Ivelisse del Carmen is not wasting any time in 2026: following up from last September’s charming effort ‘Sin Filtro’, the London-based songstress returns today with ‘Mi Sangre Baila’, a vibrant yet meaningful offering steeped in heritage, identity, and diasporic belonging. Those are themes crucial to Carmen’s artistry, as she uncovers her Puerto Rican roots and reflects on the cross-cultural influences that have shaped her creative practice. During ‘Mi Sangre Baila’, Ivelisse’s musical eclecticism is quickly put on display, as she waves in and out of multilingual lyrics and a mixture of Latin and Western grooves.
Just like ‘Sin Filtro’, Reggaeton is a pretty apparent source material on this occasion. Yet, del Carmen manages to transport such kinetic, dance-inducing energy into more elegant and hypnotic territories, with gentle acoustic guitars providing a fitting counterpoint to Paul Stanborough’s contemporary production. Ivelisse’s melodic and luscious vocals constantly oscillate between fierceness and veiled melancholia, making for a listening experience that’s never obvious, always fresh and engaging.
Boasting an observant, curious spirit, Ivelisse del Carmen borrows inspiration from the world around her: be it visual art, such as Manny Vega’s mosaic artwork Bomba Celestial, or from her trips to Puerto Rico, moments drenched in healthy introspection and evocative nostalgia. As the talented artist explains: “This song is a love letter to my roots and the parts of Puerto Rico that live in me, no matter where I am.”
Bonus points for del Carmen’s Substack, ‘Letters in Melody’, an honest and authentic writing space focused on “the cultural and emotional pieces that shape my artistry,” as she clarifies. In a landscape where people seem to constantly put up a mask, seeking approval or just offering an ephemeral version of themselves, Ivelisse appears as wholesome and honest as she can, embracing vulnerability with pride and confidence.
This all works well in the context of her ‘world-building’ effort around the project; what we are offered here is not just a bunch of inconsequential singles, but rather a long thread of personal growth and emotional progression.
Recommended! ‘Mi Sangre Baila’ is out now, find it wherever you get your music from: