As 2019 slowly kicks off, artists in the Puerto Rican independent music scene are slowly putting out a variety of singles thus letting the world know that the island has something to say. Hence, February became yet another month with quite a few songs to find and look out for. “HANG ON” by saintmist A trap tune influenced by the psychedelic hip hop by Kid Cudi, saintmist’s “HANG ON” is an introspective ethereal tune that presents the artist touching on themes of love, self and friendship. “SECRETOS” by TIAGO STA. CRUZ A psychedelic and surreal tune, TIAGO STA. CRUZ’s “SECRETOS” sees the musician exploring melodies in a track that will take listeners on a short trip. “Sharingan” by PHNTMFLEX A trap tune that features some aggressive bass, PHNTMFLEX’s “Sharingan” has the artist looking at the state of hip hop as he flexes on his skills and compares himself to greatness. “press play” by seint After not releasing for a few months, beatmaker Seint returns with a relaxing and laid back beat that definitely plays well on repeat. “Flow Cocolo” by Tongo A hip hop track that embraces salsa and psychedelia, Tongo’s “Flow Cocolo” is a fun and infectious song that will surely play well in parties. “Slipknot = Suicide” by BLACKCROW ft. Blackwill An emo trap tune mixed with horrorcore elements, BLACKCROW and Blackwill’s latest collaboration is a tune that will create mosh pits in live performances. “Quédate Sin Aire” and “El Anticristo” by Skeptic After celebrating his album Boca de Lobo for the entirety of 2018, Skeptic kicked off 2019 with the ethereal tune “Quédate Sin Aire,” a love story that features his spoken word style. In addition, the dark and alternative song “El Anticristo,” sees him practicing his spoken word rapping style while using the antichrist to reflect on the current state of the arts, culture and Puerto Rico. “Loverboy” by Mr. Kraken & the Wattz A tune that sees the diaspora-based musician exploring the field of electronic music in the form of synth pop, “Loverboy” is a love story that will surely make listeners dance. “Camino Sola” by Lizbeth Román A blend of various Latin genres that range from cumbia to merengue to bomba, Lizbeth Román’s “Camino Sola” is an empowering tune for women everywhere. “6TEEN” by KENDEVILL ft. BLACKCROW Influenced by emo and rock acoustics, the latest collaboration between KENDEVILL and BLACKCROW sees both musicians reflecting on their youth over a simple trap beat that captures the essence of their subject. “¿Cómo Pasó?” by Adames A blend of trap, R&B and pop, Adames's latest tune shows him growing as an artist as he experiments with different sounds and melodies. “Te Picheo” by Athan A trap beat mixed with melodies, Athan’s “Te Picheo” sees the young artist exploring themes such as love and communication as well as use drug. “DEONTAY” by Angel Wavy ft. Ura de Jezus Another addition to the trap sub-genre, Angel Wavy and Ura de Jezus’s “DEONTAY” features many of the sound’s staples such as flexing and nightlife themes over a danceable beat. “Suite HRTBRK” by Envy Rapper and singer Envy continues to be one of the most active members of the Puerto Rican independent scene by releasing yet another single this time in the form of “Suite HRTBRK,” a tune that will play well in the bedroom and yet another track which continues to display his growth in the field of trap influenced R&B and soul. “Kingky” by Émina Released earlier in the year, Émina’s “Kingky” is a laid back, relaxing and soulful jazz and R&B blend that celebrates the great experiences provided by love and the act of sex. “xxx-xx-sinhablar” by orteez ft. Los Rarxs After a very active 2018, Los Rarxs come back with the orteez headlined single “xxx-xx-sinhablar,” a reggaeton influenced R&B tune that will definitely play in the bedroom with its relaxing and smooth energy. “Hazmelo (Ride Slow Spanish Rmx)” by AcMetta A blend of R&B and trap, AC Metta’s “Hazmelo (Ride Slow Spanish Rmx)” is a tune that will definitely play well in late night playlists with its love and sex fueled content and smooth vibe. “Al Revés” by Los Wálters ft. Andrea Cruz Los Wálters continue to deliver singles on a monthly basis this time with the Andrea Cruz assisted “Al Revés,” a fun and highly danceable synthpop tune that continues to show the group’s mastery of their craft. “Andar” and “Prender” by Pheelin As one of the most active musicians in the scene recently, Pheelin gifted two new demo instrumentals on Valentine’s Day in the form of “Andar” and “Prender.” The first of these is a nice and relaxing blend of indie rock and bedroom pop that might have some listeners dancing a bit and others just laying back after a hard day of work. Meanwhile, “Prender” follows the same vibe set by the previous tune while also serving as a tune that might play well in coming-of-age cinema. “#S2S” by stz ft. erre & orteez Using a trap beat by orteez to display lyrical and melodic skills