Natalia Lafourcade’s intimate yet forceful and entreating Hasta La Raíz didn’t win the Latin Grammy for album of the year, but it should have. Lafourcade manages to be retro and futuristic at the same time, blending acoustic elements (guitars, strings, percussion) with loops and organ. The sound is so unexpected, that coupled with Lafourcade’s sweet vocals, it makes you listen. And at a time when women have been making nary a dent on Billboard’s Latin charts, these may be the kinds of songs they need; when Lafourcade says “You’re so used to love that you don’t see it; you don’t see that what I offer you is unconditional,” we believe her, and we’ve all been there.Hasta la Raíz has not been a commercial hit in the U.S.; there is no radio here for Lafourcade’s brand of alt music, although in Mexico, the album has sold strong. But still, it reached No. 6 on Billboard’s Latin pop albums chart.
19. ‘Amanecer,’ Bomba Estero
After a decade burning up festival stages, Bomba Estereo broke through to a wider audience with Amanecer, and the band’s name recognition really blew up when Will Smith collaborated on a remix of the single “Fiesta.” The Colombian duo’s 2015 album is a seductive listen that marches to a carnival-friendly pop beat, encompassing tropical rhythms, EDM, and hip hop. Singer Li Saumetquiets’ primal screams have softened, but the band remains true to the Afro-Colombian roots of its fearless fusions. Amanecer reached No. 17 on Top Latin Albums and the “Fiesta” remix featuring Will Smith peaked at No. 11 on Hot Latin Songs.
