How pink skies and a remote Icelandic town changed Humbe's new album

"As a kid growing up in the Mexican metropolis of Monterrey, the singer-songwriter would seek out the sky's strangest shapes and study the way light broke through the cloud formations - it would comfort his anxieties and provide creative inspiration. So, when he set out to finish his most recent LP, "Dueño del Cielo," released on Saturday, he found himself in one of the few places where the sun never truly sets: Iceland in the summertime."

"Humbe has been playing music from a young age, but he first rose to fame during the pandemic, sharing snippets of his music-making process online. Following the release of his breakout debut album in 2021, "Entropía," the alternative pop singer earned a Latin Grammy for new artist and has since become well-known for his 2023 single "Fantasmas." The track honors his late grandpa for Día de los Muertos and tends to go viral each year around the holiday."

""Dueño del Cielo" is the final installment of a trilogy, following 2023's "Esencia" and 2024's "Armagedón." Nearly every track on the latest release signals transformation, in both its lyricism and its sonics. On the opening song, "Luz de Luna," he gushes about not wanting to miss someone over a heartfelt piano ballad that slips between punky guitar rifts and unpredictable 808 drums. While on tracks like "Harry Stamper" and "Sábanas," he embraces whimsical synthesizers and staccato vocal patterns to create a mystical soundscape."

Humbe grew up in Monterrey studying sky shapes and light through clouds as comfort and creative inspiration. He recorded the sixth album Dueño del Cielo partly in Iceland during the endless summer light. Humbe envisioned the album as a planet of ashes, seeking loneliness to craft the internal dialogue that permeates the record. Dueño del Cielo completes a trilogy after Esencia (2023) and Armagedón (2024) and emphasizes transformation across lyrics and sonics. Earlier breakout Entropía (2021) earned a Latin Grammy for new artist, and the 2023 single Fantasmas honors his late grandfather. Musical textures range from piano ballads with punky guitars and 808 drums to whimsical synthesizers and staccato vocal patterns.

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