ETHANUNO RETURNS WITH SIMMERING POP&B CUT “QUEMAR”

Singer, songwriter, and producer EthanUno returns with “quemar” (or “burn”), a simmering song about taking some time off from a love that’s gotten too hot. The track leans into the rising bilingual artist’s signature sad-happy mix of sounds, getting a tropical pop&B boost from esteemed producer Happy Perez (benny blanco, Halsey, Miguel). Listen here to the first taste of EthanUno’s necesidad EP, set for release on January 24 via Friends Keep Secrets/Interscope.

An acoustic guitar plays a minimal but affecting melody as EthanUno sings, “Si me quieres, me tienes que esperar / Porque nunca me dejas respirar” (translated: “If you want me, you have to wait for me / Because you never let me breathe”). Even as he asks for space, his voice sounds like liquid sugar as “quemar” heats up, weaving in clean electric guitar, syncopated skips, rubbery bass synth, handclaps, and lo-fi electronics. 

“It was my first time in the studio with Happy Perez,” says EthanUno about his latest release. “He’s goated in my eyes for the work he’s done on songs like ‘Eastside’ by benny blanco, Halsey, and Khalid; or ‘Sky Walker’ by Miguel and Travis Scott; or ‘Suga Suga’ by Baby Bash and Frankie J… I could go on! But he pulled up a loop and the chorus melody immediately hit me like lightning. From there it was off to the races.”

EthanUno’s output to date showcases a wild array of influences and energies. Most recently, he shared the self-produced “pecador,” a trop-house-infused pitch to a would-be lover. Before that came the kaleidoscopic, kawaii-fied “tattoo,” an equally upbeat and lovelorn cut that wound up making both Entertainment Tonight’s New Music Friday lineup and Ones To Watch’s #NowWatching playlist — who also featured his earlier sugar rush of a single, “on 10.” His happy-sad meld of Latin croon and SoundCloud experimentation is spreading.

Older self-released EthanUno songs like “tu” and “pensando en ti” continue to pick up fans, too — some famous. “pensando en ti” got an early cosign from Frank Ocean, who played it on Homer Radio, and was more recently embraced by Rosalía, who included it on her “Birthday Bangers” playlist for Interview Magazine. Meanwhile, he continues to grow an army of followers across socials and DSPs.

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