First Stream Latin is a compilation of the best new Latin songs, albums, and videos recommended by the Billboard Latin editors. Check out this week’s picks below.
Virlan Garcia, “El Día Que Te Fuiste” (Sony Music Mexico)
Virlan Garcia is not holding back on his new single “El Dia Que Te Fuiste” (The Day That You Left). In the heartfelt sierreño and banda fusion, Garcia reflects on being blinded by love and ultimately leaving the relationship. “Yes, sadness invades me, yes betrayal hurts me, there are wounds that her kisses left me/ My body, my mind, and soul tolerated the errors and I swore it was my fault,” he chants in the heartfelt track, later singing: “The day that you left me, that day I was happy.” “El Dia Que Te Fuiste” marks the first single from Garcia’s upcoming album Empezar de Nuevo, due in the fall. — JESSICA ROIZ
Pablo Alborán, “Carretera y Manta” (Warner Music Spain)
Spanish singer-songwriter Pablo Alborán’s new single brings a message of positivity and celebration with lyrics that talk about the luck of having great friends when needing to overcome bad times. Produced and penned by Alborán, the catchy funk melodies are from a song he wrote when he was 12 years old but sound fresh and relevant. “A highway and blanket/ I no longer stop the heart/ I don’t want to go asking for forgiveness/ If it rains, let it rain/ Some will leave, but the good ones stay,” he sings in the honest track. — INGRID FAJARDO
Doris Anahi, Aprendiendo Por Las Malas (Casa Mija)
With an intense melancholy, Doris Anahí sings her penas away in her first-ever EP, Aprendiendo por las Malas (Learning the Hard Way). The manager-turned-singer has delivered a beautiful and cathartic five-track set of neo-ballads that come from a place of transition, discovery and acceptance. Mostly in Spanish with one song sung mainly in English (“It Wasn’t You”), the set is heavily influenced by boleros and rancheras, the music she grew up listening to in L.A. with Mexican parents. “This project is a capsule of learning the hard way over the past few years,” she wrote on Instagram. “The necessary painful deaths that have led to this rebirth you are all witnessing in real-time.” — GRISELDA FLORES
Dekko, “Byemalandra” (Interscope Records)
Dekko is going through a heartbreak and he’s penning his feelings way. “Byemalandra,” an uptempo dancehall, can attest to that. On his new track, the rising Colombian artist opens up about dealing with life after a breakup. “I know you’re partying, you’re no saint,” he kicks off the track. Later chanting, “When I got hooked to you, I swear I fell in love […] Forget it, I don’t think I’ll fall in love anymore.” In the video, he also brings his mood to life, enjoying a pool party with his guy friends, surrounded by lots of single ladies. — J.R.
Ricky Martin, Play (Sony Music Latin)
Ricky Martin’s follow-up to his Latin Grammy-winning EP Pausa has arrived without much of a heads-up. Titled Play, the six-track set is just as profound as its predecessor, with Martin as vulnerable as ever in navigating love and heartbreak. While he had said back in 2020 that this second EP would be more “upbeat,” Martin stuck to his pop-ballad roots. The EP includes previously released singles such as the evocative ballads “Otra Noche en L.A.” and “A Veces Bien y a Veces Mal” that pair perfectly with pop gems “Amordio,” “Paris in Love” and “Ácido Sabor.” About his EP, Martin said: “Making music, selecting songs, and sharing them with you is my passion. I have been doing it for 38 years and your reaction is, without a doubt, the motivation that drives me forward on this complex journey called life.” — G.F.
Yahritza y Su Esencia, “Nadie Sabe” (Lumbre Music)
Emerging regional Mexican teenage trio Yahritza Y Su Esencia has blessed fans with a deluxe edition of their chart-topping EP Obsessed. The new set includes two brand-new tracks: “Nadie Sabe” and “Estas En Mi Pasado.” The former is a more country-tinged song, a slight departure from their signature sad sierreños powered by prickly guitars. The latter, “Estas En Mi Pasado,” sticks to its core sound with Yahritza’s tender-yet-commanding vocals taking center stage, injecting pathos in every lyric she sings. — G.F.
La Tukiti, “Sin Controversia” (ABM Records)
Dominican newcomer La Tukiti releases her new single “Sin Controversia,” a fun and catchy dembow fused with thumping beats and powered by her unique freestyle and street-friendly lyrics. Penned by Antonio Vargas and produced by Wellington Acosta and La Greña, this track reinforces in its lyrics how La Tukiti has conquered the genre with her outstanding talent. — I.F.
