Locura de Marzo is a worldwide competition between 16 handpicked Spanish songs. Students worldwide in middle schools and high schools vote on which songs they want to go through in a bracket like march madness brackets for college basketball. Locura de Marzo is a terrific way to teach Spanish through music, letting students engage with real-world content while having fun. In French classes, they also do something similar, however it is called, “Manie Musicale.”  

Many famous artists have songs in the competition this year. Becky G sings in “Otro Capítulo,” Bad Bunny sings in the song “Turista,” Daddy Yankee sings in “Bailando en la Lluvia,” and even Ed Sheeran contributed to the song “Forever my love.” This has made deciding which songs to put through to the next rounds exceedingly difficult.  

After 416 students at Hingham High School voted, “Tourista” beat “Regalo.” 

In the first round and first matchup in the competition, “Tourista” beat “Regalo.” “Tourista” is a very deep song which has many meanings. It talks literally about how tourists never stay long enough to see the real Puerto Rico. However, he is also referring to his past love and how his partner never got to know the real him. “Regalo” explores the ideas of giving and receiving love. Freshman, Fiona Perchard said, “Tourista grew on me, but it is still kinda bad. Yet, I like Regalo. It is so underrated, and people did not appreciate that song enough.”  

The next face off was between “Una vida Pasada” and “Como Pasò.” “Como Pasò” ended up winning the preliminary round decisively with a 58% to 42% vote. “Una Vida Pasada” was written to capture the feeling of being destined for someone. The sincere lyrics about memories and dreams bring about a sense of nostalgia in the listener. “Como Paso” is a favorite song of many students. Freshman Katie Post thinks, “Como Pasò” should win and there are so many unnecessary haters.” She added to her statement by saying, “Ela Taubert is also very impressive because she is so young and so talented.” The song is about how her love experience ended very abruptly. It dives into the unfilled promises and struggles to understand why it would be easier to end the relationship than to fight for love.  

The next matchup was between “Forever my Love” by J. Balvin and Ed Sheeran and “Perdonarte ¿Para Que?” by Los Angeles Azules and Emilia. “Perdonarte ¿Para Que?” defeated “Forever my love” in a remarkably similar situation to the previous matchup with almost the same percent of votes going to these songs. “Forever my love” explores themes of love, like many songs in this year’s competition. In the song, Ed Sheeran and J. Balvin sing about how love makes a person better. Also, that love always prevails, even in dark situations. However, “Perdonarte ¿Para Que?” expresses messages of moving on from a failed relationship. It talks about closure and self-respect after someone has let you down repeatedly, by not forgiving them.  

The last clash of songs on the left side of the bracket was between “Por el Resto de tu Vida” and “Porfa No te Vayas.” “Porfa el Resto de tu Vida” is a song about the depths of love. It examines the commitment and the longing to live life together. “Porfa No te Vayas” talks about the longing of romance. The song is also a call out to a loved one. This captured the fear of losing someone special and the desire to hold onto love.  

The first matchup on the right side of the bracket was a very decisive win for “Candela,” by Alcaro Soler and Nico Santos. The message of “Candela” is about how love determines who you are, and how it changes you the best. The song is a celebration of love and living your life. “Algo Sencillito” is a beautiful, yet simple song written by Marta Santos. The music video depicts her in Seville, Spain in front of stunning buildings and plazas. The name of the song translates to something simple. The song describes the desires that come with love and the beauty of simple love. It also says how one should find the joys in everyday moments.  

“Otro Capitulo” by Becky G and “Fragil” by Yahritza and Su Esencia and Grupo Frontra is the second matchup on the right side of the bracket. “Otro Capítulo” is a song about starting fresh after a past relationship. The lyrics describe embracing new beginnings while also remembering old memories. “Fragil” is a deep and emotional song about heartbreak. The artists sing a heartfelt melody which captures how a fragile heart and unreturned love adds to the pain of loving someone. “Otro Capítulo” beat “Frágil”. However, the percentages show a close race between the two as 43.3% for “Frail” and 56.7% for “Otro Capulito.” 

 The second to last matchup is between “Kapun” and “Igual que un Angel.” “Kapun” is sang by two very popular artists. Both artists have held their fame throughout decades, releasing new music and collaborating with more recent artists. The first of these two artists is Diego Torres. He is an argentinian pop, tropical and rock and roll singer. For over 30 years, Diego has had international fame, won multiple Latin Grammys, and continues to go on tours in various countries. The second artist is Carlos Vives. He is a Columbian, vallenato and cumbia singer. Since the 1980’s, Carlos Vives has sold millions of records, winning him 14 Grammys. Also, in 2024, he was awarded the Latin Recording Academy’s Person of the Year for his philanthropic work and his contribution to the music industry. “Igual que in Angel” is also sung by 2 artists. Kali Uchis and Peso Pluma worked together to create a song about someone who embodies grace and resilience, who also doesn’t need a relationship. Kali Uchis has gained fame not only in the music industry but also on social media platforms such as Tik Tok. “Kapun” defeated “Igual que un Angel” decisively. Freshman Will Monti, “I think Kapun is the best song, but I also think ‘Igual que un Angel’ is a respectable song. Kapun definitely deserves to win the whole competition because Diego Torres is a great artist and the message is amazing and really resonates with me.” 

The final first round matchup is between two completely different songs, “Donde Naci” and “Bailanda en la lluvia.” “Donde Naci” was a song written for the world cup in 2023. The song bursts with Ecuadorian pride and unity by bringing everyone together to support one team. This is a very intense yet fun song with different beat drops and speed changes within the song. “Bailanda en la lluvia” is an uplifting song about making light of every situation. Taking day one day at a time and staying strong during tough times are also messages of this song. This song is by Daddy Yankee, also known as the king of reggaeton. Reggaeton is a mix of reggae and hip-hop rhythms. One of his most famous songs is “Gasolina.” “Donde Naci” lost to “Bailanda en la lluvia” in a race that ended up being a tie. Only 0.4% of the vote separated the two, meaning one- or two-people’s votes dictated the ending of the matchup.  Freshman Brendan Conroy said, “If I had to choose, I would say both songs lose because both songs are just bad.” 

To start off the Elite 8 part of the competition, “Tourista” and “Como Pasó” faced off, as well as “Perdonarte ¿Para Que?” and “Porfa no te Vayas.” “Tourista” versus “Comp Pasó” was one of the most anticipated matchups in the 2025 Locura de Marzo bracket, which ended in “Como Pasó” being victorious and moving onto the semifinals. “Perdonarte ¿Para que?” also took the win and will be facing “Como Pasó” in the coming week. On the other side of the bracket, “Candela” will face “Otro Capítulo” and “Kapun” will face “Bailando en la Lluvia.” The semifinals and final 2 are coming up in the following week so make sure to submit your votes for your favorite song.