Hispanic Indie Artists You Should Listen To
GIF by Maryam ElSharkawy
Cuco
22-year old Omar Banos, better known by his moniker, Cuco, is a Chicano artist from Hawthorne, Calif. He quickly escalated to fame after releasing his hit single “Lo Que Siento” in 2017, which received over 109 million streams on Spotify alone. Cuco utilizes Spanglish lyrics in his songs, while also blending genres like bedroom and dream pop, psychedelia, R&B, and Hip-Hop. Cuco croons about love, old cars, existentialism, and getting stoned on his low-fi tracks that are perfect for late-night drives.
I recommend:
“Lover is a Day”
“Amor De Siempre”
“Drown (with Clairo)”
“Bossa No Sé” ( Featuring Jean Carter)
“Lo Que Siento”
Kali Uchis
Kali Uchis is a Colombian-American artist who is best known for her collaborations with Tyler, the Creator. She’s received mainstream success in recent years-- even being nominated for awards at the Grammys and Latin Grammys. Uchis is also well known for including fully Spanish songs on her albums and EPs. Her first mixtape “Drunken Babble”, which she released in 2012, has been described by many as genre-bending, for its noticeable doo-wop, regae and early 2000s R&B influences. Uchis’ genre range is prevalent on her 2018 debut album Isolation with R&B tracks like “Tyrant” with Jorja Smith, her single “Nuestro Planeta” with Colombian Reggaeton artist Reykon, and the synth-pop track “In my Dreams”, produced by Damon Albarn of the Gorillaz. It was hard to pick just five songs to show Kali’s range, so I included an extra one as well as a cover she did of Mexican singer Luis Miguel’s “Sabor a mi”.
I recommend:
“Speed”
“Nuestro Planeta” (Featuring Reykon)
“Melting”
“i want war (BUT I NEED PEACE)”
“After the Storm” (Featuring Tyler the Creator & Bootsy Collins)
“In my Dreams”
Omar Apollo
Mexican-American artist Omar Apollo rose to fame after he borrowed $30 from his friend and uploaded his song “Ugotme” to Spotify, which received 20,000 streams in a day. A year later the song would have more than 15 million streams. Like Kali Uchis and Cuco, part of Apollo’s appeal is his bicultural cool, and how he incorporates it into his music. Growing up he listened to his parent’s favorite musicians such as Pedro Infante, Los Panchos, and The Beatles. His own influences include a variety of artists such as Neil Young, Paul Simon, Prince, Bootsy Collins, The Internet, Playboi Carti, and Lil Uzi Vert. His influences are prevalent in his sound, creating funky and soulful love songs, filled with Mexican soul and traditional corridos. Apollo just released his debut album “Apolonio”, which he described as being “some rock, with a little soul.”
I recommend:
“Ugotme”
“Hijo de Su Madre”
“Ashamed”
“Dos Uno Nueve (219)”
“Erase”
Luna Luna
Emerging from the Latinx Indie scene in Dallas, Texas, Luna Luna gives us the romantic bedroom pop music we didn’t know we needed. The band first received attention after they released their first EP, “For Lovers Only”, in 2018, which combined the innocence of teenage love with dreamy retro synthpop. In 2019, they released their second EP “Carousel”, which isn’t as bubbly as their first, as they describe challenges and turmoil in relationships. In hits like “Fierra”, you can hear the band’s Spanish influences, as they incorporate Spanglish lyrics.
I recommend:
“Commitment”
“Time”
“Flame” (Featuring Victor!)
“Fierra”
“For You”
The Mariás
The Mariás is composed of Puerto-Rican lead singer Mariá Zardoya and LA drummer Josh Conway. They are an indie-dream pop Latinx band known for making songs in both English and Spanish. Citing influences such as Selena Quintanilla, Norah Jones, Sade, Nina Simone, Tame Impala, Radiohead, and The Strokes, the band infuses their music with elements of jazz percussion, guitar riffs, smoke-velvet vocals, and horn solos. The band’s platform had grown significantly since the release of their second EP Superclean Vol. II, in the fall of 2018.
I recommend:
“I Don’t Know You”
“Only in My Dreams”
“Cariño”
“Care for You”
“We’re The Lucky Ones”
Girl Ultra
Born Mariana de Miguel, Girl Ulta, is a Mexican singer who is at the forefront of the R&B music scene that is growing in Mexico. Taking influences from artists like Beyonce, Destiny’s Child, Nina Simone and Pink Floyd, Girl Ultra sings all her songs in Spanish against a backdrop of twinkling keyboards, glossy synths and rolling basslines. She is well known for collaborating on a bilingual song with Cuco, called “DameLove.”
I recommend:
“DameLove” (Featuring Cuco)
“Ella Tú y Yo”
“Llama”
“Ojos Negros”
“Discreción”
Victor Internet
Victor Internet is a 19-year-old Mexican-American Indie-bedroom pop artist from the southside of Chicago. Victor began sharing his music online, which led to his song “Tinder Song” becoming a hit receiving over 25 million plays on Spotify. He makes emotional music about longing and loss that sounds like a mix of Clairo, Frank Ocean, and Kevin Abstract. In 2019, he released his debut album “Victor’s Debut”.
I recommend:
“Tinder Song”
“Virgo”
“Attention”
“Honest”
“I KNO V3”