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    Latin Grammys 2021: Complete Nominees List

    Here are the nominees for the 22nd annual ceremony.The 22nd annual Latin Grammy Awards will take place Thursday in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The ceremony, which honors Latin music released between June 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021, will air live on Univision beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern. (Many awards will be handed out starting at 4 p.m. at a separate event that will be webcast via the Latin Grammys’ Facebook Live and YouTube channel.)Roselyn Sánchez, Ana Brenda Contreras and Carlos Rivera are slated to host the main show. Gloria Estefan, Christina Aguilera, Bad Bunny, Ozuna, Rubén Blades and C. Tangana are scheduled to perform.The Colombian singer Camilo leads with 10 nominations including for record of the year, Aalbum of the year and song of the year.See the full list of nominees below.Record of the Year“Si Hubieras Querido,” Pablo Alborán“Todo De Ti,” Rauw Alejandro“Un Amor Eterno (Versión Balada),” Marc Anthony“A Tu Lado,” Paula Arenas“Bohemio,” Andrés Calamaro and Julio Iglesias“Vida De Rico,” Camilo“Suéltame, Bogotá,” Diamante Eléctrico“Amén,” Ricardo Montaner, Mau y Ricky, Camilo and Evaluna Montaner“Dios Así Lo Quiso,” Ricardo Montaner and Juan Luis Guerra“Te Olvidaste,” C. Tangana and Omar Apollo“Talvez,” Caetano Veloso and Tom VelosoAlbum of the Year“Vértigo,” Pablo Alborán“Mis Amores,” Paula Arenas“El Último Tour Del Mundo,” Bad Bunny“Salswing!,” Rubén Blades y Roberto Delgado & Orquesta“Mis Manos,” Camilo“Nana, Tom, Vinicius,” Nana Caymmi“Privé,” Juan Luis Guerra“Origen,” Juanes“Un Canto Por México, Vol. II,” Natalia Lafourcade“El Madrileño,” C. TanganaSong of the Year“A Tu Lado,” Paula Arenas and Maria Elisa Ayerbe, songwriters (Paula Arenas)“A Veces,” Diamante Eléctrico, songwriters (Diamante Eléctrico)“Agua,” J Balvin, Alejandro Borrero, Jhay Cortez, Kevyn Mauricio Cruz Moreno, Derek Drymon, Mark Harrison, Stephen Hillenburg, Alejandro Ramirez, Ivanni Rodríguez, Blaise Smith, Tainy and Juan Camilo Vargas, songwriters (Tainy and J Balvin)“Canción Bonita,” Rafa Arcaute, Ricky Martin, Mauricio Rengifo, Andrés Torres and Carlos Vives, songwriters (Carlos Vives and Ricky Martin)“Dios Así Lo Quiso,” Camilo, David Julca, Jonathan Julca, Yasmil Jesús Marrufo and Ricardo Montaner, songwriters (Ricardo Montaner and Juan Luis Guerra)“Hawái,” Édgar Barrera, René Cano, Kevyn Cruz, Johan Espinosa, Kevin Jiménez, Miky La Sensa, Bryan Lezcano, Maluma, Andrés Uribe and Juan Camilo Vargas, songwriters (Maluma)“Mi Guitarra,” Javier Limón, songwriter (Javier Limón, Juan Luis Guerra and Nella)“Patria y Vida,” Descemer Bueno, El Funky, Gente De Zona, Yadam González, Beatriz Luengo, Maykel Osorbo and Yotuel, songwriters (Yotuel, Gente De Zona, Descemer Bueno, Maykel Osorbo, El Funky)“Que Se Sepa Nuestro Amor,” El David Aguilar and Mon Laferte, songwriters (Mon Laferte and Alejandro Fernández)“Si Hubieras Querido,” Pablo Alborán, Nicolás “Na’vi” De La Espriella, Diana Fuentes and Julio Reyes Copello, songwriters (Pablo Alborán)“Todo De Ti,” Rauw Alejandro, José M. Collazo, Luis J. González, Rafael E. Pabón Navedo and Eric Pérez Rovira, songwriters (Rauw Alejandro)“Vida De Rico,” Édgar Barrera and Camilo, songwriters (Camilo)Best New ArtistGiulia BeMaría BecerraBizarrapBozaZoe GotussoHumbeRita IndianaLassoPaloma MamiMarco MaresJuliana VelásquezBest Pop Vocal Album“Dios Los Cría,” Andrés Calamaro“Mis Manos,” Camilo“Munay,” Pedro Capó“K.O.,” Danna Paola“De México,” ReikBest Traditional Pop Vocal Album“Vértigo,” Pablo Alborán“Mis Amores,” Paula Arenas“Privé,” Juan Luis Guerra“Doce Margaritas,” Nella“Atlántico A Pie,” Diego TorresBest Pop Song“Adiós,” David Julca, Jonathan Julca, Pablo López and Sebastián Yatra, songwriters (Sebastián Yatra)“Ahí,” Javier Limón, songwriter (Nella)“Canción