Updated on February 9, 2024 by Lou Mac
I started to learn Spanish with songs pretty early on in my language journey, and I hate to use this buzzword, but it was a game-changer for me.
Think of how catchy certain songs can be. How they get stuck in your head and you sing the chorus on repeat until someone asks you to shut up.
Well, you can do just that with Spanish songs – only you’ll be practising your Spanish at the same time!
So not only will songs make your Spanish study a thousand times more interesting, but you’ll also build your vocabulary, understand grammar better, practise your listening skills and yes, perfect your pronunciation (from all the singing you’ll be doing!).
In this post I’ll tell you exactly how you can learn Spanish with songs, and give you a list of my favourite bangers to start you off (plus some key lyrics and vocabulary to watch out for!).
Get your Spotify open and let’s start.
Most Addictive Songs to Learn Spanish
Honestly I had a very hard time choosing only 18 songs to write about here. There are so many amazing Spanish-language songs!
To make things a little easier I decided to include mostly newer songs (ones that have been released in the last few years), and tried to select a variety of genres. Though as you’re about to see, I have a certain inclination for reggaeton) 😅
I’ve attached links to all the Spanish lyrics on Musixmatch, the company that generates Spotify’s lyrics. There’s an English translation next to it so you can translate line by line, though keep in mind that the translations aren’t all 100% accurate.
Give each one a listen and save it to your library if you like the sound of it!
1. Despacito, by Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee
English Meaning: Slowly
Lyrics + Translation: Click here
I had to do it. I had to start with Despacito (the original Spanish version, of course), because it was the first Spanish song I learned the lyrics to and so it has a special place in my heart.
You’ve no doubt heard this song as it absolutely blewww up and is one of the most streamed songs of all time. At the time of writing this (Feb 2024) it has over eight billion views on YouTube, which is just unfathomable.
It’s great to learn from because you’re probably very familiar with it already, meaning you’ll pick up the lyrics more easily. For an extra challenge, try learning Daddy Yankee’s part!
What You Can Learn:
- Despacito (Slowly) – Comes from despacio (slowly), but with the diminutive added, it gives “slowly” a gentle, soft connotation
- Deja que te diga cosas al oído (Let me tell you things in your ear) – This is the subjunctive in action
- Ya, ya me estás gustando más de lo normal (I already like you more than usual) – The verb gustar (to like) in a less common form
2. La Bachata, by Manuel Turizo
English Meaning: The bachata
Lyrics + Translation: Click here
This song spent a looong time at the top of the charts and I can see why. You just want to have on repeat! It’s also one of those songs you can listen to at any time of the day, because it’s upbeat but also not too intense.
The lyrics are pretty straightforward and sung clearly, which makes it great for practising your pronunciation. Give it a listen and I’m sure it’ll make you want to dance (or learn bachata, like me 😅)
What You Can Learn:
- Te bloqueé de Insta (I blocked you on Instagram) – If you want to refer to this social media platform like a native speaker, then you’ve just learned how! (Though they also say “Instagram” as well)
- Te diría que volvieras pero eso no se pide (I’d tell you to come back, but that’s not something you ask for) – An example of the imperfect subjunctive in action
- Y aunque sé que un día te voy a olvidar (Even though I know one day I will forget you) – This “ir + a” formula is an easy way of creating the future tense
3. Beso, by Rauw Alejandro and Rosalía
English Meaning: Kiss
Lyrics + Translation: Click here
Beso is a beautiful, intimate song sung by Rauw Alejandro (Puerto Rico) and Rosalía (Spain). I loved this song from the very moment I heard it, though it feels a bit sad now because the two have separated 💔
The video is also interesting (and kinda sad) because it shows behind-the-scenes clips and day-to-day moments of the two in happier times.
See if you can catch the differences between Rauw’s Latin American Spanish and Rosalía’s Castilian Spanish!
What You Can Learn:
- Tar cerca de ti es mi paz (Being close to you is my peace) – This is actually the verb estar (to be), but it’s sometimes pronounced tar (especially if someone is speaking quickly)
- Lo mejor que tengo (The best thing I have) – Lo usually means “it” or “him,” but when paired with the adjective mejor (better) the meaning changes to “the best” or “the best thing.” It’s a very handy phrase to remember
4. Robarte un Beso, by Carlos Vives ft. Sebastián Yatra
English Meaning: Steal a kiss from you
Lyrics + Translation: Click here
As with many songs, Robarte un Beso was inspired by love. But this song pulls on your heart strings even more, because it’s about love that has endured even though you’re no longer with that person.
