5 Essential Songs of Chilean Pop

Dec. 26, 2012— -- Chile may have the strongest pop music scene in the Spanish-speaking world, and the following five musicians only prove that point.

Here are five essential Chilean pop songs you must listen to.

1) "Esquemas Juveniles" by Javiera Mena The song that gave title to Mena's first album is a perfect fusion of sound and lyrics: just as Mena's languid voice and the melancholic chord progressions seem to encapsulate a young romance, the awareness of "juvenile schemes" in the verses seems to be destroying both the song and the love plot from within.

2) "Por la Ventana" by Gepe The first single of Gepe's Audiovisión (2010) was an immediate proof of how fast the musician could grow between records. By fusing Andean melodies with a simple hip-hop beat, Gepe created three and a half minutes of music that still sound like the open window of its title every time you press play.

3) "Tatuaje" by Alex AnwandterAnother brilliant example of the possibilities of an electro-pop song: Anwandter reminisces of a love story that still lingers through a tattoo and certain memories, but the exclusive use of electronic instruments creates a joyful and artificial landscape where there's no place for tears.

4) "Los Adolescentes" by Dënver This trippy song of adolescent love lingers over its repetitive lyrics ("one day you say yes / the next you say maybe") like a perfect mantra of never ending summer.

5) "Inteligencia Dormida" by Pedropiedra Even when Pedropiedra's 2011 Cripta y Vida contains superior songs, the hilarious self-deprecating lyrics and deadpan delivery of Pedropiedra in the opening track to his eponymous debut carry so much trouble that once you're in the joke you'll never be able to leave.

Read our previous piece on Chile's pop music scene, including interviews with these musicians and more.