Bonita,” Rafa Arcaute, Ricky Martin, Mauricio Rengifo, Andrés Torres and Carlos Vives, songwriters (Carlos Vives and Ricky Martin)“La Mujer,” Mon Laferte, songwriter (Mon Laferte and Gloria Trevi)“Vida De Rico,” Édgar Barrera and Camilo, songwriters (Camilo)Best Urban Fusion/Performance“El Amor Es Una Moda,” Alcover, Juan Magan and Don Omar“Tattoo (Remix),” Rauw Alejandro and Camilo“Nathy Peluso: BZRP Music Sessions, Vol.36.,” Bizarrap and Nathy Peluso“Diplomatico,” Major Lazer featuring Guaynaa“Hawái (Remix),” Maluma and The WeekndBest Reggaeton Performance“Tu Veneno,” J. Balvin“La Tóxica,” Farruko“Bichota,” Karol G“Caramelo,” Ozuna“La Curiosidad,” Jay Wheeler, DJ Nelson and Myke TowersBest Urban Music Album“Goldo Funky,” Akapellah“El Último Tour Del Mundo,” Bad Bunny“Monarca,” Eladio Carrion“Enoc,” Ozuna“Lyke Mike,” Myke TowersBest Rap/Hip Hop Song“Booker T,” Bad Bunny and Marco Daniel Borrero, songwriters (Bad Bunny)“Condenados,” Akapellah and Pedro Querales, songwriters (Akapellah)“La Vendedora De Placer,” Lito MC Cassidy, songwriter (Lito MC Cassidy)“Sana Sana,” Rafa Arcaute, Gino Borri, Illmind, Ángel López, Nathy Peluso and Federico Vindver, songwriters (Nathy Peluso)“Snow Tha Product: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol.39,” Bizarrap and Snow Tha Product, songwriters (Bizarrap, Snow Tha Product)Best Urban Song“A Fuego,” Farina, Joshua Javier Méndez, Sech, Jonathan Emmanuel Tobar and Jorge Valdés Vásquez, songwriters (Farina)“Agua,” J Balvin, Alejandro Borrero, Jhay Cortez, Kevyn Mauricio Cruz Moreno, Derek Drymon, Mark Harrison, Stephen Hillenburg, Alejandro Ramírez, Ivanni Rodríguez, Blaise Smith, Tainy and Juan Camilo Vargas, songwriters (Tainy and J Balvin)“Dákiti,” Bad Bunny, Jhay Cortez, Nydia Laner, Gabriel Mora, Egbert Rosa and Tainy, songwriters (Bad Bunny and Jhay Cortez)“La Curiosidad,” Myke Towers and Jay Wheeler, songwriters (Jay Wheeler, DJ Nelson and Myke Towers)“Patria Y Vida,” Descemer Bueno, El Funky, Gente De Zona, Yadam González, Beatriz Luengo, Maykel Osorbo and Yotuel, songwriters (Yotuel, Gente De Zona, Descemer Bueno, Maykel Osorbo and El Funky)Best Rock Album“Curso De Levitación Intensivo,” Bunbury“Control,” Caramelos De Cianuro“Los Mesoneros Live Desde Pangea,” Los Mesoneros“Luz,” No Te Va Gustar“El Pozo Brillante,” VicenticoBest Rock Song“Ahora 1,” Vicentico, songwriter (Vicentico)“Distintos,” Andrés Giménez and Andreas Kisser, songwriters (De La Tierra)“El Sur,” Santi Balmes and Julián Saldarriaga, songwriters (Love Of Lesbian featuring Bunbury)“Hice Todo Mal,” Anabella Cartolano, songwriter (Las Ligas Menores)“Venganza,” Emiliano Brancciari and Nicki Nicole, songwriters (No Te Va Gustar y Nicki Nicole)Best Pop/Rock Album“Mira Lo Que Me Hiciste Hacer,” Diamante Eléctrico“Mis Grandes Éxitos,” Adan Jodorowsky and The French Kiss“Origen,” Juanes“V. E. H. N.,” Love of Lesbian“El Reflejo,” Rayos LaserBest Pop/Rock Song“A Veces,” Diamante Eléctrico, songwriters (Diamante Eléctrico)“Cosmos (Antisistema Solar),” Santi Balmes and Julián Saldarriaga, songwriters (Love Of Lesbian)“El Duelo,” Sergio Eduardo Acosta and León Larregui, songwriters (Zoé)“Ganas,” Zoe Gotusso, Nicolás Landa and Diego Mema, songwriters (Zoe Gotusso)“Hong Kong,” Alizzz, Andrés Calamaro, Jorge Drexler, Víctor Martínez and C. Tangana, songwriters (C. Tangana and Andrés Calamaro)Best Alternative Music Album“KiCk i,” Arca“Tropiplop,” Aterciopelados“Cabra,” Cabra“Un Segundo MTV Unplugged,” Café Tacvba“Calambre,” Nathy PelusoBest Alternative Song“Agarrate,” Rafa Arcaute, Pedro Campos and Nathy Peluso, songwriters (Nathy Peluso)“Antidiva,” Andrea Echeverri, songwriter (Aterciopelados)“Confía,” Gepe, songwriter (Gepe and Vicentico)“Nominao,” Alizzz, Jorge Drexler and C. Tangana, songwriters (C. Tangana and Jorge Drexler)“Te Olvidaste,” Omar Apollo, Rafa Arcaute, C. Tangana and Federico Vindver, songwriters (C. Tangana and Omar Apollo)Best Salsa Album“Salsa