This is potentially one of my most favourite songs of all time, and the intro especially is so fun to sing! It’s a bit of a challenge because it’s fast, but once you pick it up you’ll want to listen to it on repeat.
What You Can Learn:
- Como un vallenato de esos viejos que nos gustaban (Like one of those old vallenatos that we used to like) – Since both singers are Colombian you might expect to pick up some Colombian vocabulary, and vallenato is one example. It’s a popular folk music genre from Colombia
- Son muchos años que pasaron sin decir te quiero (It’s been many years without saying “I love you”) – This translates to “they are many years,” and it’s a great example of how Spanish doesn’t directly translate into English!
- No puede ser que no he encontrado todavía las palabras (It cannot be that I haven’t found the words yet) – The present perfect tense in action
5. Monaco, by Bad Bunny
English Meaning: Monaco
Lyrics + Translation: Click here
A list of great Spanish songs wouldn’t be complete without an entry by Bad Bunny. He wasn’t well-known when I first started learning Spanish and so it’s been interesting to see him grow into the superstar he is today.
It seems like he can’t do any wrong in the world of music and just releases hit after hit (and even the controversial AI song was pretty good).
The lyrics to Monaco will be very hard for a lot of learners to understand (even native speakers might have trouble sometimes!) but there are still lessons to be learned in his songs.
What You Can Learn:
- Por eso tu opinión me importa cero (That’s why your opinion matters zero to me) – An example of how Spanish word order differs from that of English
- A ti no te conocen ni en tu barrio (No one knows you, not even in your neighbourhood) – Notice how the a ti (you) is added for emphasis, as it’s not essential for the meaning of the sentence
- ¿Pa qué? Pa que se estrellen (Why? So that they crash) – Pa is short for para, and it’s very common to hear pa in informal speech
6. La Bicicleta, by Carlos Vives and Shakira
English Meaning: The bicycle
Lyrics + Translation: Click here
Another one by Colombian singer Carlos Vives, who is joined by the legendary Shakira. This is another feel-good song which is also super fun to sing. Carlos’ bridge is especially fun (albeit challenging, honestly I still fumble on this) and will leave you out of breath, but it’s worth learning:
Le gusta que le digan que es la niña, la Lola
Le gusta que la miren cuando ella baila sola
Le gusta más la casa, que no pasen las horas
Le gusta Barranquilla, le gusta Barcelona
What You Can Learn:
- En una bici que me lleva a todos lados (On a bike that takes me everywhere) – This literally means “to all sides” but translates to “everywhere,” and it’s a very useful phrase to learn
- Óyeme, Carlos, llévame en tu bicicleta (Hear me, Carlos, take me on your bicycle) – Some good examples of the imperative (or “command”) tense
- Le gusta que la miren cuando ella baila sola (She likes to be watched when she dances alone) – The subjunctive in action! The subjunctive is hard to learn, but spotting it used in context (like this) will help you master it
7. Tusa, by Karol G and Nicki Minaj
English Meaning: Heartache
Lyrics + Translation: Click here
Tusa is a Colombian word for someone’s heartache and inability to get over their ex, accompanied by a desire for revenge. And so, it’s a very fitting title for this song!
It’s one of those songs that gets a crowd cheering from just the first few bars, and that gets you singing your heart out. Nicki Minaj has an impressive English verse in the song, so you’ll get to sing in both Spanish and English and feel like a bilingual queen 💅
What You Can Learn:
- Ya no tiene excusa (She has no excuse now) – This little word ya is incredibly useful to know
- Dice que por otro man no llora (She says she won’t cry for another guy) – It’s common for English words to be used in Spanish as slang, and here’s a good example of that. Just note that Karol G is from Colombia, and not all countries use the same slang!
- Le da una depresión tonta (It gives her a silly depression) – An example of an indirect object being used
8. Parcera, by Pailita
English Meaning: Girl, friend
Lyrics + Translation: Click here
Pailita is a Chilean artist who’s killing it in Chile at the moment. I’m kind of surprised he hasn’t gained more fame in other countries! I guess Chilean urban music isn’t for everyone, but still, he’s got some real bangers that the world needs to hear.
This song is interesting because it’s got some Colombian slang thrown in with Pailita’s usual Chilean slang. It’s another advanced song to learn Spanish from, but give it a go (especially if you’re interested in learning Chilean Spanish).
