Many Burning Man attendees are quick to point out that Burning Man is not a music festival. Rather, it is a crowdsourced gathering focused on art, community and alternative — and many would argue better — ways of existing in a society.

But any way you swing your fire spinner, the fact remains that there is a lot of music at Burning Man, with DJs in particular serving as a primary source of entertainment out on the playa.

This year, that was the same and also different, given that the official Burning Man was canceled and a “Free Burn” event drawing roughly 15,000 people happened in its place. It looked like Burning Man; it felt like Burning Man, but it many ways it did not sound like Burning Man, with the lack of centralized organization creating key differences in regards to musical offerings.

But the freewheeling nature of this year’s “non-event” did not make for a lesser sonic experience, and in ways, Free Burn actually offered a refreshingly voyage journey into sound. These are five reasons why.

No Massive Stages

Several sound camps on the esplanade — the inner ring of the giant circle at the center of Burning Man — have grown significantly in size during the past few years, with the biggest featuring setups comparable in scale to some of the bigger stages at Coachella. While these stages are often beautifully designed and good hubs for seeing higher-profile artists, swarming to and around them in order to catch a set can create a sort of hectic, overcrowded feeling that’s out of sync with the generally more go-with-the-flow spirit of Burning Man. This clusterf— vibe is especially pronounced when hundreds of bikes are parked in front of these stages during a particularly popular set. Given the size of these stages, the quality of experience can also feel compromised, particularly when so many more intimately sized events are happening throughout Burning Man.

Were these big stages on the playa during Free Burn? Nope! With the temporary restrictions issued by the Bureau of Land Management barring the building of any such structures, the esplanade (which, despite the lack of officially sanctioned infrastructure, was still a perfect circle) instead featured more bespoke experiences. These included, for example, the small tent featuring a Dolly Parton altar and 60 or so people getting super, duper down to remixes of classics by P!nk, Destiny’s Child, Will Smith and other late ’90s and early 2000s icons. This more homespun experience, and others like it, were delightful discoveries. And given that camps didn’t have to apply for permits to be on the playa, and anyone could just roll up and do their thing, these were also finds that would have likely been harder to come across had they been competing with the monolithic stages on-site in other years.

No Big Name DJ Chasing

Cycling hurriedly across the playa to catch a set by Carl Cox, or Damian Lazarus, or Above & Beyond, or Diplo, or Flume, or Slander, or Skrillex or Rüfüs Du Sol or whatever other marquee act you heard is playing at whatever given stage or art car can be exciting, sure. It can also be time consuming, physically draining and a distraction from the many other lesser-known, massively talented DJs one might otherwise discover playing at a random art car or smaller camp.

A few stars like Diplo and Lee Burridge did make the trek to Free Burn (respect), where they both played on the Robot Heart art car, (with Diplo leaning hard into his deep house-oriented Higher Ground output while playing tracks like the Angelos remix of his own “One By One”) beyond that, there were few big names and almost no official lineups. (Sound camps often post lineups on signs for passersby to see, although posting them online before Burning Man itself is typically frowned upon.) This year’s singular nature provided lesser-known artists a chance to shine and all of us who’d typically bike for miles in an effort to see the artists we see at most other major festivals anyways a more go-with-the-flow, discovery-style experience.

Fewer Options, Less FOMO

While it’s sort of bratty to experience FOMO at all whilst attending Burning Man, an event many people in the world would love to experience if given the chance, it does happen. With so much going on musically, one is bound to miss something great, and hearing your campmates expound on the out of body experience they had while contact dancing at the Mayan Warrior during sunset can make one feel slightly sour, if one wasn’t also there. But this year, fewer options meant fewer things to miss out on, and if something big was happening, you probably knew about it beforehand. This included the aforementioned sets by Diplo, Burridge and Ry X on Robot Heart. One of the only major art cars on the playa this year, Robot Heart’s fabled daily sunrise parties were major gathering points, and sleeping through any of them did arouse mild feelings of regret.

Less Playa Tech

In the last decade, the prevailing genre of music at Burning Man has become a style of tech-house commonly referred to as “Playa Tech.” It’s ultra minimal, and it’s everywhere, from ad hoc deep playa stages to the biggest art cars to the vibiest sunrise sets, where the sound facilitates the opportunity to stand in place for upwards of six hours while nodding one’s head slightly with eyes closed. Is it bad? Not at all. Has its prevalence become a bit tired? One could make that argument. But this year, with Free Burn creating so many switch-ups in terms of what artists and sound camps were there, the playa tech was much less abundant, clearing the desert airwaves for a greater diversity of sound.