Plus!,” Rubén Blades y Roberto Delgado and Orquesta“En Cuarentena,” El Gran Combo De Puerto Rico“El Día Es Hoy,” Willy García“Colegas,” Gilberto Santa Rosa“En Barranquilla Me Quedo, El Disco Homenaje A Joe Arroyo,” Various Artists, José Gaviria and Milton Salcedo, album producersBest Cumbia/Vallento Album“Las Locuras Mías,” Silvestre Dangond“Pa’ Que Se Esmigajen Los Parlantes,” Diego Daza and Carlos Rueda“De Buenos Aires Para El Mundo,” Los Ángeles Azules“Esencia,” Felipe Peláez“Noche De Serenata,” Osmar Pérez and Geño GamezBest Merengue/Bachata Album“Bachata Queen,” Alexandra“Love Dance Merengue,” Manny Cruz“El Papá De La Bachata, Su Legado (Añoñado I, II, III, IV),” Luis Segura“Es Merengue ¿Algún Problema?,” Sergio Vargas“Insensatez,” Fernando VillalonaBest Traditional Tropical Album“Gente Con Alma,” José Aguirre Cali Big Band“Chabuco En La Habana,” Chabuco“Cha Cha Chá: Homenaje A Lo Tradicional,” Alain Pérez, Issac Delgado y Orquesta Aragón“Solos,” Jon Secada and Gonzalo Rubalcaba“Alma Cubana,” Leoni TorresBest Contemporary Tropical Album“Legendarios,” Billos“Río Abajo,” Diana Burco“Brazil305,” Gloria Estefan“Acertijos,” Pedrito Martínez“La Música Del Carnaval – XX Aniversario,” Juventino Ojito y Su Son MocanáBest Tropical Song“Bolero A La Vida,” Santiago Larramendi and Gaby Moreno, songwriters (Omara Portuondo featuring Gaby Moreno)“Dios Así Lo Quiso,” Camilo, David Julca, Jonathan Julca, Yasmil Marrufo and Ricardo Montaner, songwriters (Ricardo Montaner and Juan Luis Guerra)“Mas Feliz Que Ayer,” Alfredo Nodarse, songwriter (Chabuco)“Pambiche De Novia,” Juan Luis Guerra, songwriter (Juan Luis Guerra)“Un Sueño Increíble (Homenaje A Jairo Varela),” Jorge Luis Piloto, songwriter (Dayhan Díaz and Charlie Cardona)Best Singer-Songwriter Album“Alemorología,” AleMor“Mendó,” Alex Cuba“Seis,” Mon Laferte“Mañana Te Escribo Otra Canción,” Covi Quintana“El Árbol y El Bosque,” RozalénBest Ranchero/Mariachi Album“Cuando Te Enamores,” El Bebeto“A Mis 80’s,” Vicente Fernández“#Charramillennial – Lady,” Nora González“Ayayay! (Súper Deluxe),” Christian Nodal“Soy México,” Pike RomeroBest Banda Album“Concierto Mundial Digital Live,” Banda El Recodo De Cruz Lizárraga“Vivir La Vida,” Banda Los Recoditos“Sin Miedo Al Éxito,” Banda Los Sebastianes“Llegando Al Rancho,” Joss Favela“Nos Divertimos Logrando Lo Imposible,” Grupo FirmeBest Tejano Album“Pa’ la Pista y Pa’l Pisto, Vol. 2,” El Plan“Back On Track,” Ram Herrera“Histórico,” La Fiebre“Incomparable,” Solido“Un Beso Es Suficiente,” VilaxBest Norteño Album“Vamos Bien,” Calibre 50“De Vieja Escuela,” Gera Demara“Diez,” La Energía Norteña“Al Estilo Rancherón,” Los Dos Carnales“Recordando A Una Leyenda,” Los Plebes Del Rancho De Ariel Camacho y Christian Nodal“Volando Alto,” PalomoBest Regional Song“Aquí Abajo,” Edgar Barrera, René Humberto Lau Ibarra and Christian Nodal, songwriters (Christian Nodal)“Cicatrices,” Pepe Portilla, songwriter (Nora González Con Lupita Infante)“40 y 21,” Erika Vidrio, songwriter (Beto Zapata)“Que Se Sepa Nuestro Amor,” El David Aguilar and Mon Laferte, songwriters (Mon Laferte & Alejandro Fernández)“Tuyo y Mío,” Édgar Barrera, Camilo and Alfonso De Jesús Quezada Mancha, songwriters (Camilo and Los Dos Carnales)Best Instrumental Album“Entretiempo y Tiempo,” Omar Acosta and Sergio Menem“Cristóvão Bastos e Rogério Caetano,” Cristovão Bastos and Rogério Caetano“Canto Da Praya – Ao Vivo,” Hamilton De Holanda and Mestrinho“Le Petit Garage (Live),” Ara Malikian“Toquinho e Yamandu Costa – Bachianinha – (Live at Rio Montreux Jazz Festival),” Toquinho and Yamandu CostaBest Folk Album“Amor Pasado,” Leonel García“Jemas,” Tato Marenco“Ancestras,” Petrona Martinez“Renacer,” Nahuel Pennisi“Vocal,” Alejandro ZavalaBest Tango Album“Tango Of The Americas,” Pan American Symphony Orchestra“348,” Federico Pereiro“100 Años,” Quinteto Revolucionario“Tanghetto Plays Piazzolla,” Tanghetto“Tinto Tango Plays Piazzolla,” Tinto