Piso 21 is here with their newest album. This is group’s 3rd studio album and first album since founding member Llane left the Colombian group. (If you want to learn more about the musical history of Colombia, read my big writeup here.)
The title of the album translates to “Love in the time of Perreo”, with perreo referring to the hyper-sexual dancing and style associated with urban music. Piso 21’s style is generally much softer reggaeton than the more sexual or violent lyrics often used by urban artists.
Piso 21’s project touches on a number of variations but generally sticks to a base of a soft reggaeton beat and flirts with other genres such as bachata, ranchera, bossa nova, and others. The singles Mas De La Una, Una Vida Para Recordar, and Duclecitos are easily some of the best songs on the album. Another favorite is Dame Luz which is now on a LOT of my playlists. Dame Luz has a pop/disco vibe to it which can immediately capture any listener, even one who doesn’t speaking Spanish. Mami with the Black Eyed Peas is heavily underrated. It’s a bilingual hit that runs a bit too long but is still one of the better tracks on the album.
A few songs missed the mark for me. Pa Olvidarme de Ella, another single off of the album, feels a bit sloppy and without identity. Aye Que Cool and No Esta Mal suffer from the same issue. They aren’t unlistenable by any means, but they don’t live up the quality of the rest of the album. Despite these misses, I generally found the album to be good. I wouldn’t say it’s much better than good but still.
On El Amor En Los Tiempos Del Perreo, Piso 21 delievers a memorable and enjoyable project. It’s a good, solid offering that provides several quality tracks to enjoy at all types of events, whether its a relaxed night in or a wild night out.
Final verdict – 7.2/10
PS – Thanks for waiting for the late review. Hand up, gotta do better.