SONG OF THE YEAR
“Acróstico”
Kevyn Mauricio Cruz Moreno, L.E.X.V.Z, Luis Fernando Ochoa & Shakira, songwriters (Shakira)
“Acróstico” is a heartfelt love letter from Colombian pop queen Shakira to her young sons Milan and Sasha in the wake of her split with their father Gerard Piqué. It’s a piano-based power pop ballad featuring her kids’ sweet vocals, with vulnerable lyrics describing the strength their love gives her. Shakira co-wrote the song with a gold-star Colombian team: Kevyn Mauricio Cruz Moreno and L.E.X.V.Z, of La Crème collective, and long-time collaborator Luis Fernando Ochoa, with whom she first worked in 1995 on the iconic record Pies Descalzos. Shakira set a record as the first woman to have three nominations in the Song Of The Year category and has seven total nods this year. (Ana Monroy Yglesias)
“Amigos”
Pablo Alborán & Maria Becerra, songwriters (Pablo Alborán featuring Maria Becerra)
Pablo Alborán showed a different side to his pop artistry with “Amigos.” The Spanish singer/songwriter teamed with Argentine star Maria Becerra for the standout song from his La Cu4rta Hoja album, which celebrates the power of friendship. Flamenco influences from Alborán’s home country collide with the reggaeton beats that soundtrack most of Becerra’s past hits. While most Urbano-infused songs these days can feature a full team of songwriters, the magic of “Amigos'' solely relies on the lyrics of Alborán and Becerra, who recommend a fun night out with friends as a remedy for life’s dark moments. (Lucas Villa)
“De Todas Las Flores”
Natalia Lafourcade, songwriter (Natalia Lafourcade)
“De Todas Las Flores,” the title-track off Natalia Lafourcade’s first album of entirely new material since 2015’s Latin GRAMMY winning Hasta La Raiz, was written in 2018 during a painful breakup. Lafourcade, one of Mexico’s leading songstresses, shared on social media that initially the relationship was filled “with passion and fireworks, then deteriorated into agony and self-destruction.” Against the backdrop of a breezy bossa nova groove, lush bolero harmonization, and ruminating piano lines, “De Todas Las Flores” is steeped in nostalgia and melancholy one moment just as it organically re-emerges around themes of rebirth and renewal the next. Straddling the dualities of heartache and hope comes naturally to Lafourcade, whose vocal dexterity and range — from warm, jazz-infused undertones to soaring soprano flights — imprint the song with a cinematic quality that seems suspended between mourning the past and embracing the present. (Lissette Corsa)
“Ella Baila Sola”
Pedro Julián Tovar Oceguera, songwriter (Eslabon Armado, Peso Pluma)
On the heels of the global success of “El Belicón,” the song that catapulted the Sinaloa native Peso Pluma, “Ella Baila Sola” bursts onto the scene, a corrido tumbado penned by the singer/songwriter Pedro Julián Tovar Oceguera, lead vocalist of the band Eslabon Armado. “Ella Baila Sola” quickly positioned itself as first among firsts. With nearly 1 billion streams, it was Spotify’s most-streamed song of the summer globally, and the first regional Mexican song to reach the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Ella Baila Sola” has undoubtedly made the regional Mexican genre an essential part of the robust growth of Latin music in 2023. (Néstor Díaz de Villegas)
“NASA”
Édgar Barrera, Camilo & Alejandro Sanz, songwriters (Camilo & Alejandro Sanz)
The songwriter, composer and producer Édgar Barrera once again propels us to the edge of his musical cosmos with “NASA”, a theme not often found in pop songs, that presents the man asking for forgiveness when he realizes the betrayal he suspected is non-existent. With a sweet and tortured plea, Barrera brings the sensibility of his listeners to the point of tenderness when they hear the beat of the arpeggio in the rhythmic ballad: “I’m sorry for thinking things that aren’t/Before you, my heart was turned to shit/I don’t want our future destroyed by my past…”. “NASA” is yet another of the thousands of ways that this great composer, along with the talents of Camilo and Alejandro Sanz, takes us into his universe, hanging on every verse he composes. (Ana Santiago)
“Ojos Marrones”
Luis Jiménez, Lasso & Augustín Zubillaga, songwriters (Lasso)