TangoBest Flamenco Album“Alma De Pura Raza,” Paco Candela“Un Nuevo Universo,” Pepe De Lucía“Amor,” Israel Fernández and Diego Del Morao“Herencia,” Rafael Riqueni“El Rey,” María ToledoBest Latin Jazz/Jazz Album“Bruma: Celebrating Milton Nascimento,” Antonio Adolfo“Ontology,” Roxana Amed“Family,” Edmar Castaneda“Voyager,” Iván Melon Lewis“El Arte Del Bolero,” Miguel Zenón and Luis PerdomoBest Christian Album (Spanish Language)“Hora Dorada,” Anagrace“Ya Me Vi,” Aroddy“Redención,” Aline Barros“Vida Encontré,” Majo y Dan“Milagro De Amar,” William PerdomoBest Portuguese Language Christian Album“Catarse: Lado B,” Daniela Araújo“Sarah Farias (Ao Vivo),” Sarah Farias“Seguir Teu Coração,” Anderson Freire“Sentido,” Leonardo Gonçalves“Elis Soares 10 Anos,” Eli SoaresBest Portuguese Language Contemporary Pop Album“Cor,” Anavitória“A Bolha,” Vitor Kley“Duda Beat & Nando Reis,” Nando Reis and Duda Beat“Será Que Você Vai Acreditar?,” Fernanda Takai“Chegamos Sozinhos Em Casa Vol1,” TuyoBest Portuguese Language Rock or Alternative Album“Álbum Rosa,” A Cor Do Som“Emidoinã,” André Abujamra“Oxeaxeexu,” BaianaSystem“Assim Tocam Meus Tambores,” Marcelo D2“Fôlego,” Scalene“O Bar Me Chama,” Velhas VirgensBest Samba/Pagode Album“Rio: Só Vendo A Vista,” Martinho Da Vila“Sempre Se Pode Sonhar,” Paulinho Da Viola“Nei Lopes, Projeto Coisa Fina e Guga Stroeter No Pagode Black Tie,” Nei Lopes, Projeto Coisa Fina e Guga Stroeter“Samba De Verão,” Diogo Nogueira“Onze (Músicas Inéditas De Adoniran Barbosa),” Various ArtistsBest MPB (Musica Popular Brasileira) Album“Canções d’Além Mar,” Zeca Baleiro“H.O.J.E,” Delia Fischer“Tempo de Viver,” Thiago Holanda“Bom Mesmo é Estar Debaixo D´água,” Luedji Luna“Do Meu Coração Nu,” Zé ManoelBest Sertaneja Music Album“Tempo de Romance,” Chitãozinho e Xororó“Daniel em Casa,” Daniel“Patroas,” Marília Mendonça, Maiara & Maraísa“Conquistas,” Os Barões da Pisadinha“Pra Ouvir no Fone,” Michel TelóBest Portuguese Language Roots Album“Sambadeiras,” Luiz Caldas“Do Coração,” Sara Correia“Orin A Língua Dos Anjos,” Orquestra Afrosinfônica“Eu e Vocês,” Elba Ramalho“Arraiá Da Veveta,” Ivete SangaloBest Portuguese Language Song“A Cidade,” Francisco Ribeiro Eller and Lucas Veneu Videla, songwriters (Chico Chico e João Mantuano)“Amores e Flores,” Diogo Melim and Rodrigo Melim, songwriters (Melim)“Espera a Primavera,” Nando Reis, songwriter (Nando Reis)“Lágrimas De Alegria,” Tales De Polli and Deko, songwriters (Maneva and Natiruts)“Lisboa,” Ana Caetano & Paulo Novaes, songwriters (Anavitória e Lenine)“Mulheres Não Têm Que Chorar,” Tiê Castro, Emicida and Guga Fernandes, songwriters (Ivete Sangalo and Emicida)Best Latin Children’s Album“Otra Vuelta Al Sol,” Edith Derdyk, Daniel Escobar, Luis Fernando Franco, Jesús David Garcés, Fito Hernández, Paulo Tatit and José Julián Villa, album producers“Danilo & Chapis, Vol. 1,” Danilo & Chapis“Canciones De Cuna,” Mi Casa Es Tu Casa“Nanas Consentidoras,” Victoria Sur“Tu Rockcito Filarmónico,” Tu Rockcito y Orquesta Filarmónica De MedellínBest Classical Album“Beethoven: Révolution, Symphonies 1 à 5,” Jordi Savall and Le Concert des Nations; Jordi Savall, conductor; Manuel Mohino, album producer“Claudio Santoro: a Obra Integral para Violoncelo e Piano,” Ney Fialkow and Hugo Pilger; Maria de Fátima Nunes Pilger and Hugo Pilger, album producers“Latin American Classics,” Kristhyan Benitez; Jon Feidner, album producer“Music From Cuba And Spain, Sierra: Sonata Para Guitarra,” Manuel Barrueco; Asgerdur Sigurdardottir, album producer“Tres Historias Concertantes,” Héctor Infanzón; Konstantin Dobroykov, conductor; Héctor Infanzón, album producerBest Classical Contemporary Composition“Concierto Para Violín y Orquesta-Remembranzas,” Héctor Infanzón, composer (Héctor Infanzón and William Harvey)“Cuatro,” Orlando Jacinto García, composer (Orlando Jacinto García featuring Amernet String Quartet)“Desde La Tierra Que Habito,” Eddie Mora, composer (Ensamble