DESTA FRENCH - “Bendecida”

SXSW 2023 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 9

Pairs Well With…Reyna Tropical, Ruby Francis, La Doña

Based in London, but with Colombian and Italian influences, DESTA FRENCH tends to lean furthest into her Latin pop roots. The fusion in her music plays out subtly, whether it is from UK hip hop or traditional European melodies turning her songwriting with the softest push. Mostly upbeat and danceable, DESTA FRENCH’s sound is easy to digest, but is produced with so many different elements that multiple listens continue revealing spaces filled in inventive ways. Small bursts of horns, dreamy soundscapes, deep R&B rhythms, these all find space to play within DESTA FRENCH’s inviting sound. Seven years since her first single and beyond DESTA FRENCH’s debut full-length San Lazarus, her latest is 2021 EP Bendecida, an efficient collection that continues to refine a precise and fun sound. (Kevin McStravick)