Release Radar: October 2025

At the end of each month, Afterglow presents a staff-picked list of new albums and singles that left a lasting impression on our ears. For Hispanic Heritage Month, we are highlighting Hispanic artists with glowing releases in October. 

Written by Afterglow Staffers

Photos courtesy of Deyna Hamideh, Chela @chelibiris, Candelabro, and VoyageLA

Here are our favorite albums and singles released during October 2025. For more reviews of recent releases, check out our album review page!

Shiny Singles We Loved This Month:

“Meoimi” - Young Miko

Puerto Rican artist Young Miko set the tone for October by releasing the seductive “Meiomi” on Oct. 1. Set over a bare-bones tropical beat, the nonchalant trap-star suavely delivers the song’s brazen lyrics, resulting in a relaxing and groovy tune that stays true to the singer’s sound.  — Valeria Mota

“Frenas” - Riela

Following a year-long break, Riela returned to streaming platforms on Oct. 10 with “Frenas,” a sultry, sleek track that blends her signature silky vocals with a mellow beat. Inspired by her Cuban-Panamanian heritage through ‘90s reggaeton and Latin R&B influences, the Miami-based singer-songwriter creates a versatile sound that feels intimate and breezy while offering engaging production and rhythm.  — Adreanna Alvarez

“Noemí” - Lauve

Lauve’s bedroom pop-reminiscent “Noemí” hides existential fears and longing behind its hazy, heart-achey layers of guitar, piano, and laid-back percussion, perfect for when autumn still feels like summer. “Noemí” shines as a single, with its pacing making the verses feel like acts following an unfolding story and giving subversive lines like “No quiero construir una vida / De la que esté tan orgullosa / Que viva con el temor constante / Esperando su final” (“I don’t want to build a life / That I’m so proud of / That I live in constant fear / Waiting for its end”) the gravity they deserve. — Maren Bell

“Tu Amor Fue Una Mentira” - Omar Rojas (feat. Greccia)

Omar Rojas’ latest single “Tu Amor Fue Una Mentira” delivers a sleek fusion of emotion and contemporary Latin-jazz sensibility. Released on Oct. 10, the track captures the sting of betrayal and the impassioned resolve to move on. Greccia, a Peruvian singer-songwriter, complements Rojas’s signature bass-driven arrangement with an impressive vocal presence, weaving together reflection and liberation.  — Caroline McConnico

Glowing Albums & EPs We Loved This Month:

Deseo, Carne y Voluntad by Candelabro

Image courtesy of Genius

The Latin-American country of Chile is an underrated source of progressive rock and genre fusions, and Chilean art-rock band Candelabro is continuing that legacy with its latest release, Deseo, Carne y Voluntad. Through 14 tracks of dense lyricism and whirlwind instrumentals, Candelabro questions the place of religious faith in a time of political and internal chaos through the lens of Chilean culture. The cathartic second track “Domingo de ramos” introduces listeners to the hollering yet freeing vocals that permeate the entire record. The alternative-rock group embeds elements of jazz on tracks like “Prisión de carne,” while discussing the need for transcendence while being confined to your physical body. The instrumentals are where Candelabro truly shines, as the album’s chaotic horn sections and frenetic drums underscore the sensation of internal turmoil. One of the most lyrically loaded tracks, “Liebre,” emphasizes the inherent frustrations of being human, with the drums punctuating the gut-wrenching lyrics, “Y yo muerdo, masco, rompo / Este envoltorio, esta máscara triste y / Corroída; y yo rompo, pero nunca lo / Suficiente” (“And I bite, chew, break / This wrapping, this sad mask and / corroded; and I break, but never / Enough”). As the album closes, the band finds a source of wisdom and faith: themselves. The penultimate track, “Cáliz,” directly questions religion as it narrates the search for a higher power and concludes with the realization that “Soy yo quien responde esta vez” (“I am the one who answers this time”), encouraging listeners to look for inner wisdom in times of confusion. The hour-long record concludes with the softer “José (Creditos),” which wraps up the album’s emotional odyssey in an inspirational manner, pleasantly delivering a sense of realistic optimism after an instrumental and lyrical art-rock rollercoaster. Perfect for fans of Black Country, New Road and Geordie Greep, Candelabro’s Deseo, Carne y Voluntad offers spiritual comfort amidst uncertainty, placing a small yet powerful seed of hope in a seemingly hopeless landscape. — Valeria Mota