Contemporáneo Universitario (ECU) and Banda de Conciertos de Cartago (BCC))“Falling Out Of Time,” Osvaldo Golijov, composer (Osvaldo Golijov)“Music From Cuba And Spain, Sierra: Sonata Para Guitarra,” Roberto Sierra, composer (Manuel Barrueco)Best Arrangement“Blue In Green (Sky And Sea),” Kendall Moore, arranger (Roxana Amed)“Tierra Mestiza,” César Orozco, arranger (America Viva Band)“Adiós Nonino,” Jorge Calandrelli, arranger (Jorge Calandrelli)“Um Beijo,” Vince Mendoza, arranger (Melody Gardot)“Ojalá Que Llueva Café (Versión Privé),” Juan Luis Guerra, arranger (Juan Luis Guerra)Best Recording Package“Colegas,” Ana Gonzalez, art director (Gilberto Santa Rosa)“Lo Que Me Dé La Gana,” Boa Mistura, art directors (Dani Martín)“Madrid Nuclear,” Emilio Lorente, art director (Leiva)“Puta,” Emilio Lorente, art director (Zahara)“Tragas O Escupes,” Marc Donés, art director (Jarabe De Palo)Best Engineered Album“Bpm,” Nelson Carvalho, engineer; Leo Aldrey and Rafael Giner, mixers; Tiago De Sousa, mastering engineer (Salvador Sobral)“Bruma: Celebrating Milton Nascimento,” Roger Freret, engineer; Claudio Spiewak, mixer; André Dias, mastering engineer (Antonio Adolfo)“El Madrileño,” Orlando Aispuro Meneses, Daniel Alanís, Alizzz, Rafa Arcaute, Josdán Luis Cohimbra Acosta, Miguel De La Vega, Máximo Espinosa Rosell, Alex Ferrer, Luis Garcié, Billy Garedella, Patrick Liotard, Ed Maverick, Beto Mendonça, Jaime Navarro, Alberto Pérez, Nathan Phillips, Harto Rodríguez, Jason Staniulis and Federico Vindver, engineers; Delbert Bowers, Alex Ferrer, Jaycen Joshua, Nineteen85, Lewis Pickett, Alex Psaroudakis and Raül Refree, mixers; Chris Athens, mastering engineer (C. Tangana)“Iceberg,” Mauro Araújo, Tó Brandileone, Kassin, Luciano Scalercio and Alê Siqueira, engineers; Kassin and Arthur Luna, mixers; Carlos de Freitas, mastering engineer (Priscila Tossan)“Un Canto Por México, Vol. II,” Pepe Aguilar, Rodrigo Cuevas, José Luis Fernández, Camilo Froideval, Edson R. Heredia, Manu Jalil, Rubén López Arista, Nacho Molino, David Montuy, Lucas Nunes, Alan Ortiz Grande and Alan Saucedo, engineers; Rubén López Arista, mixer; Michael Fuller, mastering engineer (Natalia Lafourcade)Producer of the YearAlizzzEdgar BarreraMarcos SánchezBizarrapDan WarnerBest Short Form Music Video“Un Amor Eterno,” Marc Anthony“Reza Forte,” BaianaSystem featuring BNegão“Mi Huella,” Fuel Fandango featuring Maria Jose Llergo“Visceral,” Fran, Carlos Do Complexo & Bibi Caetano“De Una Vez,” Selena GomezBest Long Form Music Video“Un Segundo MTV Unplugged,” Café Tacvba“Mulher,” Carolina Deslandes“Entre Mar Y Palmeras,” Juan Luis Guerra“Origen (Documental),” Juanes“Quien Me Tañe Escucha Mis Voces (Documental),” Gastón Lafourcade More

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    Lana Del Rey’s Sisterly Solidarity, and 10 More New Songs

    Hear tracks by Miranda Lambert, Summer Walker, My Morning Jacket and others.Every Friday, pop critics for The New York Times weigh in on the week’s most notable new songs and videos. Just want the music? Listen to the Playlist on Spotify here (or find our profile: nytimes). Like what you hear? Let us know at theplaylist@nytimes.com and sign up for our Louder newsletter, a once-a-week blast of our pop music coverage.Lana Del Rey, ‘Blue Banisters’“Blue Banisters,” out Friday, is the ever-prolific Lana Del Rey’s second album released this year, and its melodically roving title track feels like a kind of spiritual sequel to “Dance Till We Die” from her previous record, “Chemtrails Over the Country Club.” Del Rey’s music has recently become populated with a kind of coterie of female first names, giving many of her songs an insular yet invitingly chummy atmosphere. If “Dance Till We Die” was a kind of matriarchal communion with some of her musical heroes (“I’m covering Joni and dancing with Joan/Stevie’s calling on the telephone”), “Blue Banisters” finds her getting by with a little help