It’s been a while since we’ve heard from Xenia Rubinos. The Hartford, Connecticut-born singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist raised a lot of eyebrows with the release of her full-length debut album, BLACK TERRY CAT, in 2016. Unlike many of her contemporaries, Xenia Rubinos’ album was an unpredictable mix of R&B, Jazz, Pop, and Hip-Hop influences filtered through an artist with a unique voice and a gift for melodies. The album received critical acclaim and introduced Xenia to a larger audience. Listeners were caught off-guard by the emotional depth and power of her music, and she became one of the most talked about artists on the scene. But it didn’t start there…

Born to a Puerto Rican mother and a Cuban father, her musical influences were classical composers such as Prokofiev and Ravel. Growing up, her father introduced Xenia to salsa, merengue, rumba, and other Latin musical styles. On her own, she discovered Hip-Hop, R&B, and, more importantly, Jazz, which inspired her to study the genre at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. Armed with her love of all genres of music and a deeper knowledge of creating art, she released MAGIC TRIX, her debut album, independently in 2013. The album impressed critics, music lovers, and even record label execs. Signing with Anti- Records, Xenia Rubinos’ next album, the previously mentioned BLACK TERRY CAT (2016) introduced her talents to a larger audience that has been anxiously awaiting her next musical outing…

Xenia Rubinos’ third album, 2021’s UNA ROSA is exactly what you would expect from her: unpredictable and fresh. While still very accessible to Pop audiences, the album embraces her more eclectic side, offering up an album of songs that strip away the formulaic edge of Pop and adds more of her early influences like Latin and Jazz while also experimenting with new rhythms and sound. While a few songs may sound unconventional on first listen, they reveal their charms over repeated spins. Moody, atmospheric, thoughtful, and melodic, the album is filled with songs that seduce you and overpower your senses. Highlights include “Worst Behavior”, “Did My Best”, “Sacude”, “Don’t Put Me in the Red” and “Cógelo Suave”. But those tracks only represent a small part of what Xenia Rubinos offers on this bravely eclectic release.