REYNA heals old wounds with new electro-pop single “Mexico”

The word ‘reyna’ roughly means ‘queen’ in Spanish, and the Milwaukee-based duo of Vic and Gabriela Bañuelos certainly embodies the qualities of one. Initially a rock group that pivoted to psychedelic pop, their discography drips with confidence and an effortless allure that entices fans from all across the US and Mexico to see their performances. Since opening for major acts like Kesha, Bleachers, and CHVRCHES, REYNA’s audience is fast-growing. For fans of acts like Tame Impala, Men I Trust, or The Marías, this duo might also just be your next obsession.

In the duo's latest song “Mexico”, the sisters tackle the topic of reclaiming a place destroyed by memories of heartbreak. Following a breakup, trips to Mexico just did not feel the same for sister Vic, until she returned with a new flame and the experience changed her perspective on the place she once loved yet again for good.

"Monterrey, Mexico is my favorite city in the world. I became my true self in that city while attending college there to study and play soccer,” Vic explains. “When I broke up with my ex I thought that my feelings for the city would change as well, like maybe I ruined this little oasis I could escape to…everywhere I looked reminded me of her. But as I returned with my new partner and created new memories with her, those feelings evaporated.”

Produced by Michael Kamerman of indie-pop group Smallpools, the single is intimate in topic and addicting in sound. Laden with sultry guitar and silky bass lines, and additional features from buzzing snares and trumpets, the pop instrumentals frame Gabriela’s soft, raspy vocals, forming an ode to memories of Mexico. It’s a song celebrating freedom of self and the vast colors of the city of Monterrey, the scenery of which is “exactly what the doctor prescribed.”

The self-directed video for “Mexico” features shots of Monterrey at its finest — luchadores walk down the bustling street in bright masks, triumphant mariachi bands serenade smiling passerby, and Vic and Gabreilla galavant around the city, getting lost amongst the elaborate, romantic architecture of the city. So, if you too are in need of a change in perspective, try letting go by sinking into REYNA’s sound. “Mexico continues to be my happy place,” Vic says. “No one has the power to ruin that for me.”