from her less famous friends. This vaporous, searching piano ballad ponders a choice between settling down into conventional, wifely femininity and living a more restless and solitary artist’s life: “Most men don’t want a woman with a legacy,” Del Rey sings, quoting her friend Jenny’s poolside musings. By the end of the song, though, she’s eked out a third option, neither in love nor alone, surrounded by “all my sisters” who come together to paint her banisters a different hue than the one her ex once preferred. For all the criticism Del Rey bore early in her career for conjuring the loneliness of embodying a male fantasy, it’s been fascinating to watch her music gradually turn into a space warmed by romantic friendship and female solidarity. LINDSAY ZOLADZMiranda Lambert, ‘If I Was a Cowboy’Beyoncé famously mused “If I Were a Boy”; Miranda Lambert is now giving a similar song-length thought exercise a countrified twist. “If I Was a Cowboy” — Lambert’s first solo single since her eclectic, Grammy-winning 2019 album “Wildcard” — finds her in a breezy, laid-back register, as opposed to her more fiery fare. But the song’s outlaw attitude and clever gender commentary give “If I Was a Cowboy” a casually rebellious spirit. “So mamas, if your daughters grow up to be cowboys,” Lambert sings on the smirking bridge, “ … so what?” ZOLADZMy Morning Jacket, ‘Lucky to Be Alive’The seventh track on My Morning Jacket’s new album — its first in six years, and ninth overall — is an especially succinct encapsulation of two things the Louisville band has always been able to do well. The first half of the song is all effortlessly playful, carnivalesque pop (with the frontman Jim James hamming up his growly delivery of the word “aliiiiive”). Halfway through, though, “Lucky to Be Alive” transforms into the sort of psychedelic, Laser-Floyd jam session that suggests why MMJ has built a reputation as a stellar live band. Put the two sides together and you get the song’s — and perhaps the band’s — overall mantra: Always look on the bright side of the moon. ZOLADZAlex Lahey, ‘Spike the Punch’Here’s a potent blast of sweetly spring-wound power-pop, courtesy of the underrated Australian singer-songwriter Alex Lahey. If you’ve ever thrown a party at which the guests have lingered a little too long, this one’s for you and your beloved: “Spike the punch and get everyone sent home, so in the end it’s you and me dancing all alone.” ZOLADZSnail Mail, ‘Ben Franklin’The enticing second single from Snail Mail’s upcoming album, “Valentine,” finds Lindsey Jordan growling and vamping atop a slinky bass line. “I never should have hurt you,” she sings in a low register, “I’ve got the devil in me.” Jordan’s just as winningly charismatic in the music video: Come to see her channel VMA-snake-era Britney Spears as a yellow python slithers across her shoulders; stay to watch her share an ice cream cone with a puppy. ZOLADZSummer Walker featuring JT from City Girls, ‘Ex for a Reason’If the title suggests a kiss-off directed at a past boyfriend, think again: “Ex for a Reason” turns out to be a sharp-tongued warning to a current man’s stubbornly lingering former flame — consider it a kind of R-rated “The Boy Is Mine.” Summer Walker spits venom in a deliciously incongruous, laid-back croon (“Tonight I’ll end it all/spin the block two, three times, make sure all the cancer’s gone”), before JT from City Girls steps in to land the fatal blow, with gusto. ZOLADZÁlvaro Díaz featuring Rauw Alejandro, ‘Problemón’There are plenty of entanglement anthems in reggaeton, but the Puerto Rican singers Álvaro Díaz and Rauw Alejandro are masters of perreo desire. For their latest collaboration, “Problemón,” the pair tackle a tricky situation: a partner lied about being single, and now a romance has to be kept under wraps. Díaz and Alejandro put melody front and center on a track that spotlights the contours of their addictive