Support Candelabro on Spotify and Apple Music

Home by Constanza Herrero

Chilean-Australian artist Constanza Herrero invites listeners into a realm of tranquility with Home, a bilingual devotional album that transforms faith into a deeply authentic form of self-exploration. Across 13 tracks, Herrero crafts a multi-genre sound rooted in her Latin heritage while examining what it means to belong. Home thrives in its emotional vulnerability,  pairing soft instrumentation with lush harmonies that reflect the soul’s search for peace. The soothing acoustic guitar and gentle tambourine enhances the simplistic serenity of the album. Opening with the intimate “Better Is One Day,” Herrero sets the tone for a record that feels both  inward and confessional. Her voice guides listeners through songs that meditate on peace and surrender, with arrangements influenced by lo-fi Hip-Hop, jazz, folk, and pop Chileno. Herrero anchors tracks like “Peace”  in spirituality, with lyrics “Peace I leave with you / Peace I give to you”  affirming her trust in God. The album’s midpoint explores eternal unity in “Psalm 23,” with lyrics “He is mine forever,” while “Estás Aquí - Acústica” swells from quiet comfort into a full crescendo, symbolizing the assurance she finds in faith. The title track, “Home,” stands as the serene emotional centerpiece — Herrero doesn’t preach, but instead converses with herself, with God, and with listeners who feel far from where they belong.. By the final track, “Hogar,” Herrero reaches a quiet clarity as she is no longer “a stranger lost in darkness” but instead “renewed” and “redeemed,” with an ending that leaves listeners at ease. — Adreanna Alvarez 

Support Constanza Herrero on Spotify and Apple Music 

Image courtesy of Dan Stirling

malviaje by Chela

Photo courtesy of Apple Music

Colombian singer-songwriter Chela’s malviaje is anything but a “bad trip” for listeners, serving up 10 songs with an R&B backbone that cycle between themes of devotion and heartbreak. The songs sonically melt between emotional piano, resonant layered vocals, house music-like percussion, and both acoustic and electric guitar, threaded into a coherent experience by Chela’s powerful vocals. “Síperono” showcases this blend of elements especially well, leading with a gritty electric guitar, sultry bass, and complex drums that stand out from the preceding songs’ percussion. All the while, Chela sings of her frustrations with a past relationship, but as she asks, “¿Y qué es el amor? / Si no cuidar la fragilidad del otro / Como si fuera propia” (“And what is love? / If not caring for the fragility of the other / As if it were your own”), stripped-down piano replaces the guitar and bass, serving to illustrate the complicated thoughts that arise when thinking about heartbreak. The album’s namesake song, “malviaje,” diverges from the rest of the record’s instruments, featuring acoustic guitar, chimes, bongos, and even a ratchet. Along with the backing vocals, the production grounds “malviaje,” giving a tender urgency perfect for its vulnerable lyrics, “¿Cuántas señales / Necesitas tú para comprender? / Qué malviaje / Que me gustes tanto” (“How many signs / Do you need to understand? / What a bad trip / That I like you so much”). As a whole, malviaje carries a raw, honest femininity, encouraging sincerity and a love for love even as the months turn gloomy and gray. — Maren Bell

Support Chela on Spotify and Apple Music

los años difíciles by Santa Madero

los años difíciles by Santa Madero

Peruvian pop-rock outfit Santa Madero has unleashed its latest full-length album, diving into a realm of unanswered questions and resilience on los años difíciles. Released on Oct. 3, the record sounds like growing up and navigating the tension between wistful reflection and forward motion. The music itself is built around shimmering synths, crisp percussion, and warm basslines. The album’s 10 tracks unfold through a haze of memory, melancholy, and slow self-understanding, bridging dream-pop ambience with the intimacy of indie rock and creating a sound that’s both ethereal and immediate. The opening track, “mi ciudad es genial,” sets the album’s tone with nostalgic warmth and bittersweet irony, pairing glistening guitars and airy vocals to evoke the bittersweet love of a city that shapes you as much as it traps you. Songs like “muy personal social” and “oye” trace stories of connection, disillusionment, and personal growth, all wrapped in Santa Madero’s signature dreamy, alternative sound. With its title translating to The Difficult Years, the 27-minute album feels both intimate and communal, focusing on a brief but introspective narrative. The record also features “mejor me muero (feat. Lonzo Miranda),” a collaboration that expands the record’s palette and storytelling as the band continues to build its regional reputation. Finally, “por mientras” and “me he escapado de la casa” close the journey with softer, slower tones, echoing electric guitar lines and muted drums that linger like a late-night confession. In an age of sprawling double albums and streaming overload, this tight and purposeful album stands out as a compact yet potent statement. — Caroline McConnico

Support Santa Madero on Spotify and Apple Music

Photo courtesy of Apple Music