Robyn Covers 'Last Christmas,' Another Drab Zayn Song, and Some Satanic Beatboxing
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Y: Natti Natasha, “Me Gusta” – NATTI NA. Everyone is really trying to finish the year off on a strong note, huh? I see you! Natasha is the kind of talent that will creep up on you if you’re not paying attention. I get the feeling she’s a perfectionist, and honestly I don’t mind waiting for new music from her if this is what comes of it. Prior to this was “Criminal,” which dethroned “Despacito,” making her the most watched woman on YouTube. This new one is co-produced by Daddy Yankee. I gotta say, I love seeing a morena reggaetonera doing the damn thing. As Celia Cruz would say “esa negra tiene tumbao.” —Ecleen Luzmila Caraballo
Y: Bad Bunny, “Desde El Corazón” – Benito’s latest song, a surprise little newbie he introduced at Banco Popular’s Christmas celebration event titled Más de un Siglo this year (in celebration of Puerto Rico’s 125 years of music), is my favorite of his yet—a reminder to all other artists that music made from a personal place can never go wrong. In that sense, El Conejo is a rare breed in this wave of “urban” Latinx talent. At his core, he’s a lyricist who likes music—a detail I hope he never forgets or grows out of. The fame and money that came along with sharing his music with the world are perks but he hasn’t forgotten his roots, as this song makes clear. Important takeaways: he is my new plug for coquito, he’s not leaving Puerto Rico any time soon (sorry to all the foreign gals who slid in his DMs), and his inspirations are a truly beautiful mixed bag which include Héctor Lavoe and Ivy Queen. “Dios bendiga mi generación.” —ELC
No: Zayn, “Good Years” – As a lifelong One Direction fan, it pains me to continuously sit through drab Zayn solo single after drab Zayn solo single but, welp, here we go once again. “Good Years” is a straightforward pop ballad—more so than anything he’s done to date—an honest, heartfelt rumination on insecurity and quarter-life crises. I feel for Malik, but the song is pretty lackluster. I love it more than his other material, but I doubt I’ll listen again. It also veers on Christian pop, somehow? I don’t know, dude. —Maria Sherman
Yes, in a spooky way: Holly Herndon x Jlin feat. Spawn, “Godmother” – I’m a sucker for all things Holly Herndon—her glitchy, spastic production feels uniquely haunting in the Spotify age—and this new track and video exasperates every feeling of unease she inspires. Who knew beatboxing could feel so satanic? —MS
Y: Jorja Smith, “The One” (video) – Jorja Smith, who just earned a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist, spends a lonely day and night at a motel, looking depressingly gorgeous, in this kinda eerie video for a song about being stubborn with love. —Clover Hope
Hmm, no: Robyn, “Last Christmas” cover – I feel like Robyn covering Wham!’s “Last Christmas” should really be a no brainer, and yet I felt incredibly underwhelmed by her rendition here. Playing this song with straight, piano ballad melancholy seems wrong, especially since the electro-pop cheer of the original is really what makes it! —Hazel Cills
Y: Bad Bunny, “Desde El Corazón” – Benito’s latest song, a surprise little newbie he introduced at Banco Popular’s Christmas celebration event titled Más de un Siglo this year (in celebration of Puerto Rico’s 125 years of music), is my favorite of his yet—a reminder to all other artists that music made from a personal place can never go wrong. In that sense, El Conejo is a rare breed in this wave of “urban” Latinx talent. At his core, he’s a lyricist who likes music—a detail I hope he never forgets or grows out of. The fame and money that came along with sharing his music with the world are perks but he hasn’t forgotten his roots, as this song makes clear. Important takeaways: he is my new plug for coquito, he’s not leaving Puerto Rico any time soon (sorry to all the foreign gals who slid in his DMs), and his inspirations are a truly beautiful mixed bag which include Héctor Lavoe and Ivy Queen. “Dios bendiga mi generación.” —ELC
No: Zayn, “Good Years” – As a lifelong One Direction fan, it pains me to continuously sit through drab Zayn solo single after drab Zayn solo single but, welp, here we go once again. “Good Years” is a straightforward pop ballad—more so than anything he’s done to date—an honest, heartfelt rumination on insecurity and quarter-life crises. I feel for Malik, but the song is pretty lackluster. I love it more than his other material, but I doubt I’ll listen again. It also veers on Christian pop, somehow? I don’t know, dude. —Maria Sherman
Yes, in a spooky way: Holly Herndon x Jlin feat. Spawn, “Godmother” – I’m a sucker for all things Holly Herndon—her glitchy, spastic production feels uniquely haunting in the Spotify age—and this new track and video exasperates every feeling of unease she inspires. Who knew beatboxing could feel so satanic? —MS
Y: Jorja Smith, “The One” (video) – Jorja Smith, who just earned a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist, spends a lonely day and night at a motel, looking depressingly gorgeous, in this kinda eerie video for a song about being stubborn with love. —Clover Hope
Hmm, no: Robyn, “Last Christmas” cover – I feel like Robyn covering Wham!’s “Last Christmas” should really be a no brainer, and yet I felt incredibly underwhelmed by her rendition here. Playing this song with straight, piano ballad melancholy seems wrong, especially since the electro-pop cheer of the original is really what makes it! —Hazel Cills
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