pop. It’s an easy addition to sad girl reggaeton playlists. ISABELIA HERRERASam Wilkes, ‘One Theme’The bassist and producer Sam Wilkes has been gaining popularity among both jazz fans and beat-heads thanks to a series of woozy analog-tape recordings with the saxophonist Sam Gendel. On Friday, Wilkes released an album of his own, “One Theme and Subsequent Improvisation,” which flows from an equally viscid vein. He went into the studio with two drummer friends to record a lengthy improvisation, then picked apart and edited that recording, and had two keyboardists subsequently lay their own improvisations over it. The end product is a magnetic album that revolves around, and often spins out far away from, the harmonized bass figure that opens the album’s opening track, “One Theme.” Across 33 minutes, Wilkes can sometimes call up minimalist voyagers like William Basinski or even Éliane Radigue, or he can wind up in post-rock territory — especially when the twin drummers take the wheel. (Gendel also released a single this week, a wholesale reworking of Laurie Anderson’s “Sweaters,” from her hit experimental album from 1982, “Big Science.”) GIOVANNI RUSSONELLOJlin, ‘Embryo’“Embryo,” from the producer Jlin, is pure electronic calisthenics. A buzzing synth flutters through the track like a nettlesome fly in your ear as a high-intensity workout session commences with overblown bass, thumping drums and four-on-the-floor rhythms that flicker in and out of focus. Before you know it, the whole thing is over, and your heart will need some recovery time. HERRERAAnimal Collective, ‘Prester John’The first offering from Animal Collective’s forthcoming album “Time Skiffs” (which will be out in February 2022) is surprisingly bass-heavy, a gently hypnotic groove that unfolds across a pleasantly unhurried six-and-a-half minutes. As far as Animal Collective songs go, it’s relatively tame — devoid of its signature freak-out shrieks and sounding more like a cross between the Beach Boys and Grizzly Bear, as the quartet’s voices join in stirring harmony. Still, it feels like a natural step in the indie stalwarts’ gradual evolution, the sound of a band once so fascinated with childlike awe acquiescing to their own version of maturity. ZOLADZKazemde George, ‘This Spring’For the young, Brooklyn-based tenor saxophonist Kazemde George, to insist doesn’t necessarily mean raising the volume or pushing idiosyncrasy. His debut album — titled “I Insist” in a reference to jazz’s protest tradition, and to Max Roach specifically — is mostly about laying a claim to the straight-ahead jazz mantle. With a brisk swing feel and a set of suspenseful chord changes that only half-resolve, “This Spring” is one of 10 original compositions on the record, but it also would’ve been at home on an album from a young saxophonist 30 years ago, during jazz’s Neo-Classicist revival. Throughout, what George insists upon most — from himself and his bandmates — is clarity: Melody is never sacrificed to flair or crossfire, even as the momentum builds. RUSSONELLO More

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    Rauw Alejandro Draws a Fresh Blueprint for Spanish-Language Pop

    On “Vice Versa,” the Puerto Rican singer traverses the lines of house music, baile funk, bolero and beyond, shirking convention and opening possibilities.“¿Cuándo fue?,” the 10th track from Rauw Alejandro’s new album “Vice Versa,” provides an unexpected jolt. As the Puerto Rican singer mourns the departure of a lover, the producer Tainy blends rivulets of synths and delicate percussion, allowing them to bleed into a hiss of hot air. Suddenly, a skittish breakbeat drops, plunging the track into rave territory. The transition is like a static shock, the equivalent of shuffling across the floor in warm socks and touching a doorknob.Ten years ago, it was perhaps unimaginable to hear this kind of moment on a mainstream Spanish-language star’s album. But Alejandro refuses to be pigeonholed into one sound. The 28-year-old artist has quietly emerged as a musical renegade, even as he’s maintained a commanding presence in the upper echelons of Latin pop.