Is the sun finally setting on Anglo music’s global hegemony? The question has been timely for the last few years, but 2023 felt like a more permanent breakthrough for Spanish-language pop. Consider, for one, that música mexicana artists stormed the Billboard Hot 100 chart this year; at one point, Peso Pluma held 14 concurrent spots on the list. Or note that Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti was Spotify’s most-streamed album of 2023. From pop-reggaeton to corridos tumbados to alt-flamenco, the most innovative purveyors are putting forth ideas faster than the charts can keep up with. Still, the U.S. media’s hyperfocus on commercial success veils a sinister neglect for independent artists across the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking world. Whether it’s Dominican pop-conceptualists or Mexican indie rockers, the underground continues to thrive, right alongside industry heavy hitters. Here are the year’s best songs and albums from Latine and Spanish artists, listed alphabetically.
Listen to selections from this list on our Spotify playlist and Apple Music playlist.
Check out all of Pitchfork’s 2023 wrap-up coverage here.
(All releases featured here are independently selected by our editors. When you buy something through our retail links, however, Pitchfork may earn an affiliate commission.)