'the De Los Podcast': Editors Talk Best Latin Music Of 2026, So Far

As 2026 reaches its halfway point, nan editors of De Los are eager to talk astir Latin artists to watch — and stock their hottest euphony takes. Over nan years, award-winning euphony journalist Suzy Exposito and Director of Latino Initiatives Fidel Martinez person documented nan emergence of genres for illustration reggaeton and música Mexicana successful mainstream culture.

In her activity for Vogue, The Times and Rolling Stone, Exposito has interviewed influential artists for illustration Shakira, Cardi B and Bad Bunny (the past of which made history arsenic nan first Rolling Stone screen communicative written by a Latina journalist).

Martinez has an awesome roster of his own, having interviewed galore stars successful nan Mexican and Chicano euphony scenes, from Fuerza Regida to Natalia Lafourcade.

Reflecting connected a landmark twelvemonth for Latin music

On this week’s section of “The De Los Podcast,” they measurement successful connected nan explosive effect of 2025 connected nan genre: betwixt Bad Bunny‘s Super Bowl halftime show and Karol G‘s Coachella headlining performance, past twelvemonth was thing short of a groundbreaking for Latin music.

“Being there, you could consciousness barriers coming down,” Martinez, who reported unrecorded from nan Super Bowl successful February, said. “It wasn’t Bad Bunny trying to validate america successful beforehand of others. It was him saying, ‘This is who we are, and we are proud of who we are.’”

According to nan RIAA, 2025 was nan first twelvemonth that Latin euphony income successful nan U.S. reached $1 billion, successful its 10th consecutive twelvemonth of growth. In 2016, American Latin euphony income were astatine conscionable beneath $150 million.

“It highlights really quickly and pinch what velocity nan genre has been taking off,” Martinez said.

However, arsenic Exposito notes, astatine times, it came astatine nan costs of originality.

A Latin euphony inclination that De Los is leaving down this year

“Our procreation is excessively joined to nan past,” Exposito said. “How tin we germinate musically if we support trying to re-create our grandparents’ music?”

Nostalgia, De Los editors note, has driven nan wide-ranging fame of past year’s astir successful Latin projects. As Exposito says, nan artists “mine nan past successful their ain ways.”

In Bad Bunny’s “DtMF” and Karol G’s “Tropicoqueta,” classical genres for illustration salsa, plena and cumbia took halfway stage. “DtMF” samples El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico while successful Fuerza Regida samples Mexican classics for illustration Vicente Fernández.

While comforting and acquisition for younger generations, Martinez argues that artists relying connected nostalgia could move that effort into becoming much experimental pinch their sound.

Some artists, however, are resisting nan nostalgia trend, making De Los’ champion albums database of 2026 … truthful far.

De Los’ 2026 Latin albums you request to hear

Suzy’s picks:

Alvaro Díaz, “Omakase”

“He’s experimental … and taking bold swings, pinch producers for illustration Tainy,” Exposito said.

“Omakase,” which nan Puerto Rican prima released successful May, blends Latin trap elements pinch electronic, R&B and successful 1 track, cumbia, for a diverse, thoughtful medium that Diaz equates successful his De Los story to nan Japanese crockery omakase, aliases a platter decided by nan chef.

RaiNao, “Marcría”

With a worldplay title that blends nan words “malcriada” (badly raised woman) and “cria por el mar” (born successful nan sea), RaiNao’s task promises earthly, friendly lyricism pinch experimental musicianship.

“The measurement she melds jazz pinch reggaeton and folkloric elements, I really enjoy,” Exposito said. “I really admit group (like RaiNao) who tin remix but besides present seemingly disparate elements, for illustration saxophone and Caribbean music.”

Other picks see Ibeyi’s “Offering” and Diles Que No Me Maten’s “Escrito en Agua.”

Fidel’s picks:

Julieta Venegas, “Norteña”

Venegas, who De Los interviewed past month, wrote a memoir alongside this album, which delves into her Tijuana practice pinch Mexican collaborators for illustration Bronco, is what Martinez calls “a chef’s kiss.”

“She’s specified a fascinating characteristic because she started arsenic an indie rocker,” Martinez said. “This medium is simply a emotion missive to Tijuana. It’s conscionable nan cleanable fusion of contented and pop.”

Hermanos Espinoza, “Linaje”

Two brothers from nan Rio Grande Valley, Hermanos Espinoza performed astatine De Los’ SXSW showcase and blew nan assemblage distant pinch their unrecorded power and accordion work.

“Their task talks astir lineage. This medium surely has a constituent of view,” Martinez said. “With this album, they said, música Mexicana tin beryllium for illustration stone and roll.”

Also connected nan database are Tito Doble P’s “Acomodo” and Trio Asesino’s self-titled.

To perceive much astir 2026’s emerging artists and De Los’ euphony basking takes, cheque retired “The De Los Podcast.”