Culled from our editors’ playlists, Billboard has put together a list of 30 personal favorite Latin love songs, just ahead of Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14). Ranging from ballads (“Bésame Mucho”) to regional Mexican songs (“Te Presumo”) and romantic vallenato (“Volví a Nacer”), the list of swoon-worthy tracks features classics (old and new) that have soundtracked multigenerational Latin households for decades.
These romantic Spanish-language songs — such as the lovely ballad “Contigo Aprendí” (1967) by Armando Manzanero, Carla Morrison’s modern love song “Eres Tú” (2012) and Franco De Vita‘s swoon-worthy “Te Amo” (1988) — became anthems to different generations, but they all have more than one thing in common: These songs are pure poetry. They include raw lyrics about the mystery of falling in love and the roller coaster of emotions that come from that magical, yet vulnerable, moment.
“I love you from the first time I saw you,” sings De Vita in “Te Amo,” which peaked at No. 2 on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart in 1989. “I had been looking for you for a long time and I imagined you this way. I define what I feel with these words.”
You probably didn’t expect some of the artists on the list, including Chalino Sánchez, the late Mexican singer who is best known for his corridos. But his 1992 “Alma Enamorada” with Banda Brava is a departure from his signature narcocorridos — or drug ballads. In “Alma,” he sings about having a soul that’s blindly in love. “Say if your heart has another love, or if there’s no one else, because my heart will die for you,” Sánchez sings over a slow tempo beat.
The list also includes tracks such as Intocable‘s “Sueña,” the norteño song that spent 13 weeks atop Billboard‘s Regional Mexican Airplay chart; as well as Maná’s achingly beautiful “Eres Mi Religión; Karol G‘s emotional “Ocean” and Juanes‘ rock ballad “Es Por Ti,” which earned the Colombian singer-songwriter record of the year and song of the year at the 2003 Latin Grammys.
Below, see the 30 canciones románticas that made our list, which you should consider adding to your Valentine’s Day-themed playlist. The songs are arranged in alphabetical order.
The post “The Best Latin Love Songs: Staff Picks” by Griselda Flores was published on 02/01/2024 by www.billboard.com