In the second week of Hispanic Heritage Month, many notable projects, singles and videos were released.

In a pop-heavy week, some lesser-known acts, some up-and-comers, and some established acts dropped new music.

Banda El Recodo released a new album, Esta Vida Muy Bonita, on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2021, adding to their extensive and decades-old discography. 

Including some re-issued songs and live music, this is Banda El Recodo’s fifth release this year. The banda opens their new album with the title track, “Esta Vida Es Muy Bonita.”

The song came with a new music video, framing the band formed in matching outfits.

The legendary Sinaloense banda — whose full name is El Recodo de Don Cruz Lizárraga — was formed in Mazatlán, Mexico in 1938, and has remained under the direction of the Lizárraga family.

The banda is known for playing Latin dance, jazz, swing, and classical music. For fans of more traditional Latin music, this is one to check out. 

The R&B artist GioBulla released his new single “Quiero” this Friday. 

GioBulla immigrated to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic at 10-years-old. He lived in Los Minas in Santo Domingo, and moved to the Bronx where he found inspiration in the region’s music and history surrounding hip-hop.

After moving to Philadelphia, GioBulla found himself involved in visual artistry where he gained an interest in graphic design and video directing.

The artist now blends R&B with Latin, urbano, and soul. He told People en Español that he views himself as a translator of American influences, bringing it to Latin audiences. 

Loui Santana released his new single and music video, “TNRM” this Friday. The emerging singer/songwriter makes music rooted in his Dominican heritage.

“TNRM” is a spacy, cooled down pop track that is fitting to close out the summer season.  

The video depicts an aquatic setting where Santana and company participate in watersports and boat-riding. 

The music video, a self-proclaimed “visual experience” was directed by Ivan Herrera, produced by Roko Reyes and VFRO. 

This is a great single and music video for anyone who is in a late-summer mood this Autumn.

andremustdie is a Venezuelan singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles, California. He has been building a career on his melodic beats and bilingual lyrics.

“noche sin luna” is a song from andremustdie’s latest project, andentro (Mixtape), released this Friday. The song features José y el Toro, a Chilean artist who writes “songs of love and heartbreak.”

The duo teamed up for “noche sin luna,” and the result is a genre-fusing pop track with a smooth beat and clean vocals. 

Pop listeners, fans of the aforementioned GioBulla and Loui Santana tracks will be interested in checking out this one as well.

Gus is a singer-songwriter known for his tracks “una luz” and “el jardinero” amongst others. The artist has been making a name for himself since 2017 with upbeat singles and a pop influence.

In 2018, Gus released his EP Futura. This new single comes a little over a month after his last, creo que todo estará bien.

A key aspect of Gus’ music is the weeping guitar sections that pop up throughout his singles. The music video for “una luz” particularly showcases this.  

Never short on emotion, “nos vemos luego” is a song with a more definitively positive demeanour than observed on some of Gus’ more bittersweet takes. 

Gus’ music video depicts the singer as happy-go-lucky, portrayed through an exuberance and joy that comes simply with being outdoors. 

“nos vemos luego” is a song that listeners of guitar-driven pop should check out.

Continuing their celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Recording Academy released a new Press Play At Home episode featuring a performance from Yoandri.

The episode was released on Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021. Yoandri performed his song “Gemini Amor,” which was originally released last Friday.

Yoandri is a 22-year-old singer/songwriter who fuses Latin pop with R&B. This version of “Gemini Amor” places the tune over a piano backing. 

Yoandri is currently working on a debut album, to be produced by Malay who has worked with Lorde, Sam Smith, and Frank Ocean. 

This episode follows last week’s performance from The Marías. Press Play At Home will continue to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month throughout with performances from Latin artists.