What You Can Learn:
- Ven, atrévete, bebé (Come on, I dare you, baby) – More examples of the imperative tense
- Deja ese longi (Leave that idiot) – Meaning something like “idiot” in Chilean Spanish
- No soy colombiano, pero qué chimba esa parcera (I’m not Colombia, but how cool is that girl) – Some Colombian vocab, meaning “very cool” and “girl” or “friend” respectively
9. Cristina, by Sebastián Yatra
English Meaning: Christina
Lyrics + Translation: Click here
Sebastián Yatra features for the second time on this list with this extremely wholesome song about his then-girlfriend Tini. It’s really very sweet, although to be completely honest the music video is a little strange.
I love the rhythm of the singing in this one – it’s pretty fast and can be hard to sing along to, but once you nail it it’s veryyyy satisfying.
What You Can Learn:
- Solo te importó que te tratara bien (You only cared that I treated you right) – A good example of the imperfect subjunctive being use
- Sé que es muy pronto para estas palabras, pero las diré (I know it’s too soon for these words, but I’ll say them) – A good example of a direct object pronoun being used!
10. Natural, by Movimiento Original
English Meaning: Natural
Lyrics + Translation: Click here
This song is by the Chilean band Movimiento Original, who I actually managed to see live in Santiago once! It’s pretty different from the rest of the songs on this list as it’s more of a reggae/hip hop song.
Natural is super positive and uplifting, and you’ll be able to learn lots of positive vocabulary! They sing sing (and rap) pretty quickly at times, but that makes it all the more rewarding if you learn to sing along.
What You Can Learn:
- Yo lo que quiero es inspirarme, estar pleno, motivarme (What I want is to be inspired, to be fulfilled, and be motivated) – Some nice, positive vocab for you
- Quiero ver a todo la gente muriéndose, pero de la risa (I want to see everyone dancing, but from laughter) – Not everything translates into Spanish (and vice versa), but here we can see that the phrase “to die of laughter” in fact does!
- Para que no la pase mal (To not have bad times) – Another example of the subjunctive being used after the phrase para que (so that)
11. Según Quién, by Maluma and Carin Leon
English Meaning: According to who
Lyrics + Translation: Click here
Según Quién is one of my favourite breakup songs. It’s not sad at all – basically it’s about addressing rumours that the singers aren’t over their exes, when in fact they definitely are.
It’s a fun mix of pop, guitar and trumpets, and is another one that is just soo satisfying to sing along to. I especially love the chorus, which requires a long breath before starting:
“Ahora resulta que vivo el despecho, y te tengo guardada en el pecho, bebé, ¿según quién?”
You’ll learn some break-up vocabulary, and both artists sing clearly and relatively slowly.
What You Can Learn:
- Estoy cansa’o de este lleva y trae (I’m tired of this back and forth) – Cansa’o is actually the word cansado (tired), written as it’s often pronounced in real life
- Y ahora dizque me vieron gritando tu nombre (And now apparently they saw me yelling your name) – A useful word you didn’t know you needed! It comes from dice (he/she says) and que (that), and means “apparently”
- Y tú me pusiste los del toro (And you gave me those of the bull) – This is slightly cryptic, but it’s referring to being cheated on. Los del toro (those of the bull) is a nod toward the expression poner los cuernos, which means “to cheat on”
12. Ella Baila Sola, by Eslabon Armado y Peso Pluma
English Meaning: She dances alone
Lyrics + Translation: Click here
Ella Baila Sola is an impressive song for a couple of reasons. First, it’s just a really cool song. Secondly, it’s the first regional Mexican song ever to make it into the US Billboard Top 10, and also to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify (I think I might account for a good portion of those).
It’s sung quite slowly and clearly so is good for beginners. There’s also a lot of Mexican slang, so it’s ideal if you’re learning Mexican Spanish!
What You Can Learn:
- Compa, ¿qué le parece esa morra? (Buddy, what do you think of that girl?) – Two common slang words in Mexico meaning “friend/buddy” and “girl,” respectively (though compa is also used in other Latin American countries)
- No soy un vato que tiene varo (I’m not a guy who has money) – Some more Mexican slang! “Guy” and “money,” respectively
- Su cinturita como modelo (Her waist like a model) – Cinturita is the diminutive of cintura (waist)
13. QUEVEDO || BZRP Music Sessions #52, by Bizarrap and Quevedo
Lyrics + Translation: Click here
QUEVEDO || BZRP Music Sessions #52 is yet another banger from Argentinian producer Bizarrap, who teamed up with Spanish rapper Quevedo. It’s always guaranteed to get you pumped up, but is especially fun to belt out in da club.
