2 Singles 2 Jukebox…

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[5.29]

Katie Gill: I mean, it’s a Pitbull song. The man’s built his brand on mediocre yet catchy dance music that objectifies the hell out of women but hides it under boring production and goofy-ass lyrics. Really, the best thing about the song is that it limited Camila Cabello to a brief bridge and a small bit of wailing.
[5]

Jonathan Bradley: Pitbull might have been the dude who rhymed “picture that with a Kodak” and “take a picture of me with a Kodak,” but when he’s not playing his role as global pop’s genial ambassador of the goofy, he can actually flow. His contribution to “Hey Ma” is deft and uncharacteristically unshowy; “Hey Ma” is very much shaped by J Balvin softer touch and the suitably relaxed rhythm that accompanies him. “Hey Ma” doesn’t want for energy, but these three are content to allow its charms to unfurl at their own pace. It’s easy enough for the listener to have a good time right alongside them.
[6]

Micha Cavaseno: In 2017, it actually feels like the Golden Age of the Pitbull has come to the close. For all the right notes that “Green Light” hit, it had a soulless funkiness (not helped by ol’ Lunchmoney Lewis’ worse version of sell-out Cee-Lo assists) that felt corny in a way that didn’t demonstrate the obvious path of pop but for once felt like Mr. 305 was retracing his steps. Now here on “Hey Ma,” the fact remains that instead of being the star of his own record, Pitbull feels victim to Cabello and J Balvin — perhaps a benevolent host — trying to finally break out as international stars the like they may deserve to be. It’s not that he isn’t turning in a good performance on his verse here either, but even a relatively understated Cabello feature feels more significant on this record than he manages. Perhaps, after nearly a decade of pop supremacy, Pitbull’s era has come to a close, but if this record allows others to reap the benefits of his success, so be it.
[6]

Juana Giaimo: Why the US mass culture still insists on choosing Pitbull for anything related to Latin America is still a mystery to me. It’s even more puzzling in “Hey Ma,” since the song itself shows that there are other new and exciting voices in Latin America, like J Balvin and Camila Cabello. These two have smooth and sensual voices that complement each other very well, while Pitbull appears with his usual boastful rapping. His verse starts with a political commentary (“On with Cuba’s liberation!”) but he can’t hold his tongue too long before asking a woman if she is single — and asking her to take off her pajamas, as if that was the sexiest proposal.
[5]

Will Adams: It’s no Cam’ron, that’s for sure, but these three manage to create a light, summery jam in “Hey Ma.” What’s interesting is that they all contribute equally; it’s either a good sign for Cabello or a bad sign for Pitbull. J Balvin is just happy to be there.
[6]

Ryo Miyauchi: Camila takes the backseat while Pitbull plays as the upbeat, playful foil to the always-suave J Balvin, and, ah, I’m just gonna say it: she made me curious how this would’ve sounded had she got a bit more air time. An educated guess says she would’ve hit it too extra, but who knows? This collaboration would’ve been something else had it been a dialog.
[6]

Leonel Manzanares de la Rosa: ‘Cause really, why use a blaring airhorn in your reggaetón when you’ve got Camila Cabello? 
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