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Exploring Taylor Swift's Songwriting Process

May 25, 2023

Legendary singer-songwriter Taylor Swift has captivated the world with her haunting lyrics and infectious melodies. Behind her numerous chart hits lies an intriguing songwriting process.....

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Kiana Ledé - Goes 'Deeper' About Hard Work & Perseverance

May 18, 2023

Kiana Ledé has been rocking in the R&B scene and her latest single “Jealous” continues this trend. The other day, Sonical.ly had the chance to sit down and talk with Ledé about her musical journey.

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DJ Khalil - The Secrets to a 5x Grammy Award Winning Career as a Music Producer

May 18, 2023

Anyone within the hip-hop scene knows the name, DJ Khalil. He gained popularity for both his music-producing and DJing skills. The other day, Sonical.ly had a chance to sit down and talk with DJ Khal

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Ed Sheeran Successfully Defends Himself in Copyright Trial

May 7, 2023

Copyright infringement cases are very much on the rise in the music industry. Recently, Ed Sheeran was on the receiving end of one. Fortunately for him and the music industry as a whole, he won. Who

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How AI Technology Impacts Artists’ Rights

April 28, 2023

Artificial Intelligence (aka AI) is not a new thing. It has been used for various purposes like social media algorithms and Siri on your phone. However, for the first time, AI is being used in

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Who is Kiana Ledé?: The Story Behind the “Jealous” Singer

April 28, 2023

From Kidz Bop idol to R&B and pop singer, Kiana Ledé has fully planted herself within the music industry. The release of her latest single “Jealous” featuring Ella Mai adds to her growing achievements

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Breaking The Silence: A Look At Mental Health In The K-pop Industry

April 23, 2023

In the past few years, the K-pop culture has experienced a number of suicides, which has devastated the Korean entertainment industry. Sulli from f(x), Jonghyun from SHINee, Goo Hara from KARA, and

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Breaking Down The Genius of SZA’s Album ‘SOS’

April 20, 2023

Since SZA has released her latest album ‘SOS’, it has made a lot of buzz in the music industry. The album has received positive reviews for its combination of R&B, pop, and hip-hop and featured.....

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Korean Indie/Pop Rock Bands You Need To Know: Day6, The Rose, & HYUKOH

April 20, 2023

With K-pop bands like BTS, BLACKPINK, TWICE, and SEVENTEEN, Korean music has been on the rise over the past ten years. But Korea’s music culture doesn’t stop there....

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Show Me The Money: South Korea’s No. 1 Rap Competition

April 10, 2023

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WONHO: Rising Success After Departure From Monsta X

April 8, 2023

In October 2019, member of the K-pop group Monsta X, WONHO, faced allegations of drug usage, resulting in his departure from the group. Fans were disheartened by the news of him leaving and wondered..

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BMI’s Court Case Win Helps Songwriters in the Live Music Industry

April 1, 2023

Songwriters, composers, and publishers have long been underpaid when it comes to the live concert industry. However, a successful court case may be the first step to changing that.....

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Crafting the Bounce in Modern LatinPop Using Bad Bunny

Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet

Bad Bunny’s 2026 Super Bowl show didn’t just break viewing records—it confirmed that the “global sound” (Latin music, Afrobeats, Amapiano, Afro-fusion) is now the center of pop culture, not a side genre. If you’re learning to mix music, that means one thing: you have to get your low-end and drums right, because that’s where these styles live.​​

Why this moment matters culturally. Bad Bunny’s halftime show put Spanish-language music and Latin culture at the literal center of the biggest TV event in the United States, with over 128 million people watching. His performance and speech highlighted identity, migration, and belonging, turning a pop show into a statement about who “belongs” in mainstream America.​​

At the same time, artists like Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido, Rema, Tems, and Tyla have pushed Afrobeats and African pop from regional scenes into arenas, award shows, and global charts. Tyla’s Grammy win for “Water” in the new African music category was a clear sign that African genres aren’t just a trend and they’re being formally recognized and archived as part of global pop history as they should have been a long time ago.

So when you’re learning to mix global pop, Afrobeats, or Latin trap, you’re not just chasing a sound—you’re working inside a cultural wave built on groove, community, and dance.

What makes Latin / Afrobeats drums different? For beginners, think of these genres as rhythm-first music. The vocal and melodies are important, but the feel comes from drums and bass.

Typical traits you’ll hear:

  • Strong, deep bass (808s or subs) that carry the groove rather than just sitting under it.​
  • Syncopated percussion: shakers, congas, rim clicks, log drums, toms, and hats that hit between the main beats to create bounce.​
  • Repetition with small variations: the pattern loops, but small fills and extra hits keep it alive.​

Afrobeats, especially, is built on swing and subtle push/pull in the groove, with drums that feel relaxed but still powerful. Latin trap and reggaetón lean on recognizable patterns (like the dembow rhythm), but they’re constantly updated with modern 808s and trap-style drums.​

If your kick, 808, and percussion fight each other, the track stops feeling like global pop and starts feeling muddy.

A simple way to think about it:

  • Let one sound be the “boss” of the low end (usually the 808 or sub).
  • Use EQ to carve lanes: cut some low frequencies from the kick where the 808 is strongest, and remove unnecessary lows from percussion so it doesn’t crowd the bass.
  • Use sidechain compression so the 808 ducks slightly when the kick hits, giving you that clean, club-ready bounce without losing weight.

Modern mixing tools make this much easier. Visual EQs help you see which sounds are fighting, and sidechain features let you shape the bounce in a few clicks. When you get this right, your tracks not only hit harder in the club but also connect to a global sound that’s reshaping what pop music is.

Crafting the Bounce in Modern LatinPop Using Bad Bunnycrafting-the-bounce-in-modern-latinpop-using-bad-bunnyJaisha VallianiMar 02, 2026Bad Bunny’s 2026 Super Bowl show didn’t just break viewing records—it confirmed that the “global sound” (Latin music, Afrobeats, Amapiano, Afro-fusion) is now the center of pop culture, not a side...