If you haven’t heard this before, you have to give it a listen! And If you have heard it before, then now’s the time to learn the lyrics 😉
What You Can Learn:
- Y nos fuimos en una (And we left straight away) – A handy phrase to help your Spanish sound more native. I always thought this was Y nos fuimos en Uber 💀
- Quédate, que las noches sin ti duelen (Stay, the night without you hurt) – The use of que here is an interesting one, because it actually means “because” – which is more often than not said as porque
- Ando rezándole a Dios (I’m praying to God) – Here’s a great example of how good learning in context can be! If you know that Dios means “God” then you might be able to guess what rezando means. “I’m… to God.” Any ideas? Yes, rezando means “praying”!
14. Un Finde | CROSSOVER #2, by Ke Personajes, FMK and Big One
English Meaning: A/one weekend
Lyrics + Translation: Click here
Un Finde | CROSSOVER #2 was super sucessful after its release in 2023 and was the most downloaded song on Spotify in Argentina! It features several heavy hitters from the Argentinian music industry who have different backgrounds in trap, urban music and cumbia.
Since the groups come from Argentina, you’ll hear plenty of vos (“you”), which is used instead of tú in Argentina. You can also hear a couple of shh’s for the y and ll sounds if you listen carefully (a key feature of this Spanish dialect).
What You Can Learn:
- Las canciones que te dediqué pasaron de moda (The songs I dedicated to you went out of fashion) – Here’s a saying to add to your vocab lists
- Siempre que hablo de amor, lo hago en tiempo pasado (Whenever I talk about love, I do it in past tense) – Here we see that “past tense” in English doesn’t directly translate into Spanish, and how you need to say it instead
15. Ojitos Rojos, by Grupo Frontera and Ke Personajes
English Meaning: Red eyes
Lyrics + Translation: Click here
Yet another song about a breakup, and this one is probbaly a little sadder than the others on this list! It’s essentially about a guy who hasn’t accepted that his ex partner has moved on, and still holds on to hope that they’ll get back together.
This line especially gets me: “Dime ‘no te olvidaré,’ porque yo a ti no te olvidaré. En el cel no me queda un espacio y no borro tus fotos,” which means “Tell me ‘I won’t forget you,’ because I won’t forget you. I don’t have space left on my phone and I don’t delete your photos” 💔 (okay sounds better in Spanish, but still!)
The beat, however, isn’t sad! It’s a cool mix between cumbia and regional Mexican music and will have you vibing even though it may tug at your heart strings.
What You Can Learn:
- Cuando preguntan por nosotros (When they ask about us) – An example of how prepositions are used: preguntar (to ask) is followed by por to indicate the subject of the inquiry
- Aunque estés con otro (Even if you’re with someone else) – Here we can see aunque being used to mean “even if” because it’s followed by a subjunctive. If it’s followed by an indicative, the meaning will be “even though” or “although”
- Porque yo a ti no te olvidaré (Because I won’t forget you) – Again we can see the use of these extra pronouns (yo a ti) being used as emphasis. The singer is essentially saying “Because I won’t forget you”
16. Gasolina by Daddy Yankee
English Meaning: Gasoline
Lyrics + Translation: Click here
Just like Despacito, it would have been downright weird to not include Gasolina in this list. It was released twenty years ago in 2004, but still gets the people going to this very day.
For native English speakers this song was probably our first taste of reggaeton. But have you ever tried to understand what Daddy Yankee is saying apart from “gasolina”?
In all honesty the song is pretty advanced Spanish, but I’d recommend learning the full chorus (instead of just yelling out gasolina intermittently 😉)
What You Can Learn:
- A ella le gusta la gasolina (dame más gasolina) (She likes gasoline (give me more gasoline)) – Finally, after all these years you know: this is what Daddy Yankee and his singer are actually saying!
- Lo que me gusta es que tú te dejas llevar (what I like is that you let yourself go) – The phrase lo que means “what” but in the sense of “that which” or “the thing that.” It’s a bit advanced but a really handy structure to know!
17. Solo Respira, by Gino Mella ft Ak:420
English Meaning: Just breathe
Lyrics (Spansih): Click here
Despite being a reggaeton song (which often centre around sex and drugs), the lyrics to this are very very sweet. But a word of caution if you listen to this in the midst of a breakup – read the lyrics and you’ll see why!
The music video is also beautiful – where lots of reggaeton videos feature expensive cars and sexy ladies (and some quite impressive dancing), this one has lots of beautiful colours, flowers, balloons and happy people! I might go watch it again actually.
It’s not too fast, and since it’s created in Chile by Chilean artists, you’ll hear some typical Chilean slang as well.
What You Can Learn:
- Mi chanchita, no llores (My baby, don’t cry) – Okay, so chanchita actually literally means “piggy,” but in Chile it’s a common term of endearment!
