The Singles Jukebox

Or: The Jukebox Describes The Parties They Go To…

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[6.38]Juana Giaimo: “Fuego” became a hit a long time ago — there is even a new generation that probably has never heard of it. But Bomba Estéreo has the potential of being more than a one hit wonder — the fact that they signed to Sony to release their third album shows it clearly. Not only a new generation has forgotten about “Fuego”, but also their fans, as many listened to “Fiesta” for the first time and called it a sellout. We’ll never know the intentions of the band, but we can’t deny that they are following the latest trends in electronic music and combining them with the folkloric Colombian genre, cumbia. But haven’t they always been experts at that? “Fiesta” is the update that dance clubs should be waiting for: a great beat inherited from their roots, strong passionate vocals (and female, which are an exception in Spanish-speaking clubs’ music) and delicate guitar lines for the verses. And the hook offers something completely different! The best part is when both sides combine in the end. Everything is chaos, everything is blurred, and it’s dark, the lights are blinding and the loudness overwhelms me. I’m not sure where I’m standing and who I am with, if there is a roof or a sky above me, but I know that I’m dancing and that my body merges with others and everything is as simple as a party.
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Alfred Soto: The sort of fiesta interrupted by a scratched mp3.
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Megan Harrington: I’m intrigued by the fusion of cumbia and EDM, but here it’s often clumsy. “Fiesta” is a manual transmission, its gear shifts are sudden jolts between their organic and ancient Columbian roots and the relatively recent and robotic rave music that drives them forward.
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David Sheffieck: Like controlled chaos, the clattering percussion and various background details — occasional handclaps, a dog barking(?) — really make this a delight. The weak point’s the beginning of the hook, which serves largely to highlight how infectious and packed with energy the rest of the track is.
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Patrick St. Michel: If you’re going to go EDM, might as well embrace the party ethos fully. Bonus point for that guitar.
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Iain Mew: Of course rolls of “Waves”-wave guitar and the kind of metallic dubstep-pop last heard from f(x) needed to go together! Why did no one think of this earlier? Maybe because they didn’t have a vocalist as needling and abrasive as Liliana Saumet to finish it off perfectly?
[8]

Will Adams: Unlike most x genre+EDM hybrids of its ilk, “Fiesta” maintains a consistent danceability throughout and is all the better for it. The drop seems to come out of nowhere, but once it’s established, it provides a unique counterpoint to its lighter cumbia verses. And then there’s the title hook, genius for how it can be understood across languages. The message is clear: the party is here to stay.
[9]

Brad Shoup: “Fiesta” depicts a favorite rare state of mine, where you’re at a friend’s party, zoned out on a comfortable couch. No one’s demanding you do a shot, the conversations are more than ambient but less than obtrusive, and an of-the-moment pop song gives you something idle to mull while the drunk settles in. The guitar figure is lovely, sure, but the dubstep part is even lovelier for providing stasis, not contrast.
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