Jhay Cortez has one of the best runs in music that I’ve seen in a long time. He’s put out some monster songs with Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Skrillex, Wisin and more in recent months. Timelezz is 3rd studio album and his first since 2019.
Right off the bat, there is ton to like about this album. There are a handful of collaborations here but they never overshadow Cortez. This is really his time to shine. While there’s obviously a common musical theme that marries the entire album together, no two tracks ever feel too repetitive. With 17 tracks, we get plenty of music to keep us going.
Among my favorite tracks on the album, of which there are many, we have “Tokyo”, “Ley Seca”, “Mi Vicio” and “Me Extraña”. That favorites list does not include any of the 5 singles that proceeded the album. Of those five songs, “En Mi Cuarto” and “Los Bo” are certified bops.
I also have to give props for his version of “Dile“, the classic from Don Omar. This version is such a perfect example of the unique style that Cortez utilizes and how he’s mastered it. He takes one of the most recognizable songs in reggaeton history and so perfectly makes it his own. It’s a remarkable achievement.
There were only a few songs that didn’t really do it for me. The songs that I didn’t love weren’t too far off from being great, however. For example, “Dale Como Es” is just a little to repetitive for my tastes. “Dilema” is just a missing a little extra something from being very memorable, for another example.
Final Thoughts
Jhay Cortez delivers a really special project here. This album perfectly captures his style and his place in the broader scope of Latin music. This album is rich with great songs and only a couple near-misses. There’s so much to enjoy here. To use a Kobe reference, this feels like his first ring in 2000. There’s plenty of greatness still to come from Jhay Cortez.
8.6/10
For the rest of this week’s new music, click here.
Excellent article 👌🏼