Saturday, May 1, 2010

Chayanne: Impossible Prince


At first glance, his album cover looks like a cologne ad, unfortunately, the music does little to distinct itself from that image.

Where there is style, there usually lacks substance in the 11 tracks. Unlike Ricky Martin or Enrique Iglesias, Chayanne has rarely taken risks in his 20+ year career. Now with No Hay Imposibles, the artist adds another Spanish Adult Contemporary disc to the collection. Though it should be said, Chayanne’s voice is still as passionate as ever. He hasn’t sustained a two-decade career full of #1 Latin tracks and multi-platinum albums solely with his sexy look; it’s his voice that adds that certain something that has made songs like “Salome,” “No Te Preocupes Por Mi” and “Sentada Aqui En Mi Alma” into Latin classics.

As for No Hay Imposibles, in terms of the music, at the times when there should be spice or honey, what you get is pure dulce. From “Me Pierdo Contigo” to “Siento” to “Tu Boca,” the oversaturated sweetness of everything leaves these songs ultimately without any flavor.

There are times when Chayanne comes out of his artistic shell. “Si No Estas” is a dreamy song that sends you floating through the clouds. Perfectly sung and perfectly produced, the opener outshines any of the singer’s previous material. “Por Esta Mujer” fills the room with humid air and the light of the sunset. Adding heat to the night, the song brings the Latin-lover flavor to the mix. And lastly, “Dime” soothes the soul and sets you adrift of memory bliss with its lazy yet luscious sound.

Chayanne does try to the Latin lover bit some more throughout the record, but these duds just provoke the next button. “Besos En La Boca” is zapped from any sensuality in the least and “Dame Dame” sounds like a demo version of “Livin’ La Vida Loca.” Not so sexy. If Chayanne’s idea with No Hay Imposibles was to make a similar record to his previous LP’s, he’s accomplished that.

There is little to no growth here from his previous works such as Mi Tiempo and Cautivo, and aside from a few gems, this treasure chest is full of fool’s good. For Chayanne, it seems there are impossibles, and one of them is making a record as fiery and suave as he is.

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