will give him some small traction in that direction but probably won’t put him over the top. It’s still a pretty solid song that’s enjoyable enough.

Seaside – Diane Warren, Rita Ora, Sophia Reyes, Reik

This song really captures a lot of different vibes in a compact track. It makes you feel like you’re at the beach while simultaneously want you to be on the beach. It’s a good song. I will say I wish that Reik had a larger role than a 20 second verse. Otherwise, a good summer track.

For last week’s post, click here!