SOLO

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Album ∙ Urbano latino ∙ 2024


When Chencho Corleone formed Plan B with Maldy back in 1999, reggaetón was still a relatively emerging genre. The Puerto Rican duo experienced the music’s explosive growth firsthand up until their 2018 breakup. Yet while many perreo pioneers faded into the background as new entrants rose, Chencho enjoyed a 2020s resurgence. His high-profile collaborations with Bad Bunny and Ozuna, to name but a few, transported him from a respectable legacy artist’s fate to a place in Latin music’s modern vanguard.

A debut album some 25 years in the making, SOLO at last puts the veteran reggaetonero center stage for a victory lap that feels fresh. Though his guest list includes hitmakers Rauw Alejandro and Peso Pluma, the 18-song effort is considerably lighter on features than one might have expected. Instead, he showcases his talents largely on his own over a tight mix of styles, including the dancehall-infused “Tremenda Ansiedad” and the clubby coda “Himalaya.” Naturally, his preferred mode favors the dembow-driven rhythms that defined his career, reflected on the sleek “Maldad,” the throwback “Hora De Salir,” and the poppy Jay Wheeler team-up “Cinco Estrellas.”

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