Is the sun finally setting on the global hegemony of English-language music? The question has been relevant in recent years, but 2023 was a more permanent discovery for Spanish-language pop. Consider, for one, that Música mexicana artists invaded the Advertising sign Hot 100 chart this year. At one point, the Peso Pluma held 14 simultaneous positions on the list. Or note that Bad Bunny's Un Verano Sin Ti was Spotify's most streamed album of 2023. From pop-reggaeton to corridos tumbados to alt-flamenco, the most innovative purveyors are delivering ideas faster than the charts can keep up. However, the American media's hyper-focus on commercial success hides an egregious neglect of independent artists throughout the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking world. Whether it's Dominican pop-conceptualists or Mexican indie rockers, the underground continues to thrive alongside industry heavyweights. Here are the best songs and albums of the year from Latin and Spanish artists, in alphabetical order.
Listen to selections from this list on your Spotify playlist and Apple Music playlist.
See all of Pitchfork's 2023 coverage here.
(All releases featured here are independently selected by our publishers. However, when you purchase something through our retail links, Pitchfork may earn an affiliate commission.)
Bad Bunny: “WHERE DOES IT GO”
For months after its release in May, Benito stans filled Reddit threads arguing over the creative merits of “WHERE SHE GOES” and whether it went anywhere worth it. But the moody, pumped-up New Jersey club offers enough starts, stops and beat drops to reflect his thoughts on infidelity. (A star-studded video featuring Lil Uzi Vert, Frank Ocean and Ronaldinho only adds to the fun assault on Bad Bunny's relationship.) The song's sprawling synths, pounding bass and massive, soaring chorus meant that “WHERE SHE GOES ” only gained momentum throughout the year, becoming a ubiquitous song of the summer. – Erin McLeod
I hear: Bad Bunny, “WHERE SHE GOES”
Bad Gyal / Tokischa / Young Miko: “Chulo pt.2”
Who among us hasn't caught someone sneaking glances at the club and been tempted to hit badly? “Chulo pt.2” chronicles a flirtation on the dancefloor — or more specifically, the reverie that happens right before it ends. Tokischa, Bad Gyal and Young Miko sing the thirst in their fans' eyes, their baccarat scent and act out all their sexual fantasies. Synthetic bed pads snap over heavy drum kicks and by the time the blaring alarm goes off, you'll be fully involved with a new lover. It's the kind of piece that affirms women as masters of their own desire, queer or otherwise. Think of this as a public plea for simpler reggaeton epics. – Isabelia Herrera
I hear: Bad Gyal / Tokischa / Young Miko, “Chulo pt.2”
Diego Raposo: YO NO ERA ASÍ PERO DE AHORA EN ADELANTE, SÍ
After establishing himself as a mixtape futurist that fuses internet-jazz sensibilities with dembow and reggaeton, young Dominican producer Diego Raposo approaches his debut album with a bolder, brighter palette of curated chaos. Features trap vocals in a hard Caribbean style. His drum'n'bass excursions overturned by metal guitar riffs and melancholic club tracks devolve (or evolve?) into static. He has more melodic ambitions, too: “QUÉDATE,” featuring Ecuadorian singer Kablito, sounds like he's finally taking to the cyber skies. The label “hyperpop” is too restrictive to encompass Raposo's universe, which is expansive but rooted in a strong sense of place, down to the Google Maps coordinates named in the album opener “19.322239, -68.540659” ( a location off the east coast of the Dominican Republic). It is a perfect design of digital art, seeking limits to overcome, laugh and adapt beyond imagination. – Julianne Escobedo Shepherd