- Usted merece que la traten como reina (You deserve to be treated like a queen) – In some Spanish-speaking countries, people sometimes address people close to them (like partners or parents) with the formal usted. There’s no rule around it though, it’s just a personal thing
- Tú ere’ mucho pa’ esa malaya (You’re too good for that idiot) – Malaya is a relatively strong slang word unique to Chile and means something like “idiot” or “asshole”
18. Pepas, by Farruko
English Meaning: Pills
Lyrics + Translation: Click here
I think this might be the only EDM song on this list! It does have elements of reggaeton, but also features trumpets and powerful drum beats. It’s truly infectious and is great for pumping yourself up at the gym (as well as fun to dance to of course).
What You Can Learn:
- Arcoíris (Rainbow) – A nice word to learn that you probably wouldn’t come across much in day to day life
- Sigo vacilando de party to’ los día’ (I keep on partying every day) – This formula of seguir (to continue) + verb in progressive tense means “to keep on doing X” or “to continue to do X”. It’s great advanced Spanish to know
- Pepa y agua pa’ la seca (Pills and water for the thirst) – As we often see, words don’t always translate directly! La seca literally means “the dry,” but since we’re talking about a dry mouth (from the pills) then we can interpret this as “thirst”
How to Learn Spanish with Songs
Now we’ve covered the most interesting bit, we need to get down to how it actually works!
You can always listen to Spanish songs in the background or when you’re relaxing (and you should definitely do that) but active listening and studying the lyrics will help you a lot more.
Pick a Spanish Song That You Like
This may sound obvious, but to begin with it’s important that you pick a song you actually like. This is for several reasons:
- Your motivation to learn will be much higher
- The process will be more enjoyable – and language learning should be enjoyable!
- You’re more likely to listen to the song afterwards (hopefully a lot!) which will help you practise and reinforce everything you learned
The list I’ve shared is a great starting point, so have a listen to some of the tracks and save ones that pique your interest. You can also check out these official Spotify playlists:
- Viva Latino (current hits)
- Latin Pop Mix (pop music that’s a bit easier to sing to)
- Latin Classics (both new and older classics)
- Latin Beast Mode (ideal for the gym!)
Listen to the Song Once
Another obvious-sounding step, but an important one! Listen to the song once, really paying attention and trying to understand what’s being said. You don’t need to understand it, but if you get the gist of it then that’s great.
Songs can be fast and have a lot of slang, so don’t be disheartened if you can’t understand much (or anything at all!). Remember that even in English it’s hard to understand all the lyrics to a song.
Translate the Spanish Lyrics Yourself
Have a look at the Spanish lyrics line for line and try to translate them without using a translating tool first. If you can get the gist of what’s going on, see if you can guess what other words mean from the context.
Then, use a tool like Reverso Contexto to fill in the gaps and translate the rest of the lyrics. Reverso Contexto is great because you can see examples of words and phrases used in context, which will help you decide what the English translation would be (Google Translate is fine, but it lacks context).
Compare the Lyrics with an English Translation
Here’s where you’ll use a site like musixmatch to compare the Spanish lyrics and English translation side by side. You can see how close you were with your translation!
Note that these translations are generated by AI and so are not always accurate – though they’re accurate a lot of the time. If it’s a popular song, you can sometimes find articles dedicated to the English translation (like this) which will likely be more accurate.
Study the Lyrics and Take Notes
Now you know exactly what the lyrics mean, you can go through them and highlight anything you can learn from. This will be interesting words, phrases and grammar structures, just like I’ve done for each song in this list!
Then I’d recommend noting this info down, or adding them to flashcards (I use Anki).
This step is probably the most important, because you get to see exactly how Spanish is used in context! You’ll be much more likely to remember things this way.
Read the Lyrics While Listening to the Song
Spotify is ideal for this as the lyrics appear in real time, so you won’t get confused about what point in the song you’re up to. Take note of how words are pronounced (or not pronounced at all!)
I’d do this a couple of times to get a feel for it, and you can repeat different sections of the song if you have a hard time catching the words they’re saying.
Sing Along to the Song!
And for the fun part! Now you’re pretty familiar with the song, have a go at singing along. Use Spotify again, and start with easier bits (like the chorus) and go over and over it until you nail it.
With a bit of practise you’ll be able to sing along even without reading the lyrics!
Using songs and music is one of the most fun ways to learn Spanish and adding it to your routine will definitely help speed up your progress.
There’s endless content to learn from, so pick a genre, artist or album and get going!