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Written by the La La Lista Music Writers staff: Evy Duskey, Jorge Farah, Jamie Larson, Emilyann McKelvey, Ezequiel Mancilla, Pablo Pérez, Julián Alejo Sosa, Margaux Williams.
Hi there! It’s been a while. How’ve you been? You look wonderful. Did you change your hair? Whatever you’re doing, keep it up — you look amazing.
As the La La Lista content machine wakes from its annual summer slumber, we shake off the last remaining vestiges of 2021. It was a year that started with some promise and eventually corroded into an even stranger facsimile of its butt-ugly predecessor. But it was, indeed, better. We got to see each other again, we got to experience the joy of live music again, and for a brief window of time things almost felt normal. And though that window was slammed shut with a vengeance, things are looking up from their very grimmest, and we find ourselves inching closer and closer to unabashed optimism.
At the risk of giving you more information than you ever wanted to know about your favorite lil’ independent culture magazine, it’s been tough. Many of the plans and expansions we had visualized for ourselves had to be set aside temporarily. Events, audiovisual content, ambitious plans for rapid expansion – there’s much that had to be put to ice over the course of the last 24 months. But one thing that has not faltered in the slightest is our enthusiasm for the local cultural scene, and we use that as our proverbial lighthouse off in the distance, or the wind in our sails pushing us forward, or a third maritime metaphor.
The fact is: we’re back from summer break, and our return happens to coincide with Valentine’s Day. And since playlists are our bread and butter, we thought we’d put a quick little playlist together consisting of local love songs hand-picked by our music writers. To tell you that we love you. That we missed you. That we’re looking forward to seeing more of you. And that we’re thinking of you always.
Happy Valentine’s day.
“No te Olvides de Mí” – María Codino: The sounds of rushing water and rolling thunder give way to guitar arpeggios and synthetic beats, and María Codino’s confessional lyrics at the heart of this lovely love song.
“Butterflies” – Amelia: A two-minute heart-on-the-sleeve confession of deep, profound love, over a lighthearted pop beat.
“Voy a Dejar de Amarte” – Pablo Caputto: A funky breakup song accompanied by smoother-than-smooth woodwinds. The lyrics say “I’m going to stop loving you” but we all know that’s not true.
“Fantasma” – Loli Molina: A display of lost love, whether it be in the literal or figurative sense. It seems crazy that a song that seems to express such sadness also seems to express so much love. Much like Valentine’s day for a lot of people it can be a joyous or reflective event.
“Música de Besos” – Lucila Pivetta: This gorgeous ballad swirls and unfurls all around you, capturing in its arrangement the dizzying rush of infatuation. Pivetta describes a longing to feel the warmth of February in her chest. We know that feel all too well.
“Calvas Margaritas” – Gabo Ferro: Perfectly puts into words that feeling of anxiety that kicks in during the early infatuation phase of a relationship. This song confirms what we’ve all known all along: there are few things in life as heartbreaking as a man plucking daisies while singing the fuck out of a chacarera.
“Unrequited Love Lasts Forever” – Emily And: This lovely little pop song tells the firsthand story of a crush, which, according to the lyrics, has been going strong for at least 6 years.
“Tus Historias” – Lea Franov: Is it even a romance if you’re not longingly staring at your phone multiple times a day? This gorgeous tune and accompanying video came out at the tail end of the lockdown, and although a lot has changed in the last 1.5 years, the digitalization of our collective pining is here to stay.
“Clavícula” – Lucy Patané: Part slithering acoustic guitar, part booming behemoth, and shy under the three-minute mark is a lambada of lascivious and hungry love.
“Cuando te Canto” – María Pien: Written by GULI and included as part of María’s collection Afuera El Sol Estalla. “I’m not afraid when I sing to you, love.”
“Dame Un Beso” – El Doctor: Underground rap phenomenon El Doctor shows us his sensitive, romantic side. In, of course, the most explicit way possible