Saturday, May 1, 2010

Re-Inventing Reggeaton


With their powers combined, Angel & Khriz are takin’ ovah! Their debut, Los MVP’s, moved millions, and their sophomore effort, Showtime, put them in the spotlight again, but with Da’ Take Over, the duo are really beginning to burn up the scene. Jumping from reggeaton to bachata to salsa to hip hop and even to pop ballads, the disc’s saucy sounds shows more flavors of the boys than ever before.

First single “Ayer La Vi” drops with the juices of sweet papaya sounds, though a bit reminiscent of Tito “El Bambino’s” “El Amor,” the song stands on its own as the best romantic reggeaton track of the year. On the other side of things, if there were ever a video game featuring reggeatoneros as superheros, the track “Dime” would be its theme song. The track is nothing but good times and electro-beats central.

The boys get things rolling from the beginning. The opener, “No Hace Na,” which features a who’s who of reggeaton royalty: Daddy Yankee, Voltio, Vico C, Arcangel, Yomo, Chyno, Nyno and Guelo Star, at over nine minutes, is pure epicness.

Mixing up their sound, “Mal Negocio (Ya No)” places the duo together with salsa legend Victor Manuelle, who adds his signature sultry sound to the mix, and like always, making sure the beat is full of plenty of heat. “Me Enamore” takes the boys back to their Dominican roots. Pure bachata with a meringue twist, the song is perfect for lovers on the dancefloor. “Subelo” featuring Flo-Rida, crosses the border from reggeaton to hip-hop without missing a beat, and really turns things up. Adding some more spices, “No Vale La Pena” oozes with sheer sexuality with its rock/reggeaton fusion. Rockeaton?

“Ella Quiere (Que, Eh, Eh)” fills the dancefloor with an unstoppable energy custom made for those who love to grind. “Tu Gato Nuevo” and “Que Hay Que Hacer?,” are a bit more conventional reggeaton, but that’s no complaint, both still explode with their unrelentless grooves. “Maltratame” could be seen as just another electrogeaton beat, with the robotnic flavor of recent releases by Don Omar and Wisin Y Yandel, but just like them, if the beat was made for a robot, it would have be the sexiest robot alive. A sexbot, perhaps?

Ending the disc, “Como Olvidarte” gets the prize as best ballad performed by a reggeaton artist. Those who have tried it before can’t avoid taking the syrup route, but the track is truly beautiful without being bland.

By the end of this reggeaton ride, you can’t help but wanna go for another spin. When Angel, with his vivacious vocals, and Khriz, with his fresh flows, get together, it seems that they only result in a sound of success.

No comments:

Post a Comment