The Singles Jukebox

Yes, today’s theme is corazón, just in time for Valent- oh wait…

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Cassy Gress: The first 20 seconds or so of this about made me headdesk, because we have heard a range of blah-to-terrible remixes and dance songs lately and this starts out just about identical to several of them. But soft! what sax through yonder headphone breaks! Then it basically turns into a mashup of “El Teke Teke” and “Till the World Ends”, and I’m all right with that. (Although towards the end, the rhythmic pattern in the lyrics is more like “Fields of Gold”, but you know what, I’m okay with that too.)
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Jonathan Bogart: Big and bouncy Brazilian pop (there are samba rhythms embedded deep within this spirited EDM) could probably use more face time in the broader Latin pop world, but as someone who is, according to Duolingo, now 8% fluent in Portuguese I don’t know that just singing in Spanish is the best way to accomplish that. (But I am odd and prefer variety to intelligibility.) Teaming up with Daddy Yankee might be, though.
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Iain Mew: The groove is like a brassier, more celebratory version of D’Banj’s “Oliver Twist”. It bangs, and everything else they throw on top doesn’t change that.
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Katherine St Asaph: Solid reggaeton that reminds me, pleasantly, of 2011 (it’s the “Till the World Ends” stutterhook). That Leitte has more star presence than par helps.
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Brad Shoup: Leitte contributes some astounding sexual metaphors, and Daddy Yankee drops his best K-pop bars. That hook gets the most workout though: whistled out, gulped whole by Leitte, even hacked at by Daddy.
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Will Adams: Bomba Estéreo’s Amanecer stole my heart last year, and “Corazón” offers many of the same enticing elements. Most of which being the balance between soft, watercolor textures and highly danceable grooves. The hook gets transformed in these sound worlds, first as a delicate curve sung by Leitte in the intro, later as a stadium chant bolstered by trance synths.
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Patrick St. Michel: I’m not sure if there is much beyond pure energy release, but I think that’s all it really needs to be good.
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