chicken

This being summer in the northern hemisphere, and summer being the perfect time for weddings, and weddings being the ultimate nexus of comedy, pain, and terror (apart from this week’s Republican convention), it’s no surprise that two of this week’s debut videos feature newlywed hijinx. At #47 Hot Latin, the Los Angeles DJ Deorro has recruited Nuyorican merengue singer Elvis Crespo to sing the festive electrosalsa tune “Bailar.” Angling for the drop-heavy wedding reception market, Deorro has yoked the song to a video featuring an angry padre de la novia who keeps trying to sabotage his new son-in-law. A chicken suit makes a prominent appearance. The video will make you yearn for the trenchant realism of the Steve Martin movies, while the song itself might make you yearn for a couple more chord changes and a wall to bang your head against.

Equaling Deorro for NRG are Ojinaga’s sax stalwarts Los Rieleros del Norte, at #18 on the Regional Mexican airplay chart. Lead singer Daniel Esquivel narrates the song with a heart full of rue and a bloodstream full of liquor, “una botella en cada mano,” because his mujer has left him all alone. In the video, Esquivel’s tears are precipitated by the wedding of his daughter, who drives off with her young jagoff of a husband, leaving lonely Dad to his tequila distillery. “I’m still alive,” he sings, reassured by the undying riffage of chipper staccato sax and accordion. The video has a happy ending, but the song leaves room for doubt.

But the best new tune this week comes from La Séptima Banda, who switch between corridos and love songs and have no fear of swank. “Yo Si Me Enamoré” is a very swanky win-back-the-mujer song from the fiendish pen of Luciano Luna, the Diane Warren of the Sierra. It struts along to a gigantic swinging riff clearly inspired by ’50s r&b balladry — even the video takes place in a Johnny Rocket’s diner. “Fakery!” you cry. Well, yes — but when wooing a mujer, the painstaking attention to detail is the point of the display. Since I’m not a mujer being wooed, I mostly appreciate that Séptima doesn’t play the song too slow, and that new contrapuntal horn parts perpetually appear like patterns of sunlight, refracted through a glass of soda and swirled onto a formica counter. Pick to Click!

These are the top 50 Hot Latin Songs and top 20 Regional Mexican Songs, courtesy Billboard, as published July 23.

1. “Duele El Corazón” – Enrique Iglesias ft. Wisin
2. “Hasta El Amanecer” – Nicky Jam
3. “Bobo” – J Balvin
4. “La Bicicleta” – Carlos Vives & Shakira
5. “El Perdedor” – Maluma
6. “Me Vas a Extrañar” – Banda MS (#2 RegMex)
7. “Ginza” – J Balvin (51 weeks!)
8. “Me Va a Pesar” – Arrolladora (#1 RegMex)
9. “Cicatriiices” – Regulo Caro (#3 RegMex)
10. “Andas En Mi Cabeza” – Chino & Nacho ft. Daddy Yankee

11. “Espero Con Ansias” – Remmy Valenzuela (#5 RegMex)
12. “Fuiste Mia” – Gerardo Ortiz (#4 RegMex)
13. “La Carretera” – Prince Royce
14. “Obsesionado” – Farruko
15. “Shaky Shaky” – Daddy Yankee
16. “Ya Me Enteré” – Reik
17. “Me Está Gustando” – Banda Los Recoditos (#7 RegMex)
18. “Embriagame” – Zion & Lennox
19. “Ay Mi Dios” – IAmChino ft. Pitbull, Yandel & Chacal
20. “Si No Es Contigo” – Banda El Recodo (#6 RegMex)

21. “Todo o Nada” – Alfredo Olivas (#8 RegMex)
22. “Corazón Acelerado” – Wisin
23. “Que Caro Estoy Pagando” – Los Plebes del Rancho de Ariel Camacho
24. “No Lo Hice Bien” – Los Plebes Del Rancho de Ariel Camacho
25. “Préstamela a Mi” – Calibre 50 (#11 RegMex)
26. “La Ocasión” – DJ Luian & Mambo Kings Presentan: De La Ghetto Featuring Arcangel X Ozuna X Anuel
27. “Imaginar” – Victor Manuelle and Yandel
28. “Chillax” – Farruko ft. Ky-Mani Marley
29. “Baila Conmigo” – Juan Magan ft. Luciana
30. “A Donde Voy” – Cosculluela ft. Daddy Yankee

31. “Bien Servida” – Los Gfez ft. Diego Herrera (#9 RegMex)
32. “Te Dirán” – La Adictiva Banda (#19 RegMex)
33. “Not a Crime (No Es Ilegal)” – Play-N-Skillz x Daddy Yankee
34. “Una En Un Millon” – Alexis & Fido
35. “Algo Contigo” – Gente de Zona
36. “¿Desde Cuándo No Me Quieres?” – Banda Carnaval (#12 RegMex)
37. “El Mentado” – Los Plebes del Rancho de Ariel Camacho
38. “Ella Y Yo” – Pepe Quintana ft. Farruko, Anuel AA, Tempo, Almighty, and Bryant Myers
39. “Casi Nada” – Karol G
40. “Yo Quisiera Entrar” – Ariel Camacho y Los Plebes del Rancho

41. “Como Sanar” – Frank Reyes
42. “Quiéreme (Ámame)” – Intocable (#13 RegMex)
43. “Rumbo A Maza” – Los Titanes de Durango
44. “En Esta No” – Sin Bandera
45. “Tengo Que Colgar” – Banda MS
46. “Quisiera” – CNCO
47. “Bailar” – Deorro ft. Elvis Crespo
48. “Me Gustas” – El Coyote y Su Banda (#14 RegMex)
49. “La Mejor de Todas” – Zacarias Ferreira
50. “Ya Lo Supere” – Los Plebes del Rancho de Ariel Camacho

¡Adios!
“Dueles” – Jesse & Joy
“Baby” – Jencarlos ft. Lennox
“Shalalala” – Tito “El Bambino”
“Desde Esa Noche” – Thalía ft. Maluma
“Safari” – J. Balvin ft. Pharrell Williams, BIA & Sky
“Tan Fácil” – CNCO
“Picky” – Joey Montana ft. Akon and Mohombi
“Hasta Que Se Seque El Malecón” – Jacob Forever

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10. “Nadie Como Tú” – Banda Clave Nueva de Max Peraza

15. “Todo Es Diferente” – La Maquinaria Norteña
16. “Amor de los Pobres” – La Original Banda el Limón
17. “Ataúd” – Los Tigres del Norte
18. “Como Quiera Sigo Vivo” – Los Rieleros del Norte
20. “Yo Si Me Enamoré” – La Séptima Banda

¡Adios!
“Pero Sin Enamorarse” – Jesus Ojeda y Sus Parientes
“Tomen Nota” – Adriel Favela ft. Los Del Arroyo
“Por Haber Sido Mia” – Noel Torres
“Juro Quererte” – Hijos de Barrón