Grade: B
We are all probably spending our class minutes looking out the window daydreaming of the break coming up: thinking of getting away, hopefully to slightly warmer places. If you are looking to set the tone for our upcoming break then maybe this is the album to add to your getaway playlist. Prince Royce recently released his new deluxe version of “Five” to the public. In preparation for break, we should all give this record a spin.
The 27-year-old superstar has set the bar high for the world of Latin music. Over the past five years, Royce has achieved multi-platinum award-winning fame and has established himself as a serious Latin music superstar. He has scored 11 No. 1 hits, 21 Latin Billboard awards and nine Latin Grammy nominations according to the biography on his website.
Prince Royce, aka Geoffrey Royce Rojas, is originally from New York and specializes in bachata music. He first came onto the Latin scene around 2010, when he released such hits as “Stand By Me” and “Corazón Sin Cara,” both of which reached the coveted No. 1 spot. He has also featured other popular artists such as Tyga, Kid, Jennifer Lopez, Selena Gomez and Shakira on his albums.
The album opens with “No Te Olvides.” A strong starter, definitely based on very classic bachata, it has a heavy dance flow. Royce’s soft vocals couple it wonderfully. Though it is hard to always interpret what he is saying, many new listeners would surely sway to his rhythm.
His song “X” is about getting back together on and off with your “X” lover. This track features Zendaya, the popular Disney actress and singer-songwriter. This was definitely not one of my favorites. Zendaya acts as a filler to all other aspects of the song and the whole track may have been better if it had made better use of her strong vocals.
“Cuchi Cuchi” is just one of the tracks where a mixture of Spanish and English is featured. This makes the song both cutesy and fun. When someone asks if “I want cuchi cuchi baby” I would be more likely to blush and giggle than anything else. This one is one of my favorites and I definitely can’t stop dancing to it.
I had very high expectations for “Deja Vu” because it has my all-time favorite Latin singer, Shakira, featured. The single is a great slower bachata song, which still means its beat is faster than that of most pop songs today. I liked it a lot and Shakira’s parts did a great job of not overshadowing Royce’s. Additionally, he has vocals that provide a surprisingly good match to hers.
When you are looking to get away, whether that be to a place 10 degrees warmer or even better, to the beach, this is a great pick to put your mind at ease while taking in the ocean breeze.
The only downside to the album is that many of the songs sound similar since the background instruments are keeping to the strict bachata pacing. Otherwise, Prince Royce has not only made a splash in the area of Latino/Latin-American music, he has practically taken it over. If you have not experienced much in the ways of Spanish artists, you would want to listen to this. The album has 18 songs and spans about an hour. It is available to listen for free on Spotify.
