Artist: Arcángel
Album Title: Sentimiento, Elegancia y Más Maldad
Release Date: Nov. 17, 2023
Genres: reggaeton, house, pop
Overall Rating: ★★★★★
After 10 years since the release of what is deemed by many to be his greatest album, Puerto Rican artist Austin “Arcángel” Santos is at it again with his sequel to the highly regarded piece. “Sentimiento, Elegancia y Más Maldad”, which directly translates to “Sentiment, Elegance and More Evil“, features 19 tracks with a variety of styles and collaborations. Throughout his career, specifically in recent years, Arcángel’s portfolio certainly has not lacked exceptional songs such as “La Jumpa”, which is still charting after almost one year. Unfortunately, the minds of many listeners are being plagued by fear that the sequel will not do the original justice.
Track 5 “ALV”
Rating: ★★★★☆
Partnering with Grupo Frontera, an American band focused on Mexican rhythms, Arcángel was able to produce the great Mexican regional track “ALV”. The song takes a more soft, sentimental approach, telling the story of the artist’s newfound freedom and happiness after a breakup. The lyrics “…sin ti me va mejor, ya no tengo estrés” clearly communicate how the relationship caused Arcángel stress and hardship, which he is now released from.
The artist mentions how he envisioned a future with his partner, but they left the relationship and moved on quickly. He is ultimately glad about how the events played out, however, expressing how he is no longer forced to make “malas decisiones” to please his significant other and now has full control over his own emotions. Despite the overall independent, grateful tone of the music, Arcángel references his struggles after the split. For example, he states that, after parting ways, he relied on alcohol to cope and spent his time and money at clubs.
This track was incredibly close to perfection, but the repetitive nature of its lyrics was its downfall. With minimal variety in the chorus, the song loses its novelty after the first couple of minutes.
”Honestly, ‘ALV’ was not my favorite song on the album. Songs’ choruses are usually repetitive, that’s just how it is, but the chorus for ‘ALV’ did not have that catchy feeling that helps make up for that repetition. On the other hand, the verses were great; I just wish the choruses had a little more to them. It would have made the song that much better,” sophomore Leonardo Miranda said.
Track 15 “La Chamba“
Rating: ★★★★★
Track 15, featuring popular Mexican artist Peso Pluma, depicts the artists’ experience in the workforce throughout their lives. The song mentions the word “chamba”, a Mexican slang word meaning work, which the artists say they are not afraid to do. It is safe to say that the lyrics “Mi deporte favorito es hacer dinero” accurately encapsulates the rest of the song.
The chorus of the song is packed with meaning, candidly stating how the artists came from a less fortunate background and had to work throughout their childhood. This is brought up once again in Peso Pluma’s verse, in which he states “Desde nińo supe qué era chambear. Es que naci para esto…”. Throughout the song, both Austin and Peso express how far they have come in terms of success and money.
The lyrics of the song are often the reality for many Hispanic individuals, who may have worked from an early age in order to support their families. Obviously, both artists have experienced this, and the compelling message shown in the lyrics can move any listener. Although the lyrics of the song can get repetitive, the message alongside the strong choruses make up for it tremendously.
“I am the type of person who listens to music for the beat rather than the lyrics, but ‘La Chamba’ is definitely an exception. My parents are immigrants and worked since they were kids to help out my grandparents, so it my not be something I can relate to personally, but I could see how meaningful this would be for those with the same experience,” sophomore Sarah Fiallega said.
Track 17 “No tiene Nombre Esta Canción”
Rating: ★★★★★
Track 17, “No tiene Nombre Esta Canción”, recounts the fallout of Arcángel and his lover’s relationship after they lose their spark. In just the first few lines, Austin states “Jodiste el piano, ya no tiene notas altas,” using a broken piano which can no longer play high notes as a metaphor for a relationship that ceases to have its high moments. The line that directly follows, “Y sin corbata, tenia un nudo en la garganta…,” clearly expresses how Arcángel felt crushed after he grows apart from his partner.
Towards the second half of the song, the artist condemns his significant other’s actions, stating that they deserve betrayal for what they have done. He presses on, exclaiming that there is no longer any space for them in his apartment or life as a whole. In the last part of the verse, Arcángel affirms that his feelings for this person are no longer alive, ending the song on a simple yet powerful note.
Arcángel’s use of metaphors throughout the song to convey the mutual loss of emotions invoke a feeling of real pain and sorrow that make his experience that much more impactful for listeners.
“I was not sure if ‘No tiene Nombre Está Canción’ was going to be my type of song since I usually listen to the more classic, bassy reggaeton, but the slower beat was surprisingly good. Not only that, but the lyrics are meaningful and emotional, something the Latin music scene lacks nowadays,” sophomore Sophie Santamaría said.
Although the nostalgia behind the original album is compelling, “Sentimiento, Elegancia y Más Maldad” has stolen the hearts of many. With its wide variety of genres, emotions and features all packed into one album, it certainly makes its case as a strong competitor against Arcángel’s previous works.
“When I first heard that Arcángel had released a sequel to ‘Sentimiento, Elegancia y Maldad’ I was nervous; there is no doubt about it. SEM is one of the albums that got me into Latin music, so I hold it very close to heart and did not know if the new album would be the same. After listening, I was not disappointed. It was not my favorite album from Arcángel, but it had some songs I just had to save,” sophomore Sarah Fiallega said.