More Of Everything Else

While it’s certainly possible to hear hip-hop, psych rock, soul, jazz and genres beyond dance/electronic at any given Burning Man, this year — with many of the usual suspects not present — space was opened for a greater diversity of sound. This meant not only the aforementioned pop music (usually a scarce resource on the playa) but the hip-hop sets booming from myriad art cars, the psychedelic rock being performed from the top of a bus on the esplanade Friday night — this six-person group’s cover of The Doors’ “Break On Through (To the Other Side”) was particularly righteous — and the DJ and a very petite art car who fused tribal house with Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.” There was no lack of electronic music either, with legitimately excellent trance, house, bass, techno, progressive house and other genres booming from camps across the gathering.

Two years since her México de Mi Corazón (Mexico of My Heart) album, Spanish singer-songwriter Natalia Jiménez has released a second volume, equally packed with tangible emotions as Jiménez takes on some Mexico’s most treasured regional Mexican anthems.

“I put all my effort and affection into making this record for Mexico, which is the country of my artistic birth,” the chart-topping artist said in a statement. “I hope my audiences embrace this album as much as they did the first volume, and that they enjoy it a lot at home. It’s a really lovely and moving album.”

Home to 15 tracks, the set is wide-ranging as Jiménez dabbles in regional Mexican styles such as mariachi, banda and ranchera. Out of the 15 songs — which feature collabs with artists such as Ana Bárbara and Joss Favela — four are original songs including the ultra melancholic ballad “La Pena,” which she co-wrote with Claudia Brant and Julio Reyes Copello.

Jiménez’s 2019 México de Mi Corazón peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard’s Latin Pop Albums chart (dated Sept. 13, 2019). Vol. 2 is her first album since signing a new management and booking deal with LM Events, helmed by Banda MS’ manager and founder Sergio Lizárraga. The partnership marked the first time in recent memory that a prominent pop act entered a management agreement with a company that specializes in the regional Mexican market.

“This is a new and fascinating direction for me, particularly because regional Mexican music is the genre I’m most enjoying right now,” Jiménez, who launched her solo career in 2011 and has since landed three top 10 albums on Top Latin Albums and six songs on Hot Latin Songs, previously told Billboard.

Below, check out essential tracks from Jiménez’s México de Mi Corazón, Vol. 2 as recommended by the Billboard Latin staff:

“No Me Amenaces” with Ana Bárbara

Hearing one of José Alfredo Jiménez’s heartbreak anthem sung by two commanding female voices will give everyone goosebumps. Both Jiménez and Ana Bárbara deliver an emotional and evocative cover of a song that allows them to be vulnerable and determined at the same time. “Don’t threaten me,” they warn. “Whenever you are ready to start a new life, just get up and leave.” About her powerful duet with Ana Bárbara, Jiménez said, “I invited Ana Bárbara on this song because she is a really strong and independent woman, and there is no other women in regional Mexican right now that could sing this song with me.” 

“Te Quedo Grande la Yegua” 

With her powerful vocals and accompanied by an equally powerful mariachi, Jimenez effortlessly did justice to Regional Mexican songstress Alicia Villarreal on her version of “Te Quedo Grande la Yegua.” A timeless staple in Mexican music — and a karaoke favorite — “Te Quedo” is about a woman who knows her worth and reminds her good-for-nothing partner that she’s too much of a woman for them. “This one is dedicated to all the women,” Jimenez emphasized in a statement. The original track was released in 2001 and formed part of Villarreal’s Soy lo Prohibido album.

“Que Bueno Es Tenerte” with Banda MS

Jiménez teams up with Banda MS to bless fans with a second collaboration after recording a reimagined version of Banda MS’ “El Color de Tus Ojos” two years ago. This romantic banda ballad sings to a beautiful love and the beauty of finding it: “How good is to have you and be reciprocated. Our love is getting stronger, and I have decided, I’m not going to let you go because you are what I like most about myself.” The track was penned by Omar Angulo Robles and produced by Sergio Lizárraga, Banda MS and Jiménez’s manager.

