The Weekly Coos

With sequel albums, hype can be a determining factor, especially when the first is a seminal moment in said artists’ careers. They usually don’t supersede the first, sometimes causing a return with more enthusiasm; however, as it may, many have retained significant quality that they stand on their own two feet without forcing connections with the past. Arcángel’s debut, Sentimiento, Elegancia, & Maldad, came with zeal, placing him further to the front of a collection of artists blending the meticulous cadences of Reggaeton and Latin Pop. When he announced and dropped the follow-up Sentimiento, Elegancia, & Más Maldad, my trepidation lingered, especially after the fantastic Sr. Santos less than a year ago, and such a quick turnaround is a factor also. Fortunately, that trepidation faded away as Arcángel continued to express himself with a tightened identity, where his genre switches don’t feel as forced, making the music more of an enigmatic characteristic of empathy, luxury, and malice Arcángel imbues with his verses and tracklisting. It’s specifically notable in the run from “ALV” to “Antonio Banderas” and then “Rosita,” reeling you in with a groovy, sensual Ranchero, a hard-hitting rap, and then some crisp reggaeton while surpassing the enjoyment factor and delivering some quality.

Sentimiento, Elegancia, & Más Maldad opens with an ode to Arcángel’s mother and the path she paved with god’s help to allow him a platform to excel at the craft he loved: music. Through it, we get some Latin boom bap, Trap, and Reggaeton interconnecting and maintaining themselves on the rails as you sit with Arcángel as he maneuvers through this journey that speaks more about his love for music, further assimilating with cleaner transitions than whatever that Bad Bunny album was, even if Arcángel’s aren’t the most perfect. Though not as harmonious after two tracks of straight bars before hitting the dance floor and elevating the colors with some milder House notes influencing the drum patterns and synths—fluctuating heavily; fortunately, it’s Arcángel’s vocals that ground it further as his singing isn’t that of someone like Yandel or Feid, but still has levels of debt from the charming raspiness of his falsetto giving meaning to emotions, with “ALV,” which sees him leveling up, attempting to and deliver a fantastic, sensual ranchero number, while also being able to conversely switching the motor to produce more of an elegant, albeit simple, house rap beat that rarely moves the needle; fortunately, it doesn’t need to do much.

Unlike Sr Santos, Sentimiento, Elegancia, & Más Maldad is more explorative, focusing less on raps and flexing lyrical prowess and more on replicating elements from his ranging arsenal; however, existing as mostly rap didn’t hinder Sr Santos, but it gave fans a different artistic approach different from the past, making this return feels almost as fresh, like when Ares dropped in 2018. Though it may question which side of Arcángel you prefer, he has always shown talent on both sides of the aisle; unfortunately, the milder tracks like “FP” featuring Rauw Alejandro or the more straightforward Bachata-laced “Plutón,” which translates to Pluto, don’t have the sizzle, leaving you a little disappointed, considering the emotional sensualization of the sultry singing. Similarly, “Psicópata” doesn’t move the needle as it placates itself on the same wavelength, creating a lazy pop song that follows a crisp club banger in “Los Roques,” featuring Quevedo. It’s these disappointments fans can let slide as the consistent output of music adds a layer towards getting some benefit of the doubt.

Some of these misses are modest ones that come with the territory for artists who balance slick flex and introspective raps alongside more sensual moments that break other barriers, and more so with the singing as a means to bridge into pop. Though a definitive shift from the last album, it isn’t devoid of crisp lyricism, and the introspective raps predominately shine. There are tracks like “Condado” and “Los Tiempo Cambian” to balance it out. But amongst them is a plethora of club songs with a stronghold at what it wants to do, like “Arca 10Mil” and “Yoshi,” both of which hit with beautiful synergy. It holds true for a lot of the second half, making it a much more intensive experience that will have you returning to it swiftly, like the “La Chamba” with lavish performances from Arcángel and Peso Pluma. It makes you appreciate the journey more so in hindsight, even if the first album, i.e., his debut, had a more consistent hold on directional purpose.

Though Arcángel holds the album together, the featured artists and producers maintain the balance to keep you from turning away so swiftly. Some of the production isn’t transcending new territory; hell, some of the songs I’ve highlighted don’t reinvent the genre, but the synergy between the layers has a solid connection you can get behind. Featured highlights come from Feid, Quevedo, Grupo Frontera, De La Ghetto, Jowell & Randy, and Peso Pluma, bringing charismatic performances that round out what is getting delivered and, as such, give you something to add to your ever-growing rotation of music at the moment. There’s a sufficient balance that comes from it all, and like that balance, you get another solid output from the Latin Rapper/Singer. I left this album pleased with the outcome, especially as it keeps the motions fluid and the dance floor bumping as Arcángel maneuvers through different soundscapes and more. It’s an album I recommend, as, even through the moment that shines less, still have some sense of self; however, the great stuff shines brighter.