Released in early 2017, Fénix is reggaeton veteran Nicky Jam's first studio album in ten years, following 2007's The Black Carpet. Since then, he relocated from Puerto Rico to Colombia, restarted his career, signed to Sony, and became more successful than ever. He scored several international hit singles and won numerous awards for "El Perdón," his enormously successful collaboration with Enrique Iglesias. Both the Spanish and English ("Forgiveness") versions of the song appear on Fénix, as well as additional hits "Hasta el Amanecer" (which also appears in both languages, with additional remixes of both, featuring Daddy Yankee and Kid Ink) and "El Amante." Many other collaborations make up the album's lengthy track list, including songs with J Balvin, Arcángel, and dancehall reggae stars Sean Paul and Konshens. Mixing harder-edged club jams with more vulnerable pop tunes, Fénix brings listeners up to date on what Jam has been up to since his creative rebirth. The album was his most successful full-length to date, hitting number one on the Billboard Latin Albums chart and reaching the Top 30 of the Billboard 200.© Paul Simpson /TiVo

Singer, songwriter, producer, and Latin music legend Gloria Trevi releases her 13th studio album, Isla Divina, in 2022. Criss-crossing urbano, rock, Tropical, Latin pop, and ballads, the 12-song set includes collaborations with American-born singer and flamenco dancer Timo Nuñez, Puerto Rican rapper Guaynaa, and Catalonian singer Mónica Naranjo. Trevi's motivation for the set was to offer a sustained "... positive vibe to fill hearts with love, peace and hope ... after having lived through two years of the pandemic."Chiefly produced by Eduardo Bladinieres and Gil Elguezabal, other producers include Yo Fred and Armando Avila. Trevi co-wrote most of the songs with longtime collaborator Marcela de la Garza. She also received assistance from Leonel García -- formerly of duo Sin Bandera -- and others. The only song not bearing her writing credit is "Demaisado Fragiles," which was composed by Erika Ender. Though quite diverse, the entire set is remarkably consistent. That said, there are some standouts. "La Recaida," with Nuñez, is unsurprisingly flamenco inspired, but Yo Fred's production slips cumbia beats, layered nylon-string guitars, strings, horns, and hip-hop and mariachi interludes into the hypnotic rhythms. "Perfume" is a rock anthem with a slamming snare and kick drum, and blasting guitars under Trevi's volcanic delivery. "Matemáticas" is an explicit rock manifesto about the discovery of and surrender to the celebration of love. Its production owes a nod to the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." "Soy Lo Que Soy" romantically weaves together a cumbia beat, electric and flamenco guitars, a ranchera melody, and provocative lyrics. "Ensayando Cómo Pedirte Perdón" is a 21st century take on the power ballad with cinematic production. Its shattered protagonist passionately addresses her beloved. She remembers their intimate moments while rehearsing an apology for driving him away. The ache in the grain of her alto is devastating. "Demaisado Fragiles" weds Queen-sized stadium rock to mariachi in a ballad adorned in synths, strings, and brass. "Él Se Equivocó," co-produced by Yo Fred and Jeon, melds humid cumbia and mariachi in relating the tale of a man who wins the hearts of two women. He chooses the wrong companion, destroying his own heart in the process. "Sangre Caliente" weds dancefloor-burner reggaeton, Latin pop, and carnival music. Set-closer "Grande," co-written and performed with Naranjo, is a pumping Latin disco jam; its narrative is about a protagonist rising from the ashes of an abusive relationship to reclaim her power to live and love again. Trevi's considerable confidence on Isla Divina is warranted. Her lyric writing forgoes cliches in depicting powerful emotions and thorny life circumstances. She opens her heart and her mouth to deliver them with conviction, passion, and stylistic savvy.© Thom Jurek /TiVo

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Mala Rodríguez's fourth album, Dirty Bailarina, once again finds her pushing forward stylistically, this time into the electro-pop realm. She still raps in much the same manner as she did on her trail-blazing debut album, Lujo Ibérico (2000), but her songs and the musical productions accompanying them have become increasingly inventive. This was particularly evident on her third album, the Top Ten mainstream breakthrough effort Malamarismo (2007), where each song was unique and exciting, particularly the Julieta Venegas collaboration "Tiempo Pa Pensá" and the single "Nanai." Relative to Malamarismo, whose scattershot approach made for a disjointed listening experience, Dirty Bailarina is more uniform in style and saves its experimentation for the end of the album. The first half of the album, from "En la Línea" to "Yo No Mato el Tiempo," is fast-paced and informed by the electro-pop style in vogue circa 2010. Fortunately, Rodríguez doesn't aim to replicate Lady Gaga or Shakira and stays true to herself. As to be expected, however, the beats over which she raps are generally synth-driven and electronic, not dissimilar to the electro-pop style Calle 13 explored on their 2009 single "Electro Movimiento," albeit without the retrospective intent of that song. Much of the production work on Dirty Bailarina, including the exemplary lead single, "No Pidas Perdón," is credited to American hitmaker Focus. Spanish producers Griffi (of Sólo los Sólo) and Sr. Tcee (of VKR) are also credited. While the uptempo half of Dirty Bailarina is dazzling, the latter half of the album, which is slower and more experimental, is less satisfying. Second-half highlights include the downtempo numbers "Ama" and "Por Eso Mato," in particular the lyrics of the former and the melodic hook of the latter, and the epic Estrella Morente collaboration "Patito Feo" that closes the album is also memorable. Though most fans will prefer hearing Rodríguez let it rip on first-half highlights like "Galaxias Cercanas," the second-half explorations of Dirty Bailarina are important in that they balance out the album and affirm that the Spanish rapper hasn't gone pop like some Spanish rap purists have cried.© Jason Birchmeier /TiVo