HOT 97 is a platform that strives for inclusivity and diversity. In this new music column, some of the best international musicians that are impacting listeners here in the U.S will be highlighted each week.
Bad Bunny
Bad Bunny hasn’t necessarily dropped anything new but yesterday (Feb. 6), he opened the 2023 Grammy Awards with a party-starting performance of his singles “El Apagon” and “Después de la Playa” so we had to bring it back. During the performance, he was surrounded by dozens of dancers and led a marching band down the center of the Crypto.com Arena to pay tribute to his native island of Puerto Rico. “El Apagón” is a song that celebrates the spirit of Puerto Rico while balancing that joy with references to the island’s broken infrastructure.
The two tracks are off his fourth solo studio album, Un Vernano Sin Ti . This 23-track project debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, marking Bad Bunny’s second No. 1 album and the second all-Spanish language album to top the chart. It spent 13 weeks at the top of the chart. It became the first Spanish-language album to earn a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year.
PinkPantheress
English singer PinkPantheress has joined forces with Ice Spice for a new remix titled “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2.” For the song, Ice Spice adds a verse about a two-timing guy she’s been dealing with. “Duckin’ my s**t, cause he know what I’m on / But when he hit me I’m not gonna respond / But I don’t sleep enough without you / And I can’t eat enough without you,” the Bronx native raps. This is a collaboration we didn’t know we needed from a baddie and her baddie friend.
Aya Nakamura
On Jan. 27, Malian-French singer Aya Nakamura released her fourth studio album, DNK, which features Tiakola, Myke Towers, and Kim. Her latest single off of the project is titled “Baby.” The 27-year-old prides herself on being the apple of someone else’s eye in the song. She sings in her native French vocals, “He wants cuddles here and there / Wants to touch here and there / Affection and all the rest / Between us, it’s too hot / Because I’m his baby, wants to become my daddy.” The track peaked at No. 3 on the National Syndicate of Phonographic Publishing chart in France.
Stonebwoy
Ghanaian Afro-dancehall artist Stonebwoy just released a new love song, “More Of You,” where he pours out to someone he’s feeling. “Baby you know I can’t get enough / I want more of you / Baby give me more and more and more,” the 34-year-old sings. This track is the second song released after Stonebwoy sealed a deal with Def Jam Recordings and Universal Music Group. According to reports, the singer is currently working on his new album.
Look out for more each week! What are your suggestions so far?