Juan Wauters

“When you listen to Juan Wauters' signature acoustic, twangy sound overlaid with his gentle vocals, it's hard not to find it a bit uplifting.” - NPR

“Through his high-pitched yet endearing vocal patterns that invite us to unwind, he explores themes of loneliness, confusion, and compassion. His music feels not for himself but for his listener; his music explores the joys of togetherness that make a place become home…” - Interview Magazine

“Unpretentious lyrics observing the beauty of ordinary life, sung in English and his native Spanish. A warm, loosely plucked acoustic guitar as the central instrument…but his biggest trademark is his freewheeling charm (à la Jonathan Richman), rooted in his love of community.” - Pitchfork

For his seventh studio album, musician and singer-songwriter Juan Wauters returns with a love letter to his birthplace and hometown of Montevideo, Uruguay, via the just announced MVD LUV, out 27th June 2025 via Captured Tracks. Pre-order here.

More than a decade into his solo career, Wauters has sculpted his musical identity into a charismatic and charming, authentic and arresting tightrope act, balancing on that fine line hanging just below sincerity, and just above performative. On his new album, his skills as a songwriter shine bright. Bursting with joy, the bulk of the songs on MVD LUV are under two minutes in length, but the album as a whole showcases Wauters at his most endearing, writing with fondness and compassion about the Uruguayan city he’s loved and called home. The clarity of purpose in which Wauters utilises to illustrate Montevideo and its character paint a portrait of an artist with a deep devotion to his craft and subject matter.

Speaking on the album’s announcement, Wauters says “Hello everyone. Today I am announcing my seventh studio album MVD LUV a.k.a. Amor Montevideo. This time around you catch me in Montevideo, the city where I was born and grew up. Though I’m from here, this is the first time I get to record an album here. I have always longed to do this. Let’s get to it, make it through it, MVD LUV a.k.a. Amor Montevideo."

The lead single off the album, “If It’s Not Luv,” explores the euphoric and almost surreal nature of love. This song showcases Juan Wauters’ distinctive songwriting and arrangement skills within the popular guitar style that defines much of his music. The song’s repetitive and almost mantra-like lyrics create a hypnotic effect, reinforcing the central question: If it’s not love, what is it? This lyrical simplicity contrasts with the richness of the instrumentation. The lyrics playfully compare love to a drug, emphasising its intoxicating and transformative power.

The rhythm is steady and engaging, making the song feel effortlessly natural and inviting. It features a relatively unconventional percussion arrangement, which adds texture and movement without overshadowing the song’s lighthearted essence. This subtle yet effective rhythmic choice enhances the groove, giving “If It’s Not Luv” a buoyant, flowing quality that makes it both easy to listen to and deeply immersive.