Selena: 11 deep cuts from the Queen of Tejano you should be listening to
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Tejano singer Selena and her family have released 24 singles and seven promotional singles since 1989, when she went solo.
Hardcore fans of the Queen of Tejano know more than just the 31 singles released. They also know the deep cuts of Selena's discography.
A deep cut is a song from an artist that was not released as an official single — promotional singles without a music video can count — and is usually a more obscure song that only true fans would know.
From her five studio albums, and the soundtrack from the 1997 biographical film about the late singer, the Caller-Times selected the best 11 deep cuts of Selena. Did your favorite make the list?
"Ámame, Quiéreme" from "Selena"
If there's something Selena knew how to sing about best, it's love. "Ámame, Quiéreme" translates to "Love me, love me." In Spanish, amar and querer both can mean to love.
In this duet with Pete Astudillo, her backup singer, Selena asks her lover to embrace and kiss her like he's never done before. She compares him to a light that illuminates her life.
The song was nominated for Vocal Duo of the Year at the 1990 Tejano Music Awards.
Listen to it here.
"Besitos" from "Selena"
"Besitos" is about how with every little kiss Selena's lover gives her, she loves him even more.
The cumbia-flavored track with a fast-paced chorus was the first song Pete Astudillo wrote for Selena.
Listen to it here.
"A Boy Like That" from "Selena: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack"
Ever wonder what Selena would've been like if she portrayed Anita in the musical "West Side Story"? This is the closest we'll get.
In 1995, Selena recorded "A Boy Like That" for the compilation album "The Songs of West Side Story." It benefited AIDS Project Los Angeles and featured other artists covering songs, including Aretha Franklin, Trisha Yearwood and Phil Collins.
The track was also included on the soundtrack album for the biographical film "Selena." The promotional single hit the U.S. Dance Chart at No. 4 in March 1996.
Listen to it here.
"Captive Heart" from "Dreaming of You"
This R&B-funk-electropop song was the second promotional single for "Dreaming of You."
Selena sings about seeing a guy walk by her and is lovestruck by his voice and sense of danger.
The song was recorded at Q-Productions and two other studios in 1995.
Listen to it here.
"Cobarde" from "Amor Prohibido"
"¡Cobarde! Tú no eres más que un cobarde!" Selena sings during the chorus of this song. In English, it translates to, "Coward! You're nothing more than a coward!"
The Tejano song tells the story of Selena confronting her ex-lover who was unfaithful to her. She sings that he can't stop thinking about another woman from his past, even though he told her she was "la medicina para tu dolor" — the medicine for his pain.
Listen to it here.
"Después de Enero" from "Ven Conmigo"
The closing track of Selena's 1990 album "Ven Conmigo" is another love song that translates to "After January."
Selena sings about how being in love has left her crazy and disoriented — even wondering whether April comes after January.
Listen to it here.
"Enamorada de Ti" from "Ven Conmigo"
Prior to the release of "Enamorada de Ti," Selena recorded three demo songs in hopes of doing an English crossover album. They were shelved as she was told she wasn't ready to cross over just yet, but one of the demos — "Is It the Beat?" — became the Spanish deep cut "Enamorada de Ti" (translating to "In Love with You").
Selena performed the song at the 1990 Tejano Music Awards with dance moves similar to those of Janet Jackson.
Listen to it here.
"Missing My Baby" from "Entre a Mi Mundo"
Selena included this R&B ballad on "Entre a Mi Mundo" — the only English-language track on the album — to convince her label she was ready to cross over to the English market.
After her death in 1995, the song peaked at No. 22 on the U.S. Rhythmic Top 40 chart.
Listen to it here.
"Tus Desprecios" from "Amor Prohibido"
"Tus Desprecios" has a Tejano beat with an accordion playing throughout the song. It loosely translates to "Your Scorns."
The track tells about a volatile relationship in which Selena is stuck. She sings that her partner's scorns are like daggers to her heart and she doesn't know how to make him love her again.
With a playful, fast-paced chorus, it is one of the more traditional Tejano songs on her album "Amor Prohibido."
Listen to it here.
"Ven Conmigo" from "Ven Conmigo"
The title track from her 1990 album is another classic love song of Selena's.
The title means "Come with Me." Selena sings that her partner is the love of her life and is her everything.
Listen to it here.
"Vuelve a Mí" from "Entre a Mi Mundo"
"Vuelve a Mí" is a song about Selena wishing her former lover would return. The title translates to "Come Back to Me."
In a spoken-word intro with the sounds of a thunderstorm in the background, Selena says rainfall reminds her of the day her lover left her and compares the raindrops to her tears. Then the beat of the Tejano track kicks in.
Listen to it here.
RELATED COVERAGE
More:#TBT: Scenes from 'Selena' filmed around South Texas towns in 1996
More:From 'Selena' to 'La Bamba': Here are 10 music biopics to include on your watchlist
John Oliva covers entertainment and community news in South Texas. Contact him at john.oliva@caller.com or Twitter @johnpoliva.
Consider supporting local journalism with a subscription to the Caller-Times.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: These are 11 Selena deep cuts you should be listening to
