Honduran-born, Montreal-based artist Isabella Lovestory was raised on a steady diet of reggaetón, Y2K-era pop, and more experimental pop artists like Uffie and Crystal Castles, and that all comes across on her excellent new album Amor Hardcore, which owes as much to reggaetón/perreo as it does to art pop. "You’re exposed to all these different things, different music, which all microwaves in your brain and translates into music, where it becomes a mix of sounds and languages and genres," she recently told Dazed. Elaborating on the album in recent press materials, she said:

Amor hardcore is a colorful neon rollercoaster. A journey exploring expressions of love full of contrasting lights, sounds and rhythms. The album is a luxurious hotel, where each floor is a different song. Amor is sweetness and Hardcore is aggression; beauty vs. pain, which combined to create this album. Sweet melodies fused with abrasive sounds. Lyrically each song has an obsessive yet carefree, dark, romantic theme. This album is a kiss that feels like a balloon popping at the same time a firework explodes, or a cherry bursting in your mouth. Amor Hardcore is my first full length album, where I experiment with and expand my sound with no limitations or rules.

The album features standout guest appearances from established names like Ms. Nina and Chucky73, as well as rising acts Meth Math, Six Sex and OH!DULCEARi, and you can stream the whole thing and watch some of Isabella's videos below.

Isabella's also gearing up for the brief Amor Hardcore tour this fall, which stops in San Francisco, LA, Mexico City, and Austin, before wrapping up at Brooklyn's Elsewhere Zone One on December 16. She also promises more dates TBA. All currently announced dates on the tour poster below.

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