along with bilingual abilities, the new collaboration between stz and erre is a great tune that explores trust and secrecy. “Metas y Tatuajes” by Reyes ††† As one of the most active young rappers in the scene right now, Reyes ††† continues to explore lo-fi jazz raps in his latest single where he once again shows his lyrical skills and introspective rhymes. “Cocotero (Solo Remix)” by Siloe Andino A soulful, jazzy and banging boom bap tune, the recent remix to Siloe Andino’s “Cocotero” displays the artist’s lyricism in a track where addresses what it means to be a rapper. “Razones” by Tommy Blanco A banging trap tune that will surely do well when performed live, Tommy Blanco’s latest single explores the theme of trust in a variety of ways. “Melón” by Medianogrande The first single by the indie rock group Medianogrande displays the band’s mainstream appeal and danceable grooves mixed with story-driven lyrics. “No Key” by Envy and STZ A collaboration by two of the most active independent Puerto Rican musicians in trap and R&B right now, the latest collaboration by Envy and STZ displays rapping and melodic skills as well as flexing, storytelling and reflection on success. “Ya no hay vuelta atrás” by Joba Pérez An introspective and romantic tune, singer-songwriter Joba Pérez’s first single demonstrates the young artist’s pop and mainstream potential alongside his Latin rock and classical music influences. “Poema de una Rosa” by Yareh Influenced by bossa nova and Latin ballads, the latest single by young Caguas singer-songwriter Yareh is a romantic tune that shows him displaying his melodic skills and image-filled lyrics. “Le Meto” by Mike Rodz A homage to reggaetón and his grind, Mike Rodz’s latest single shows him rapping over reggaetón hip hop blend that sees him reflecting on his lyrical skills and work ethic. “¿Quién Carajo?” by El Guanín de Tu Tío A surreal beat with a bit of trap, El Guanín de Tu Tío’s latest track is a weird tune that will surely intrigue listeners all around. “WAKE N BEIKI” by YUNG BOI A short but to-the-point tune, YUNG BOI’s “WAKE N BEIKI” shows the young musician exploring lo-fi boom bap production while displaying his lyrical skills. “Si Vuelvo a Caer” and “La Ventana” by RE-ANIMADORES Serving as singles for the group’s upcoming album, “Si Vuelvo A Caer” and “La Ventana” demonstrate the band’s indie rock, garage rock and punk influences. “Dejection” by Yung Lecter An exploration of lo-fi emo hip hop, Yung Lecter’s latest track continues to show the artist exploring the aforementioned sub-genre alongside love and depression while displaying storytelling abilities. “LA QUE ME ENAMORA” by ED MRTNZ A blend of reggaetón and electronic music, the latest ED MRTNZ single is a love-driven track sung in autotune. “Perderme” by Fisicos The once known as Jorge y Los Físicos and now simply going as Físicos embrace February with a new single, “Perderme” attached to a music video co-produced by COMO IMÁGENES. The single features the group blending pop rock, blues and psychedelia as they continue to grow. “A ti llegar” by Andrea Beltran A fusion of Latin pop rock and ballads, Andrea Beltrán’s “A ti llegar” is a loveable, sweet and moving song. “SCALABRINI” by Kid WowZa Featuring a bouncy trap beat, Kid WowZa’s latest single is a fun homage to basketball as the young rapper displays lyrical skills and storytelling abilities. “Kiero Bailar” by Modafoca A hardcore punk tune that criticizes the current political status while presenting the celebration that would ensue if it was debunked, Modafoca’s latest single is headbang and mosh pit worthy tune that will definitely have listeners moving. “Véngole” by Andrea Cruz ft. Gaby Moreno Accompanied by singer Gaby Moreno as they explore the menstrual cycle, Andrea Cruz’s first led single after the release of her debut album Tejido de Laurel, “Véngole,” sees the young musician continuing to expand her indie folk driven sound while displaying her vocal skills. As these past few months have shown, the Puerto Rican independent art scene shows no signs of slowing down. February 2019 was yet another example of the ever growing and active movement coming out of the crisis filled island demonstrating that, despite the difficulties, artists have found a way to shown some light.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorFernando E. E. Correa González is the author behind over 30 self-published poetry books. He has been published by literary magazines & journals [Id]entidad, El Vicio del Tintero, Sábanas Magazine, Smaeralit, The Occulum, Tonguas and Hound Magazine. Other than writing, Correa is also the host of FENCast, a podcast dedicated to documenting the Puerto Rican independent art scene. Aside from this, he experiments with filmmaking, photography, drawing, painting, multimedia and transmedia. He currently lives in his native Puerto Rico. Archives
December 2022
Categories
All
|