“Me Nace del Corazón” 

Jiménez pays homage to legacy act Juan Gabriel throughout the album with heartfelt renditions of some of his most memorable tracks. Known for his melancholic heartbreak ballads, Jiménez takes on one of JuanGa’s most jubilant anthems that, at its core, is a celebration of being in love. “[‘Me Nace Del Corazón’ is] one of the hardest songs to sing in the album,” Jiménez said. “Especially in one take because it’s a fast song and I like to sing it fast. It’s a pretty and difficult song at the same time.”

“Fue Un Placer Conocerte”

One of Juan Gabriel’s most memorable songs, this classic ranchera was meant to be sung by powerful vocals, just like Jimenez’s throaty voice. The song’s deep feelings are perfectly transmitted by a melancholic mariachi that help narrate a goodbye story. “It’s been a pleasure to meet you and to have loved you for a couple of months, even tho those months were the beginning and the end,” she confesses.

“La Pena”

On this ultra-corta venas, co-penned by Jimenez, Claudia Bryant, and Julio Reyes Copello, Natalia vividly describes her heart being torn to pieces with a sharp knife because that’s how disappointed she is with love. “This pain is killing me / I am dying of love / how do I explain to oblivion that to forget you I am the worst?” she hopelessly chants over a somber ranchera melody with enchanting violins. “This is a precious ballad with some spectacular musical arrangements,” Jimenez expressed in an official statement.

Veteran music industry executive Harry J. Coombs died on Sept. 3, Billboard has learned. Coombs, 85, passed away of pulmonary fibrosis/acute pulmonary hypertension in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Coombs, born Sept. 19, 1935 in Washington, D.C., was best known for his 30-year tenure at Philadelphia International Records. He joined PIR — then distributed by CBS Records (now Sony Music) — as a national promotion manager in 1972. He earned his first gold record that year for The O’Jays hit “Backstabbers.” Promoted to PIR’s executive vp internal operations and promotion in 1974, Coombs continued to play an integral role in building the label’s iconic “Philly Sound” legacy as he oversaw projects released by hit-making acts such as The Stylistics, Teddy Pendergrass, Lou Rawls, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, Billy Paul and Phyllis Hyman in addition to The O’Jays.

In a joint statement, PIR co-founders and songwriting-production duo Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff said, “Harry started with our organization from the beginning, and he was a tremendous asset in working with CBS on our behalf in sales and marketing efforts. Harry not only was a wonderful team player but also a great friend to us over the years. He truly will be missed. We send our sincere prayers and condolences to his dear wife and family.”

Coombs was also instrumental in the careers of R&B vocal group LeVert and singer Gerald Levert. LeVert’s first album, I Get Hot, was released on Coombs’ Tempre label in 1985. “I’m Still,” the album’s first single, drew the attention of Atlantic Records which later signed the group.

Coombs launched his music career at the legendary Waxie Maxie record store chain in Washington, D.C. and later worked at various music labels including CBS Records and Capitol Records prior to PIR, which he left in 2002.

An alumnus of the Modern School of Music in Washington, D.C. and an Army veteran, Coombs was presented with the Living Legends Foundation Award in 1999. After PIR, he relocated to Myrtle Beach in 2007. Coombs is survived by his wife Sandy Coombs, daughter Ashley Coombs-Cox (Malik), stepson Edward Shields (Lisa), granddaughters Peyton, Cora and Sofia, and siblings Francis Coombs and Patricia Coombs-Coleman.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

First Stream Latin is a compilation of the best new Latin songs, albums and videos recommended by the Billboard Latin editors. Check out this week’s picks below.

Bomba Estereo, Deja (Sony Music Latin)

Bomba Estereo’s first album in four years, Deja, is divided conceptually into four sections that correspond to the four elements: water, air, earth and fire. The Colombian electro-folkloric band describes the album as the connection and disconnection of the human beings — from the planet, from one’s own self, lead singer Li explained in a statement. Their recent single “Conexión Total” is a collaboration with Nigerian superstar Yemi Alade that mixes African drums, marimbas and indigenous flutes. On “Como Lo Pedi,” they reel in iconic Mexican songwriter Leonel Garcia to give life to these super profound lyrics in combination with electronic beats and an acoustic guitar. On the chorus, Garcia’s high tones harmonize perfectly with Li’s rap verses. The lyrics show the power of manifestation: “As I asked, your love came to me / That the sea can illuminate me at night / As I asked, everything was forgotten / And in the end, I left behind all the reproaches / As I asked, but without speaking / As I asked, I can rest and heal by hugging you.” The title track is one of the more moving ones on the album. “Deja” talks about depression and tells people that you must get out of it somehow by singing, dancing, even crying. “If this song works of one person, then mission accomplished,” she said. The album was self-produced by the band with a couple of invited guest producers in a constructed makeshift studio in Li’s home in Santa Marta and was mixed by Damian Taylor. — INGRID FAJARDO

