Remembering Selena: A Playlist

Sixteen years ago today, the world became a little crappier. On March 31, 1995, Selena Quintanilla-Perez, known as “The Queen Of Tejano Music,” was shot and killed by Yolanda Saldivar– former president of her fan club– at a Days Inn in Corpus Christi, Texas. At the tender age of 23, Selena was the top Latin artist of the 90s. She was also indirectly responsible for Jennifer Lopez’s career (JLo played her in the 1997 biopic), but we won’t hold that against her. Her untimely death is still mourned every year by her fans. We are one of those people. To celebrate Selena’s legacy, we’ve compiled our favorite tracks below.

Como La Flor

Arguably one of her best known songs, “Como La Flor” features one of our favorite synth drum intros ever. It’s also a great song about heartbreak. On a side note, please ignore the poorly made fan video that accompanies the song.

Bidi Bidi Bom Bom

We dare you to watch this video and not dance. In addition to being quite an attractive woman, Selena had a knack for making danceable music.

Amor Prohibido

Embarrassing admission: we tend to put this album late at night when we’re  at home. We also dig this music video. Not entirely sure what’s the relationship between taboo love (the theme of the song) and dancing in the desert, but we’re all for it.

Techno Cumbia

Alright, so Selena didn’t explore any musical genres outside of the cumbia that often. In her defense, however, she did try to spice things up from time to time. Case in point: “Techno Cumbia.” In this song, she incorporated a musical styling that was becoming popular in the 1990s, the much dreaded techno.

Dreaming Of You

One of the saddest parts about Selena’s death in 1995 was that she was on the verge of crossing over. By 1995, she was already the queen of Latin music, and she had her eyes set on the mainstream. This is one of her few songs that she performed in English.

God’s Child (Baila Conmigo)

You see!? Selena’s music wasn’t just one-dimensional. Sure, her bread and butter were cumbias and ballads, but she also had a series of killer collaborations with other great artists. Our favorite, hands down, is “God’s Child (Baila Conmigo),” a track she recorded with musical genius (and Talking Heads founding member) David Byrne.