Happy Friday, Wildcats! Falvey Library is delivering you another semester of Weekend Recs, a blog dedicated to filling you in on what to read, listen to, and watch over the weekend. Annie, a graduate assistant from the Communication department, scours the internet, peruses the news, and digs through book stacks to find new, relevant, and thought-provoking content that will challenge you and prepare you for the upcoming week. 

I don’t know about you, but with the bad weather and the start of the semester, I could use a little more pep in my step, and for me, Latin pop music does just that.

Latin music is a catch-all for music from Latin America, Spain, Portugal, Latinos in North America, and music in the Spanish and Portuguese languages. Songs ranging from the classic “La Bamba,” sung by the late Ritchie Valens to “Despacito” all make up this diverse genre. This weekend’s recs will explore some recent Latin music (and as a bonus, will be a fun way for Spanish learners to practice their skills).

Photo by RDNE Stock project

If you have 3 minutes and 11 seconds…and like Bad Bunny, one of the biggest names in Latin music right now, watch his SNL skit with Please Don’t Destroy. Although he did great in all his skits, this one was my personal favorite.

Bonus: if you want to check out Bad Bunny’s acting chops further, watch him (briefly) in the 2022 movie Bullet Train.

If you have 3 minutes and 46 seconds…and want to listen to the Latin American Music Awards Song of the Year winner, listen to “MAMIII” by Becky G and Karol G.

Bonus: if you want a little throwback, listen to “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee.

If you have 15 minutes…and need to practice your Spanish, do a lesson on your favorite language-learning app or website. Personally, I’m a Duolingo user, but if you want a premium experience, you can sign up for a free Mango account with your Villanova email. Check out our access instructions here for more info.

If you have 44 minutes…and want to check out a new album, listen to Kali Uchis’s genre-crossing album Orquídeas, which was released this week. Kali Uchis is one of my go-to artists, and I’ve had “Munekito” and “Labios Mordidos” on repeat all week. As a bonus, given the slower tempo of her R&B influences and her Colombian dialect, her music is great for beginners learning Spanish.

If you have 2 hours and 7 minutes…and need a movie to watch, watch Selena, available through inter-library loan. Selena is a biopic, starring Jennifer Lopez, following the late and great Selena, a 90s Mexican pop singer.

If you have 3 hours…and want to discover some new songs to add to your rotation, listen to Spotify’s Viva Latino playlist.

If you have 5 hours…and want to learn more about the genre, check out Latin Music: Musicians, Genres, and Themes, available online through Falvey.

Annie Stockmal is a second-year graduate student in the Communication Department and Graduate Assistant in Falvey Library.