(“Nobody understands how this love works,” Santos sings. The song opens with a soft-melody on guitar strings, before Santos reminds us “Tu grupo favorito” (“your favorite group”) before going on to describe a poignant romance. With their surprise comeback single, “Inmortal,” Aventura makes their agenda clear: to inspire tears and romance stubborn hearts. Seeing as the entire album is a nod to his own musical genesis, it was only fitting that Santos brought back Aventura 10 years since their separation. Yet most exciting of all is the reunion of Aventura, the band of heartthrobs that helped launch Santos’ career, and most importantly made bachata’s mark on the global pop mainstream during the 2000s. All of these are the very artists Dominicans hold dear. (Not that it ever left to begin with.)Īn unapologetic tribute to the genre’s roots, Santos’ new album features collaborations with some of bachata’s biggest names, from genre godfather Antony “El Mayimbe” Santos, to male-female duo Monchy y Alexandra. Utopia feels like the moment where his unrelenting loyalty to bachata reaches a new peak, as he heralds it in into the world in its purest, classic form.įrom the album’s onset, Santos begins with a rendition of the merengue classic, “Dominicano Soy” (“I Am Dominican”), reminding fans that while reggaetón may have the spotlight on the international stage, bachata is here to stay. As he landed features with Drake, Usher and Marc Anthony, he turned them to bachata before ever switching his own style-they adapt to him. Santos rose through the ranks and defied expectations, all while sticking to a genre far from pop, or the more traditionally accepted salsa. That he dedicated his latest album to his country, and the music that birthed him, bachata, makes Utopia cathartic in a world where folkloric genres often become sterilized by the pop music machine. To the general public, Santos is a sensation, often labeled a “Casanova” for wooing listeners with his romancing ways, sprinkling catchphrases like “let me find out” or “tú Romeo mami” (“your Romeo mami” ) throughout his songs.īut to his fellow Dominicans, he is a beloved figure, a hero of sorts who made the small nation and its diaspora feel seen across the world. Utopia imagines a world where perfection exists in the arms of a loved one, dancing closely to a rhythm that has pulled at the heartstrings of millions of his fans. “Maldito sentimiento” (“Damned feelings”) he sings, both as a sorrow and an affirmation in the 13-track ode to bachata. The bitterness of love recognized as amargue cannot escape Romeo Santos in his newest album Utopia. Album cover art from Romeo Santos’ Utopia.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |