Cazzu might be from Argentina, but in her new album, Latinaje, she speaks to the world as a Latin woman. The record celebrates a broad, diverse identity that spans from Mexico to Chile, to Cuba, Venezuela, Perú, Colombia, Uruguay, El Salvador, Guatemala, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, and more. In terms of sounds, there’s a bit of everything: salsa, cumbia, corrido tumbado, tango, copla, tango — making this record a boundless experience. But it has a common denominator: Cazzu speaks for all women who live in places that educated them to dream small and be obedient. But she broke away from that, becoming an incredibly successful artist touring the world and amassing almost fourteen million monthly listeners on Spotify.
As the title gives away, this is a celebration of Latin identity. And it comes at a perfect timing: across the globe, club culture is embracing Latincore, and in mainstream music, artists like Peso Pluma, Bad Bunny, or Karol G are bringing traditional genres to the forefront and giving them a contemporary twist. Cazzu does exactly that across fourteen songs. They’re an amalgamation of genres, a melange of styles that, far from being incoherent, is a perfect example of the diverse Latin experience, which can go a thousand different ways. Latinaje is more than an album; it’s a love letter.
In terms of production, the LP showcases emotion and honesty because Cazzu travelled throughout Latin America to record the songs in different places and accompanied by local orchestras and musicians. So that flavour, that je ne sais quoi that Latinaje conveys, is because the Argentinian artist had paid attention to every single detail. And we can’t fail to mention that the album is also produced by Nico Cotton, a longtime collaborator of the singer.
Since there’s room for different genres, there’s also room for different emotions: Que disparen is a celebration under salsa influence; Inti is an intimate, vulnerable song dedicated to her daughter; Ódiame is also sad but more grandiose, speaking on heartbreak and treason; Con otra, the most streamed song of the album, is a perfect cumbia that broke all the records when it first came out as a single; and Menú de degustación closes the album with a high-energy merengue that gets anyone on their feet and dancing.