Sofia Reyes, Becky G, “Mal de Amores” (Warner Music Latina)

If by any chance you need a new girl’s anthem for your playlist, it’s this one. In “Mal de Amores,” Sofia Reyes and Becky G are bonding over their bad luck in love; nonetheless, they have the secret to healing a broken heart: tequila with music. “I’m not going to suffer for him, I swear, I’m not going to suffer,” the chorus goes. The two artists also pay homage to their Mexican roots, bringing to life a saucy cumbia sonidera fused with urban beats at the helm of award-winning producers Andres Torres and Mauricio Rengifo. The vibrant music video, filmed by the Nicaraguan-Vietnamese director Mike Ho, gives us major Ana Gabriel and Vikki Carr in “Cosas del Amor” vibes. — JESSICA ROIZ 

Kany Garcia, “DPM (De Pxta Madre)” (Sony Music Latin)

Her first single in 15 months, Kany García has released “DPM,” an empowering flamenco-tinged pop track that makes walking away from a toxic relationship feel as liberating as ever. Penned by the Puerto Rican artist, along with Servando Primera and Yasmil Marrufo, García’s new track has a clear message: I’m better off alone. “Now I am dancing, smiling, whistling, no one is bothering me … I’m singing while showering, there is no fall or winter, it’s spring all year,” she sings. The music video released with the song is really a celebration of independence featuring a group of people eating, drinking and dancing on the beach. “DPM” coincides with García’s 2021 tour, which officially kicked off Wednesday in Atlanta. — GRISELDA FLORES

Trueno, “Feel Me??” (NEUEN)

Declaring his career will reach the top, Argentine rapper Trueno presents “Feel Me??” an innovative trap song where he only manifests success throughout the lyrics. He even dedicates a few words to his biggest supporter, his mom. “Mama raised a champion / Tus besos son mis premio,” he chants in the bilingual song. Produced by Tatool and Bryan Taylor, the beat has strong mainstream rap influences laced with a jazzy saxophone melody. In the music video, we see scenes of Trueno climbing to the top and other behind-the-scenes clips of his everyday life at the studio and concerts in Argentina. — J.R. 

Beatriz Luengo, Darell, “Chanteito Pa’ un Ex” (Sony Music Latin)

Spanish singer-songwriter Beatriz Luengo delivered a Paquita la del Barrio-approved female empowerment anthem titled “Chanteíto Pa’ Un Ex,” which translates to a song for your ex. The rhythmic-pop tune, powered by a sparse acoustic guitar, is not your typical heartbreak song. The track finds a fired-up Beatriz Luengo who — after getting a pep talk from Paquita, who’s known for her feminist anthems — declares her independence. “I wanted to write you a love song, but I’m not feeling inspired. I’d like to call you ‘my love’ but ‘cabron’ is what comes to mind,” she sings defiantly. For the track, Luengo teams up with urbano act Darell, the bad guy in the story, who, in the music video, tries to get her back by serenading her with a mariachi in tow. To see how the story ends, watch the Fernando Lugo-directed clip below. — G.F.

Samantha Sanchez, “Reconciliados” (Rebeleon Entertainment)

From futuristic trap to dance-pop to a retro love ballad, Samantha Sanchez — with the help of producers Orlando Vitto and Renzo Braco — now dives into a feel-good punk song with a hip-hop twist. In “Reconciliados,” co-penned by Sanchez, Vitto, Bravo, Samantha Cámara, and Daniel Rondón, the Cuban-Spanish singer tells the story of two people who always get back together when they break up. “We are so alike that sometimes we crash but we’re a perfect defect,” she kicks off the track. For Sanchez, the track hits home, saying in a statement: “Since I was very little, my grandmother always told me: ‘You and your dad are so alike that’s why you always argue. Now, when I think about my relationships with friends and family, I come to the conclusion that as we have more things in common and we live with someone 24 hours a day, there will always be some fights. I wonder why do we fight if, in the end, we love each other?” — J.R.