ALBUM OF THE YEAR
La Cu4rta Hoja
Pablo Alborán
In a marked departure from the brooding love songs that precipitated Pablo Alborán’s ascent, in La Cua4rta Hoja, his sixth studio album, the Spaniard delivers mostly feel-good bops and pop ballads that seem to confirm that he is living his best life. The 24-time Latin GRAMMY and three-time GRAMMY nominee broadens his flamenco pop palette, incorporating Mexican regional music and Latin urban, while exploring themes that celebrate his journey of self-discovery, unconditional friends and the power of love. Alborán benefits from several genre-spanning collaborations — reggaeton y flamenco on “Amigos,” with María Becerra, Mexican regional music with Carin León on “Viaje a Ningún Lado,” and hybrid ballads like “Ave de Paso,” with fellow Spanish songstress Ana Mena. Undoubtedly, La Cua4rta Hoja’s sonic bright spots brim with post-pandemic optimism. (Lissette Corsa)
A Ciegas
Paula Arenas
Paula Arenas’ sophomore album A Ciegas is a heartfelt proclamation to living life to the fullest and a beautiful showcase of her powerhouse voice. She dedicated it to her husband and young son, calling it music that she hopes inspires listeners to keep fighting for their dreams. “It’s an invitation for you to find yourself again, to remember who you are and to be loyal to yourself, to your love,” Arenas said in an interview. Amidst the vocal-driven ballads, the middle of the album o!ers a tempo shift: Best Pop Song-nominated “Déjame Llorarte” is a duet with Jesús Navarro of Reik about longing for a love that never was, “Árboles” is an upbeat synth-pop anthem, and “Puro Sentimiento” is a groovy, honey-drenched love song with fellow Colombian Manuel Medrano. (Ana Monroy Yglesias)
De Adentro Pa Afuera
Camilo
Camilo is pushing the limits of Latin pop with his third studio album De Adentro Pa Afuera. Across 11 tracks, the Colombian singer/songwriter explores and expands the sounds of various genres. Camilo crafts a reggaeton heartbreak anthem “Bebiendo Sola,” featuring Puerto Rican rapper Myke Towers. In the racy “Ambulancia,” Camilo embraces elements of bachata music with Cuban pop star Camila Cabello. He continues to display his enthusiasm for regional Mexican music in the banda-infused song “Alaska” alongside Grupo Firme. Camilo also teams up with Spanish icon Alejandro Sanz for the dreamy duet “NASA.” The record wraps up masterfully with “Índigo”, a duet with Evaluna Montaner dedicated to their first-born daughter. (Lucas Villa)
Décimo Cuarto
Andrés Cepeda
Décimo Cuarto is an album with a romantic flair in which the Colombian troubadour Andrés Cepeda delivers themes that range from sentiments of unbridled passion to disappointment and heartache. The record had the technical support of a team of renowned hitmakers — like Andrés Torres, Mauricio Rengifo, George Noriega and Gio Fernández — and incorporates with equal ease romantic ballads and the bambuco, so the reflective tone does not prevent the body from swinging to the dembow of “Le Viene Bien,” featuring vocalist Greeicy Rendón. The single “Lo Que Se Va,” in collaboration with Mexican songstress Ximena Sariñana, matched this LP’s rapid climb in the charts, and the multitalented Cepeda acts as composer, producer and instrumentalist throughout. (Néstor Díaz de Villegas)
Vida Cotidiana
Juanes
Vida Cotidiana reflects, as Juanes has said, a “return home.” But this time, the 11 tracks are enriched by fresh harmonies, poetry and singing techniques Juanes has not previously employed. With 24 Latin GRAMMYs under his belt, the Colombian singer/songwriter analyzes life’s daily ups and downs with loved ones and in his country. “Canción Desaparecida” o!ers in its lyrics, harmony and arrangement a level of visceral pain for the all-too-common violence in his home country. Juanes’ electric guitar makes a resurgence, though mixed with acoustic as well as strings, adding heft to his message. “Cecilia,” is about the love between two people on which Juanes pairs with the great Juan Luis Guerra, and together they offer much more than the sum of two great voices and styles. (Ana Santiago)
Mañana Será Bonito
Karol G
