Slow Bachata Songs Perfect For Dancing To: A Playlist

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Whether you’re a beginner bachata dancer or you’ve been dancing for years, there’s something special about slow bachata songs. They allow you to enjoy every movement: every hip swing, every breath before a movement, every moment of connection.

For beginners, a slow bachata song is the perfect time to practise routines. You’ll have more time to think about all the important details that go into each and every move.

And if you’re past the beginner stage? Then slow bachata songs are an opportunity to challenge your dancing. Filling the time between each beat requires excellent body movement and control. You’ll also want to develop a gentle but clear connection with your partner so that you can stay in sync without it being overpowering. And you can also work on developing your dance style.

Best Slow Bachata Songs for Beginners And Advanced Dancers Alike

If you’re looking for the best slow bachata songs to practise with, keep reading. Our playlist contains songs suitable for traditional and sensual bachata alike, along with love songs, heartbroken melodies and more. The only thing that they have in common? They’re all deliciously slow so that you can enjoy every moment of them.

A quick note before we get started: there’s a lot of debate among bachata lovers as to whether “bachata-ish” songs should be played at bachata parties. These songs often include most, but not all, of the traditional bachata rhythms and are often popular among bachata sensual dancers. We’ve included some of them in this article, but we’ve also clearly marked them.

1. Tú Sin Mí — Yenddi

Tú Sin Mí is a song full of heartbreak, as the singer asks “and now that you’re without me, what do I do with my love?”

Dancing to this track can feel like you’re moving in slow motion. It will force you to move slowly, giving you plenty of time to work on your body movement — or even your footwork, as this choreographed routine from Ataca & La Alemana shows is possible. While not strictly speaking a bachata song, as it doesn’t have the mambo section, it’s still loved (and danced to!) by bachata dancers over the world.

2. Bachatica — Leslie Grace

Leslie Grace’s honeyed voice is the first thing that stands out about this slow and sensual bachata song. While there are many talented female bachata artists, there’s no denying that it’s a male-dominated field. And this one is particularly delightful, with plenty to play with musically as well as lyrics that you’ll find yourself singing along with. Grace takes a traditional bachata trope of the wooing suitor, singing “lower your shield” and promising to dance with — and kiss — the object of her love from Santa Domingo to Chicago, and from winter till summer and then till the sun no longer shines.

3. La Última Copa — J Salez

“If this is our last drink, I want to savour your mouth,” sings J Salez. It’s a sad and sexy song to mark the end of a dying relationship, as the singer says he wants to slowly make love all night. In this sense, it’s a typical bachata song: full of heartbreak, love and sensuality. It’s also well-suited to beginner dancers, with a slow beat, a relatively short introduction and clear bachata instruments for budding expressions of musicality.

4. Vete y Aléjate de Mí — Anthony Santos

This slow bachata song is full of pain, as the singer practically spits “Go! Go away from me!” at his ex-lover. “I believed in your words and your kisses… I don’t know how to live with the lie”, he laments.

Released in 2010, Vete y Aléjate de Mí remains popular among traditional bachata dancers. With a strong bass guitar, it’s a great option for entry-level musicality practice. And if you’re leading and want to add another layer to your musical interpretation, try creating distance between you and your partner when Santos sings the song title.

5. Casablanca — Daniel Santacruz

“I want to pause the world” starts this love song tinged with the sadness of knowing that beautiful things often end. “Hug me tightly, think that there’s no tomorrow, like that night we made love in Casablanca.” This slow song will give you plenty of time to focus on your steps, connect with your partner or simply lose yourself in the beautiful melody.

It’s another song that doesn’t have all the bachata rhythms, but it was still popular among bachata dancers on its release. In fact, you’ll see people dancing bachata in the music video.

6. Hookah & Sheridan’s — Mr. Don Ft DJ Khalid

A favourite song of many bachata sensual dancers, Hookah & Sheridan’s is slow with a repetitive rhythm. It’s also one of the first songs on our list that doesn’t hint at heartbreak. (What can we say? The slower the song, the sadder it tends to be.) “What a pure sensation, touching this waist and making your skin flush,” goes the chorus, “with tobacco in the hookah, Sheridan’s on the rocks, it feels good, it feels good.”

More traditional bachata dancers will find this remix lacks key bachata sections and rhythms, giving dancers less to play with. However, the song is still often played at bachata parties. And the slow beat means you’ll be able to practise more complex moves without sacrificing preparation or technique.

7. Quiéreme un Poquito — Grupo Extra

“Love me a little, like I love you” sing Grupo Extra in this story of unrequited love. There’s no sadness or bitterness in their words, just repeated pleas for the listener to love them. And while you can imagine this would be a frustrating conversation in real life, it makes for lyrics that are easy to sing along with.

This bachata song deserves adding to your practice playlist for three reasons: it’s slow, it’s still played regularly despite being released several years ago, and it’s musically complex. It contains plenty of traditional instrumentation that will challenge you to play with footwork in a controlled, contained and smooth manner. There’s also a long introduction and breaks into other musical genres. Beginners will appreciate the slow beat, while more proficient dancers will find there’s lots of room to play with musicality, body movement and footwork.

8. Cásate Conmigo (Bachata Remix) — DJ Khalid

This romantic ballad isn’t a bachata song, since it doesn’t have all the essential bachata rhythms a traditional bachata song would have. However, it proved immensely popular among bachata dancers on its 2019 release for its slow, romantic tones.

The title translates to “Marry Me”, and the lyrics include lines such as “love doesn’t end, it stays in the soul” and “I see my whole life by your side, I’ll be your husband, lover and best friend”.

Curiously, this version of the song — which was originally released by Colombian singer Silvestre Francisco Dangond Corrales and Puerto Rican singer Nicky Jam — features a female singer, Laura Naranjo, singing that she’ll be her partner’s husband, the president to her first lady. While it probably wasn’t intended as an LGBTQ+ remix, it feels a lot queerer than the original.

9. Adicto — Prince Royce ft. Marc Anthony

This fun bachata song from two Latin giants took the bachata world by storm, perhaps because of how relatable the lyrics are: “I admit it, I’m an addict, an addict, 25 hours, 10 dances a day, you enter at night, leave in the daytime”. While the song is about flirting with women rather than dancing, many bachateros recognise themselves in the lyrics. It doesn’t hurt that it’s also a slow song with clear bachata rhythms that make it easy to dance to.

10. Comerte a Besos — Frankie Negrón

Salsa dancers will find this bachata song familiar. That’s right: Frankie Negrón originally released this as a salsa song before recording a slow bachata version of it. There are elements that hint at its roots in salsa, such as Negron’s singing style and the occasional dramatic silence peppering the song. However, that just makes it the perfect bachata song for people who feel more comfortable with salsa.

The lyrics are a declaration of love to a hesitant new partner who has had their heart broken by an unfaithful ex. Negrón promises to love them slowly, softly and sensually until they have faith in him. He says he will smother them in kisses all over their body — or, in a more literal translation, eat up their entire body with kisses.

11. Yajaira — Joe Veras

This slow song deals with a common trope in bachata music: the lover who doesn’t have the parents’ approval. “Tell your parents how much I love you, that it would be a crime if I stopped loving you,” the singer tells Yajaira.

In addition to being slow, this song is great for practising footwork. The different instruments are very clear and easy to hear throughout the song, making it easy to move from one rhythm to another.

12. Cuando Se Acaba El Placer — Ephrem J

“Today I made love with someone else, but my heart is forever yours” starts this sad bachata song about the inability to move on from an ex-lover. The title comes from the song’s conclusion, “and so I understand that we measure love when the pleasure ends”.

It’s a little faster than some of the options on this list, but it’s a good mid-point between songs like Quiéreme un Poquito or Hookah & Sheridan’s, and the more rapid songs you might hear on the dance floor. It’s a fun song for traditional and sensual dancers alike, with the official music video featuring Daniel y Desirée dancing in Seville.

13. Sin Tus Besos — Montelier

“Without your kisses, I lose myself”, sings Montelier, as Truji & Gloria dance dramatically in the video. Don’t let the title fool you, however. This isn’t a song about a broken heart. Montelier tells his lover to slowly make love to him, “because you’re the woman who I always imagine in my future”.

14. Beberé — Grupo Extra

This is the second song by the Dominican-Swiss Grupo Extra on our list, but when their songs are so fun to dance to, can you blame us? This takes a similar storyline to some of their previous songs: in short, I’ll drink to forget you because you hurt me. Despite the lyrics, it’s an upbeat song that will leave most dancers smiling. Musically, there’s a lot of room to play with rhythms and energy levels.

15. Amarte sin Amarte — JR

This emotional bachata song is one of the quicker songs on our list, but it’s still slower than it feels. There’s a drama to the lyrics and instruments that can be misleading, so don’t rush your steps or overcommit to your movements. Remember: the intensity comes from the story, not the beat.

Caught in a love triangle, the singer describes himself as the “whim” of his love interest. “You have a boyfriend, and you have me. I’ll have to stay on the side,” he sings, before promising, “I want nothing, I swear, nothing more than to touch you.”

Oh, and keep an eye out for the appearance of Ataca & la Alemana in the music video.

16. Tu Juguete — Dani J

Spanish singer Dani J is one of the most well-known singers of bachata sensual. In this video, he dances with the multi-talented Sara Panero, while angrily breaking up with an ex-lover. “You amuse yourself, you drive me crazy and then you go. If you don’t belong to me any longer, don’t come looking for me again,” he sings, “I’m not your toy any more.”

Again, it’s one of the faster songs in this article — which makes it a great challenge to take on once you’ve practised with the slower songs at the start of our list.

The Joy Of Dancing To Slow Bachata Songs

Slow bachata songs are often stereotyped as only being appropriate for beginners or for dancing sensual bachata. But as these tracks show, there’s so much more to slow bachata music. There are slow traditional songs, slow songs with complex instrumentation and more.

Beginners will find these slow songs are perfect for taking their first steps onto the dance floor. More experienced bachata dancers can also get plenty out of them.

There’s a beauty in slowing down your movement. It allows you to focus on the pauses between the beats and the connection with your partner. Whether you prefer sensual, traditional or fusion bachata, slow bachata songs have lots to offer.