473. Daddy Yankee, "Barrio Fino"

 


I'm struck by the fact that we're, what, 27 albums into a list of 500 and there have already been three (counting this one) that are mostly or entirely in Spanish.  I bet that wasn't the case with the Old Boring White Guy version of this list!

(I do have a couple of questions about what's eligible for inclusion in this list.  So far it seems like pretty much anything goes; we've seen country (or at least country-adjacent), classic rock, Spanish-language pop, Tejano, hip hop, R&B, etc.  I'm guessing that classical isn't eligible, which is fine, I get that classical is its own thing.  But I'm wondering what else will be excluded, or included, for that matter.  I haven't gone rooting around for the criteria RS used but I'm curious about it.)

Which leads us to this record, and our first exposure to reggaeton on the list.  From what I'm given to understand, "Gasolina" was a monster hit, but it wasn't even my favorite song on this album, although it does have a propulsive charm.  I think I liked "Salud y Vida" for its loping, bouncy beat and nicely melodic chorus.  Really shows off the "reggae" in reggaeton.

I'm not really qualified to speak with any authority on this album, given how little I know about reggaeton and Latin music in general.  I'm sure I'm missing nuances that someone with more or deeper knowledge can identify and discuss with meaning.  Part of the reason I decided to do this was to get exposed to some stuff I would never otherwise listen to, and that part is paying off great so far.  

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