The Singles Jukebox

Sadly, no relation to Becky G :(

[Video][Website]
[6.00]

Adaora Ede: ‘”Casi Nada” is the type of reggaeton that stems out of an entirely different vein of music: dance pop. And it’s perfectly fitting for a see-you-never breakup song. As much as I enjoy lavish booty shaking and riding of the riddim, Karol G’s line of refined dancehall is doubly appealing with her sultry vocals fluttering right along the synthy melody. Refreshingly, much of the typical early 2010s mainstream pop flourishes found in this song prove themselves to not be elements of a banal genre, but facets of a chic new direction in urban Latin music.
[7]

Will Rivitz: Exceedingly clean and smoothly produced, which unfortunately gives it about as much sticking power as the ex-boyfriend Karol’s left behind. She’s got an excellent voice, but that only takes a song so far, especially if its engineers decide to bury it deep in the mix.
[4]

Cassy Gress: I certainly don’t mind a end-of-relationship song that is “seriously, stop telling everyone I miss you, what part of ‘it’s over’ was unclear” rather than a more generic “I hate you and it’s over” or “I’m sad because it’s over.” I just wish the chorus was a bit more epic — not that there’s anything wrong with it, and the repetition of “no queda nada” helps with the “hammering it into your thick skull” theme, but there’s a buildup just before it that suggests something more powerful.
[7]

Juana Giaimo: It’s refreshing to hear a new female artist in the reggeaton scene, especially because there are almost none and the level of misogyny in the genre is high. This is not to say Karol G appears as a feminist. In “Casi Nada”, she is simply a woman who left behind a man who mistreated her and is now having fun which is reflected in the light tone of the melody. Don’t come with your sentimentality and excuses because we’ll be dancing without you.  
[7]

Peter Ryan: A sprightlier-than-usual beat, with a chorus underpinned by some low brass that knows a thing or two about dynamics. Karol G’s vocal is on the understated side, but honestly J. Balvin gets away with performances far sleepier than this and does just fine. Cool dismissiveness is probably the right vibe here anyway, but I’m still wishing I heard more of the tension suggested by the titular “almost.” Still though, a sneaky jam.
[7]

Edward Okulicz: The song sounds like it’s dying to get out of the clutches of the reggaeton beat and be a straightforward dance pop song, which I think might actually have suited it better. Karol G sounds like she’s got a good voice but her personality, too, sounds like it’s a little constricted, like she’s trying a little too hard to convince that she’s over a guy and living her life. I’m not feeling her freedom here, but it’s pretty catchy.
[6]

Claire Biddles: The transition into the chorus is disappointingly tame, and the drop promised through the first verse never comes.
[4]