“Ojos Marrones” is perhaps the catchiest ode to brown-eyed girls since Van Morrison sang their praises back in the ’60s. Since it first went viral on TikTok in the summer of 2022, the song has taken Venezuelan singer/songwriter Lasso on a whirlwind of fame. But beyond its infectious chorus and vocal charisma, there’s a universal quality about the song’s message: even a perfect date doesn’t compare to a flawed soulmate. As Lasso confessed in an interview recently, “The fact that you’re trying to forget an \[ex\] by dating someone new, but there are times that you can’t forget them — I feel that there’s something very human about \[that\].” And really, is there anything more human than listening to your heart above everything else? (Andrew Casillas)
“Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53”
Santiago Alvarado, Bizarrap, Kevyn Mauricio Cruz Moreno, Shakira & ZECCA, songwriters (Bizarrap featuring Shakira)
In the electropop track “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” the songwriters’ explicit and unapologetic storytelling marks a significant departure from the usual veiled references in breakup songs. The 11-time Latin GRAMMY winner provides intimate details of her highly publicized breakup with Spanish soccer star Gerard Piqué, leaving no room for ambiguity by naming names and addressing personal drama head-on. With lines like “Women don’t cry anymore, women cash in”, the self-proclaimed “She Wolf” pens a new manifesto of female empowerment, challenging the prevalent double standards imposed on women in the music industry. “…Vol. 53”’s directness and willingness to confront tabloid-fueled gossip set it apart, making it a fearless and compelling exploration of love and loss in the public eye. (Isabela Raygoza)
“Si Tú Me Quieres”
Fonseca, Yadam González & Yoel Henríquez, songwriters (Fonseca & Juan Luis Guerra)
Yadam González and Fonseca, who together with Omar Alfanno won Best Tropical Song at the 17th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards in 2016, partner this time with Yoel Henríquez on the song “Si Tú Me Quieres,” a fusion of tropical styles that brings together Fonseca’s vallenato and Juan Luis Guerra's bachata in a surprising mix that exceeds the sum of its parts. Dominican popular music and urban pop are skillfully harmonized in a piece tailored for the stellar twosome. With this single, the team of musicians and composers offer a new generation of fans the opportunity to consider the artistic legacy of Juan Luis Guerra, a maestro who has contributed decisively to expanding the frontiers of Latin American music. (Néstor Díaz de Villegas)
“Tqg”
Kevyn Maurico Cruz Moreno, Karol G, Ovy On The Drums & Shakira, songwriters (Karol G featuring Shakira)
Karol G teams up with Shakira on the explosive track from the former’s Mañana Será Bonito album to create “Tqg,” a girl power anthem from two of Colombia’s biggest pop artists. Having both gone through public breakups, Karol G and Shakira channel their emotions into a global kiss-o! chant. Along with their frequent collaborator Kevyn Mauricio Cruz Moreno, and Karol G’s producer, Ovy On The Drums, the two women write about success and thriving as the best revenge against an ex. “You forgot I’m doing my thing and that La Bichota was too good for you,” Karol G sings, while Shakira adds gasoline to the ex-bonfire with, “You left and I got triple M/Hotter, stronger, leveled-up.” (Lucas Villa)
“Un X100to”
Bad Bunny, Édgar Barrera, Marco Daniel Borrero & Andrés Jael Correa Ríos, songwriters (Grupo Frontera featuring Bad Bunny)
With a mere 1 percent of phone battery remaining, Bad Bunny and Grupo Frontera embark on a poignant journey of yearning and remorse in “Un X100to.” Penned by Bad Bunny, Édgar Barrera, Marco Daniel Borrero (aka MAG) and Andrés Jael Correa Ríos, the protagonists grapple with the aftermath of a breakup and utilize their dwindling battery to express regret and nostalgia. This irresistible Cumbia-Tejano fusion sees the Puerto Rican exploring further into the realm of Mexican music, while the Texan band’s signature borderland swag ascends to new heights. “Un X100to” not only showcases the enduring power of love (while juxtaposing the short-lived battery life of a cell phone) but also underscores Bad Bunny’s versatility and Frontera’s position as trailblazers of the rustic genre. (Isabela Raygoza)
