Hmm... Melanie Santiler

Spotify doesn’t just casually slide you into New Music Friday and hand you the number two slot on Fresh Finds Latin for nothing. Havana’s Melanie Santiler just dropped her debut album, LOS CISNES, through MamiFinaRecords/ONErpm, and my radar is buzzing. While everyone else is sticking to standard scripts, the 25-year-old is subverting Cuban reparto traditions, lacing the island’s street sound with sharp alternative and electronic textures on cuts like “CARIÑO.” She’s taking real risks, and it’s already translating. Don’t sleep.