“Vice Versa,” which follows last year’s “Afrodisíaco,” elaborates on that vision, embracing melody and an unflinching (but calculated) desire to implode the traditional structures of pop and reggaeton. The album traverses the lines of house music, baile funk, bolero and beyond, shirking convention and reveling in the thrill of boundlessness. No matter the genre, Alejandro assumes the role of a playboy, delivering songs of love, lust and bombast.Alejandro surfaced from the creative playground of SoundCloud in 2014 with his first mixtape, “Punto de equilibrio.” “Trap Cake, Vol. 1” was his first formal release, a 2019 EP that positioned him as a forerunner of the putative Spanish-language R&B movement. But he shed that label with “Afrodisíaco,” which signaled a desire to jettison the constraints of genre. It included requisite features from reggaeton and trap heavy hitters like J Balvin and Anuel AA, necessary for any newcomer hoping to establish his relevance. But it also dabbled in house and synth pop, suggesting Alejandro had more ambitious designs in mind.“Vice Versa” expands on those experimental endeavors, partially bolstered by the work of Tainy, the mad scientist behind some of Bad Bunny’s most virtuosic, boundary-pushing tracks. Alejandro draws on elements of club culture on the album’s other songs, too: “Cosa guapa” — produced by Eydren Con El Ritmo, Mr. NaisGai, El Zorro, Kenobi and Caleb Calloway — opens as a not-quite-dancehall elegy for a former flame, but transforms into vengeful deep house, pierced by eerie sirens and the liquid groove of a four-on-the-floor rhythm. “Let me tell you something,” Alejandro warns in English. “I don’t need you anymore.”Though electronic music is the protagonist of Alejandro’s innovation on “Vice Versa,” he ventures into other worlds too. “Brazilera,” which features the Rio de Janeiro-born superstar Anitta, is a delicious romp into baile funk, the familiar boom-cha-cha-cha-cha of the genre slowing to a reggaeton tempo about halfway through, only to accelerate back into its original lightning speed seconds later. Anitta peppers the track with a coy dance-floor command that demands to be yelled at full volume at the club after 15 months of confinement.“Vice Versa” is Alejandro’s second full-length album.The honeyed textures of Alejandro’s voice, foregrounded on the R&B-trap-reggaeton hybrid “Aquel nap ZzZz,” set him apart from pop-reggaeton vocalists whose melodies tend to overflow with cloying sentimentality. He also has a knack for strategically deploying nostalgia: “La old skul” nods to early ’00s reggaeton, sampling genre-defining classics like Daddy Yankee and Nicky Jam’s “En la cama,” as well as Sir Speedy’s “Siéntelo.”Taken together, these maneuvers are signs of a necessary expansion of potential for Alejandro and Spanish-language pop at large. Much of the mainstream music topping the Billboard Latin charts today falls into predictable templates, diluting the most dynamic elements of reggaeton into a pop format — a reality that has produced much-needed critiques surrounding the genre’s whitewashing. For the most part, Alejandro sidesteps that pitfall by drawing from a more eclectic palette.Alejandro’s experimentation isn’t always successful, though: “Nubes” is saccharine pop-reggaeton engineered to be a radio hit, while “Tengo un pal” is anodyne trap-pop that leans a little too heavily on facsimiles of Travis Scott ad-libs. But the valleys of “Vice Versa” are few and far between. With his collaborators and beatmakers, he has drawn a blueprint for the freakier possibilities of Spanish-language pop. Now their peers will have to learn to catch up — or be consigned to a lifetime of making watered-down reggaeton. More