Every now and then, a defying force shifts the music paradigm forever; Spanish singer-songwriter Rosalía has done exactly that. Her genius, ferocity and tenderness – paired with her ability for nailing the perfect album formula – have rightfully propelled her to a level of global devotion, becoming the pulse of a generation. ‘El Mal Querer’ (her 2018 thesis project and breakthrough work) pulled flamenco into the future, fusing its deep traditions with throbbing R&B. Meanwhile, ‘Motomami’ mixed Latin American sounds like cumbia and reggaeton into addictive, elastic melodies. Now she returns with ‘LUX’: a full-scale reinvention of her sound, divine yet cut with raw, human edge, sung across 13 languages and aimed straight at the global bloodstream. An album, so good in fact, that we awarded it second place in our Albums of the Year list.
If you’re a fan of ‘LUX’, here are five emerging Spanish artists you should check out.
BB Trickz
BB Trickz, the project of Catalan rapper Belize Nicolau Kazi, emerged as one of the scene’s most mischievous provocateurs with the release of her debut single ‘Missionsuicida’ in 2023. Her catalogue of quick-hit, sugar-rush tracks mixes hip-hop, UK garage and drill, delivered with a loose, freestyle energy. After two EPs, her momentum vaulted further when she appeared on the ‘Club Classics’ remix from Charli XCX’s late-2024 rework, Brat and It’s Completely Different but Also Still Brat.
Listen to: ‘Dices que’
Judeline
At 22, Cádiz native Lara Fernández Castrelo (professionally known as Judeline) twists Flamenco’s roots into R&B, ambient, and electronic, shaped equally by her region’s rhythms and her father’s Venezuelan heritage. On Bodhiria, her first studio album released last year (2024), her lyrical voice rides melancholic beats that feel both intimate and atmospheric, joining a genre-slipping fluency that mirrors a generation of young Spanish artists rewriting the rulebook.
Listen to: ‘INRI’
María Arnal
María Arnal specialises in something more spectral. The Barcelona-based singer and composer has carved out a singular space with her blend of avant-pop, experimental electronics and reimagined polyphonic traditions. Across her two studio albums, Arnal’s work leans into the intersection of technology, memory and the human voice, tracing the boundaries between folklore and futurism.
Listen to: ‘AMA’
María José Llergo
A pulsing rhythm and a voice that waxes lyrical define María José Llergo’s irresistible sound. Though rooted in Flamenco, her register folds easily into jazz, R&B and urban textures. A graduate of the Catalonia School of Music, she studied under José Miguel ‘Chiqui’ Vizcaya, a revered Flamenco master who also mentored Rosalía.
Listen to: ‘RUEDA, RUEDA’
Queralt Lahoz
Born in Catalonia with Andalusian roots, Lahoz fuses flamenco tradition with the pulse of contemporary hip-hop and lyrics that strike with intent. Her debut EP, 1917, unfolded as a five-track homage to the women who shaped her world, each song a vignette of defiance and devotion. Her first studio album, Pureza, arrived in 2021, a record that feels both intimate and expansive. What’s to come will surely be as compelling.
Listen to: ‘LA FE’