After becoming one of pop music’s most reliable hitmakers during the last decade, Mañana Será Bonito is the sound of her ascension to global superstardom. Focusing inward for inspiration, the Colombian singer/songwriter has produced an album exuding the cleverness and charm that have been staples of her career thus far. True to its title, everything about Mañana Será Bonito, from the cover art to its opening interpolation of Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry Be Happy,” conveys positivity and warmth. And while the album is packed with renowned guest spots from the likes of Shakira, Romeo Santos and Carla Morrison, this undoubtedly remains the Karol G show: cool and adventurous but with enough bite to always keep the listener on their toes. (Andrew Casillas)
De Todas Las Flores
Natalia Lafourcade
Natalia Lafourcade’s De Todas Las Flores is a profound musical journey that unfolds like a sequence of life’s moments. Recorded live on analog tape, her 10th studio album marks her return to original material since 2015’s Latin GRAMMY winning Hasta La Raíz. From the classical strings of “Vine Solita” to the jazzy playfulness of the title track and the poetic prowess displayed on “El Lugar Correcto” — about letting go of the past and finding fulfillment in the now — each song is a revelation. “Muerte” is a triumphant anthem of overcoming existential anxieties, while the tender lullaby “Que Te Vaya Bonito Nicolas” provides a soothing conclusion. Co-produced by Lafourcade and Adán Jodorowsky, the Mexican singer/songwriter’s latest release is a sophisticated tapestry of vulnerability, femininity, nature, mysticism and love. (Isabela Raygoza)
Play
Ricky Martin
Play comes two years after Pausa, the EP that won Best Pop Vocal Album at the 21st Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards. Ricky Martin, an emblematic figure of the urban repertoire, a balladist with an ear tuned to “street poetry,” moves with ease between bomba and worldbeat. Play is the sequel to Pausa, which was released during the pandemic, and serves as a perfect complement to the raw energy of its predecessor. There are tracks on Play with strong autobiographical content such as “Reina de Corazones” and “Otra Noche en L.A.,” written in collaboration with Colombian songwriter Kevyn Cruz Moreno. The latest record from the Puerto Rican icon vibrates with a mix of playful fantasies and bitter truths, unveiling an artist who alternates between showing off and concealing himself in another of his masterstrokes. (Néstor Díaz de Villegas)
EADDA9223
Fito Páez
On EADDA9223, celebrated Argentinian rocker Fito Páez revisits his iconic 1992 album El Amor Después Del Amor. With this new musical production, the 11-time Latin GRAMMY and one-time GRAMMY winner radically reimagines the classic tracks with a diverse and star-studded group of collaborators including Nathy Peluso, Elvis Costello, Mon Laferte and Ángela Aguilar. “Sasha, Sissi y el Círculo de Baba” becomes a sultry bolero enhanced by Mon Laferte’s piercing voice, “La Balada de Donna Helena” goes punk with fiery bars from WOS and CA7RIEL, and “Detrás del Muro de los Lamentos” is transformed into a powerful flamenco/tango with Spanish flamenco greats Estrella Morente and Antonio Carmona. (Ana Monroy Yglesias)
Escalona Nunca Se Había Grabado Así
Carlos Vives
On Carlos Vives’ heartfelt homage to the legendary Colombian composer Rafael Escalona, the vallenato revivalist breathes new life into Escalona’s classics. Comprising 13 tracks, the album journeys through the soul of the Caribbean coast, combining vallenato rhythms with a dash of pop-rock sensibility. “La Historia” stands out as a melancholic gem, and “El Carro Ford” takes listeners on a nostalgic ride through the Colombian countryside. Song title aside, “Mala Suerte” is a joyful celebration of life, with accordion riffs courtesy of Egidio Cuadrado; and “Contestación A La Brasilera” is a touching tribute to Vives’ father that bridges past and present. The Santa Marta native both successfully reimagines the brilliant work of the late composer and preserves the beauty of his own musical heritage reinvented for a new era. (Isabela Raygoza)
