This story is part of our Sondio Latino series for Hispanic Heritage Month.
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IN THE ANGLO music scene, pop-girl summer conquered the charts and the zeitgeist — but the pop revival isn’t limited to one language or country. Across the Latin-music industry, a new wave of singer-songwriters like Gale, Joaquina, Ela Taubert, and Elsa y Elmar have been reinvigorating the genre with bright, bold sounds and gut-wrenchingly honest lyricism.
Latin music has always embraced its pop girls, from the darlings of the Eighties and Nineties like Lucero and Thalia to 2000s hitmakers like Shakira and Paulina Rubio. The globalization of Latin music over the last few years has also helped launch massively commercial acts — Becky G, Kenia Os, Emilia, Tini, and Danna, to name a few — into megastardom.
However, a rising cohort is figuring out how to balance mainstream marketability with indie sensibilities, going back to basics when it comes to songwriting and production. Puerto Rico’s Gale, who wrote the smash “Santo” for Christina Aguilera, turned back to the songs she loved as a kid when she started recording her 2023 debut Lo Que No Te Dije, infusing it with tons of throwback pop-rock energy. Those kinds of sounds have also guided Taubert and Elsa Y Elmar, who have dropped brutally honest hits that play on nostalgic references like Nineties grunge-rock and the Disney channel. Joaquina, meanwhile, describes herself as an “old soul” who loves crisscrossing influences like Joni Mitchell and Taylor Swift in her own music.
To some experts, it’s only natural to see a new pop girl era appealing to a younger generation of fans. “Women have always led the way, especially in Latin music,” says Jesús Triviño Alarcón, the senior director of Industry Relations & Global Latin at Tidal. “Think of our most endearing artists who have perished: Selena and Celia Cruz. They are still influencing the next generation of artists today. Music is now global, so almost all these artists are influenced by Beyoncé, Taylor, Ariana [Grande], and Billie.”
A lot of the pop singer-songwriters coming up today also aren’t afraid to play with genres and stretch their skills across all kinds of styles. “Latin pop no longer fits neatly into a box, and many artists that we would like to categorize as pop like to play in so many different spaces. They feel empowered to create art when inspiration strikes, using inspiration from unexpected places, be it Afrobeats, regional Mexican, EDM and more,” says Angie Romero, the global Latin content programming lead at Amazon Music, says.
Below, meet some of the acts bring fresh energy to pop.
Alfonso Duran for Rolling Stone
Gale
After writing for artists like Anitta, Cardi B, and Selena Gomez, the Puerto Rican artist Gale made a splash with her raw, diary-like debut album Lo Que No Te Dije. On songs like her breakup anthem “Nuestra Canción,” she deftly blends reggaeton beats with elements of EDM. Earlier this year, Gale also paid homage to one of her biggest supporters, Shakira, by covering the Colombian pop icon’s classic “Inevitable.”
“Latin pop is at the top and in its best moment,” Gale says. “I feel so proud to be Latina and to be able to make music surrounded by such inspiring, culturally different, and talented artists, musicians, and storytellers in the industry.”
Matias Guido*
Ela Taubert
The Colombian singer, who calls herself a proud Swiftie, is quick to admit that — similar to artists like Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan — she is a product of the Hannah Montana generation. Her music is upbeat and bubbly, but her great skill lies in turning moments of heartbreak and adversity into powerful pop confessionals. Following the release of her EP ¿Quién Dijo Que Era Fácil?, she enchanted fans with the striking “¿Cómo Pasó?” about weathering the fallout of a breakup.
“Right now I’m focused on sharing this genre and sharing my stories from a very honest place,” she says. “My songs like ‘¿Cómo Pasó?’ are there for you in moments when you need your bestie by your side.”
Ana Lorenzana*
Elsa y Elmar
The Colombian-born, Mexico-based artist Elsa Margarita Carvajal pours all of her feelings into the music she makes under her stage name Elsa Y Elmar — so much, in fact, that her past albums and EPs have won her five Latin Grammy nominations. But on her latest project Palacio, the Berklee College graduate wanted to try something different: She expands her ethereal style with streaks of grunge and techno. The LP stays light and colorful, even while she’s exploring grief and loss.
“This album means so much to me because I got to do it exactly my way,” she says. “I had these concepts in my head that were way too big, like light and darkness, life and death, la la la. But it felt like too much for an album full of pop music… Instead, I wanted to make sure I was embracing positivity and the joyful side of life.”
Zarate*
Joaquina
Last year, at age 19, the Venezuelan newcomer Joaquina made history as the youngest Best New Artist winner at the Latin Grammys. She channeled her teenage angst into the personal EP Los Mejores Años, which got her tons of attention, particularly because of the exceptional title track. After turning 20 in July, Joaquina is now using her unparalleled pen game to chronicle the next chapter in her life: Already, she’s showing listeners what’s on her mind with the kiss-off anthem “No Llames Lo Mío Nuestro.”
“It’s very nice to be recognized by your peers in the industry with a pat on the back saying, ‘We like what you’re doing,’” Joaquina says. “[Winning the Latin Grammy] is one of my biggest dreams come true. It became such a great impulse for the music that I’m creating now.”
