When music is the soundtrack to your life, you don’t put crappy songs in the queue. That’s why we’re giving you Awesome Mix, something that is exactly what it sounds like. In every issue, you’ll get a unique playlist full of songs that are actually worth getting stuck in your head. Your earbuds will thank you.
Ah, summer. It doesn’t seem that long ago that we were all so young, so carefree, so damn sick of hearing Justin Bieber attempt to sing to us in Spanish.
Don’t get me wrong, I was with the rest of the world when the single dropped: the song was catchy and definitely danceable, it was a great hit for family fiestas, and as a Latina, it was awesome to see a Spanish language song top the American charts for the first time here since the “Macarena.”
16 years was a long time to wait for the States to get back on board with our party music. But we have way more– and better– to offer you, America. So this particular mix is me completing my sacred duty of sharing the fiesta with everybody who needs it– and since school is back in session, I think we all need it.
Here’s 10 Spanish party hits that are better than Despacito:
Fiesta: Bomba Estéreo
The song is literally called “Party”. You can’t really go wrong here. It even gives you a chance to ease into it, slowly building up the first verse so you’re confident enough to make a move when the beat drops. And yes, it does drop with crazy drums, clapbacks, and booming bass. This is the perfect way to kick off the party.
Bailar (Radio Edit): Deorro & Elvis Crespo
You got your guests on the floor, and this song will make them want to stay there. Puerto Rican singer Elvis Crespo is a legend (you’ll see later on, trust me), and his merengue gets a modern party twist here, thanks to Mexican DJ Deorro.
Danza Kuduro: Don Omar & Lucenzo
If you haven’t heard this yet, you either didn’t listen to music six years ago, or never got into the “Fast & Furious” franchise. No matter what your excuse, we forgive you– as long as you come out to the floor for this.
Gasolina: Daddy Yankee
You’ve probably heard the classic Spanish music genres– salsa, merengue, bachata– but by the late 90s, we needed something new. Enter reggaetón, a fusion of hip-hop and island beats straight out of Puerto Rico. And the island’s favorite son, Daddy Yankee, is known as the King of Reggaeton. This is the song that brought the genre to the rest of the world– and even our abuelas have been getting down to it ever since.
Oye Mi Canto: N.O.R.E ft. Daddy Yankee, Nina Sky, Gem Star & Big Mato
Another reggaeton hit, Oye Mi Canto is a celebration of all of Latin America’s different culturas. Don’t worry, we have room for everybody, “no matter your race, because today you’re Latino!”
Ni Tú Ni Yo: Jennifer Lopez ft. Gente de Zona
It’s been awhile since we got a Spanish single from Jenny from the Block, so I was ecstatic this summer when she gifted us this tropical dance jam. While it’s not as uptempo as the songs at the top of the playlist, it’s a wind-down song you can still sway your hips to.
La Vida Es Un Carnaval: Celia Cruz
Asi asi, y’all, we’ve gotten to the classic portion of the playlist! This is the ultimate party jam from La Reina de la Salsa –The Queen of Salsa– herself, something for the young and old crowd alike. Not only is this the best intro to salsa music for newbies, it also gives you the keys to optimism: “Ay, no hay que llorar (Ay, no need to cry)/ Que la vida es un carnaval (For life is a carnival)/ Y las penas se van cantando (And your pains go away by singing).”
La Dueña del Swing: Los Hermanos Rosario
So these past three songs, I was going easy on you, trying to help you come down from the hype at the top of this mix. Now it’s time to get your heart rate up again with some mad-fast merengue. Keep up, kids, ‘cause your toes will get squashed if you don’t move “a la derecha (to the right), a la izquierda (to the left)” exactly when the song says!
Suavemente: Elvis Crespo
I don’t know a Latino alive who does not get on the floor as soon as they hear Elvis Crespo croon, “Suavementeeee!” It is the ultimate fiesta/merengue song. When the world has gone quiet, we’ll all still be able to collectively dance to this. Be forewarned: if you ever go to one of our parties and you don’t get on the floor for this song, no one will have time for you. This is the easiest and best song to learn how to dance merengue to, so don’t be shy.
El Amor: Tito “El Bambino”
For la gran final, I’m giving you something super romantic. Don’t worry, though, this is anything but a cheesy slow song. El Amor is about how wonderful it is to find love and feel it for another person, which admittedly doesn’t help sell this song’s non-cheesy factor. Still, if you read the lyrics’ English translation, it’s pure poetry. And since it’s set to a tropical pop beat, it’s danceable poetry– which, now that I think about it, is the best description of all Spanish music.
¿Quieres bailar? To find the playlist on Spotify, search “AM1: BetterThanDespacito”.