First Stream Latin: New Music From Ricky Martin, Nicky Jam, DannyLux & More

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.

Ricky Martin, “Otra Noche en L.A.” (Sony Music Latin)

Martin’s evocative ballad with just a drop of shuffle beat that invites one to dance is a love note to both a lover gone and the city of Los Angeles that binds him to them. For those of us who’ve lived in LA, the allure is irresistible. For those who haven’t, the beat and the lyrics (“I’ll admit, I haven’t written to you in a long time, perhaps because I’m a coward; but today I woke up, with you in my mind”) will do the trick. With the help of writers like Keytin, Martin veered from the stereotypical reggaetón beat and gave his ballad movement with a soft rock beat and almost doo-woop background vocals for an overall cool/retro vibe that stands out from other releases and is impregnated with emotion. — LEILA COBO

Nicky Jam, “Ojos Rojos” (Sony Music Latin)

This heartfelt-yet-infectious track balances reggaetón and pop and merges with Nicki’s soft vocals. Touching on the topic of toxic relationships, the lyrics in “Ojos Rojos” tells the story of a person who’s tired of seeing their friend crying over a person that treats them badly and tries to convince them to get out. “There she comes again with her eyes red, it’s not because she was smoking, it’s because of him,” he sings in the chorus. — INGRID FAJARDO

DannyLux, Perdido En Ti (Warner Music Latina/VPS Music)

Featured as one of our 22 Latin Artists to Watch in 2022, DannyLux sings with pathos in Perdido En Ti (Lost In You), his new album packed with ultra melancholic, sad sierreño tracks powered by an equally gloomy guitar tune. The 17-year-old self-taught musician from Palm Springs, who’s part of a new wave of artists espousing emo-tinged sierreño, delivers 10 heartbreak songs all penned and produced by Danny. Perdido En Ti is the first album released under his new deal with Warner Music Latina in partnership with his indie record label VPS Music. — GRISELDA FLORES

Cosculluela x Tego Calderon, “Chambean” (Rottweilas, Inc.)

After dropping the commercial reggaetón single “Tarde o Temprano,” Cosculluela returns to his roots in “Chambean.” A track that completely took fans by surprise, the new song comes in collaboration with reggaetón veteran Tego Calderon, who hasn’t released new music in two years. Produced by The Beatllionaire and released under his label, “Chambean” is a raw Hip-Hop song about two people who are successful but it’s also dedicated to those who talk the talk but don’t walk the walk. In the music video, directed by Israel Gonzalez in Coscu’s hometown Humacao, Puerto Rico, we see Coscu joined by industry leader Elías De León, founder of White Lion Records. — JESSICA ROIZ

Los Del Limit, “Mi Despedida” (DEL Records)

The Texas-based duo composed by brothers Rúben and Marco Leyva is young but full of emotions, as best heard in their romantic tumbados. In addition to their hits “Amor Fugaz” and “Siendo Sincero,” which earned them their first entry and top 10 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart (No. 7) on the Dec. 4-dated survey, this week Los Del Limit releases yet another heartwrenching tune. “Mi Despedida,” with its melancholic guitar riffs and soft vocals, tells the story of a person whose heart stopped beating after a breakup. “I wasn’t the owner of your love, but I liked our relationship/ This is my goodbye,” chants singer-songwriter Rúben. Los Del Limit is one of Billboard‘s Latin Artists To Watch in 2022 and “Mi Despedida” is a clear example as to why. — J.R.

Joel DeLeón, “Coco” (Sony Music Latin)

For his second single as a solo artist, Joel DeLeón took a different route offering his fans an urban-tinged uptempo track titled “Coco.” Fueled by a hypnotic beat and cheeky lyrics with which the Mexican-American singer seduces his crush. “You are my coconut kiss, I enjoy you little by little, I don’t know what you do to me mami, you drive me crazy,” the 22-year-old sings. Penned by DeLeón alongside GALE, Kat Dahlia and DJ DallasK, who also serves as producer, “Coco” follows “La Culpa,” a nostalgic acoustic-framed sierreño track that was released in October. — G.F.

Alex Rose, “Melodrama” (WK Records)

Alex Rose sings about young, dramatic love in his new single of the year, “Melodrama.” The mid-tempo R&B-infused track, produced by D Note and JUSTLIVET, brings to the forefront a relationship that is constantly on and off. “I don’t want drama much less when we’re in bed/ I know you love me but our relationship looks like a melodrama / My friends don’t believe me when I tell them we ended/ This is the final and I hope we don’t get back,” Rose chants in the chorus. In the music video, produced by Unenano, Rose transports viewers back to high school, where this type of relationship is normal. “Melodrama” marks the first single off of Rose’s debut album El Nuevo Rockstar, slated for a 2022 release. — J.R.

Sebastián Yatra, Dharma (Universal Music Latino)

Sebastián Yatra’s most personal and eclectic album to date, Dharma is a well-rounded, both sonically and lyrically, 17-track set that takes you on a roller coaster of emotion, a reflection of the Colombian artist’s past two years. His chameleonic abilities are at the forefront as he experiments with wide-ranging styles that go from vallenato and flamenco to punk-rock and his signature pop as he sings about despair, joy, hope and heartbreak via raw and honest lyrics. Once you listen to the album from beginning to end, you’ll understand the concept of dharma, which Yatra describes as accepting reality. “Many times, when we are sad, we want to stop feeling this way as quickly as possible and that causes us anxiety,” he previously told Billboard. “When we are happy, we spend our time worrying about when that happiness will end, which takes away our peace. In our dharma, we simply accept each emotion and event for what it is.” — G.F.

Danny Felix, Entre Los Grandes (UMG Recordings/Fonovisa)

When Danny Felix was spotlighted as Latin Artist on the Rise in 2021, he told Billboard about his plans to “release a duet project with OG artists such as Miguel y Miguel and Los Cuates de Sinaloa, who are pioneers of 12-string guitars in Regional.” Today, he presents Entre Los Grandes, a seven-track EP, where the majority were penned in collaboration with composer Rito Heras and Danny’s cousin, Irving Armenta. Although he got on the radar with his captivating requintos in popular tumbaos, in this project Danny takes it back to the roots with traditional musica campirana and musica del rancho. Entre Los Grandes includes collaborations with Los Cuates de Sinaloa, Jesus Ojeda y Sus Parientes, Miguel y Miguel, as well as Los Llegadores, composed by Danny‘s dad Pancho Felix and his brother Panchito Felix. — J.R.