Colombian superstar Maluma is one of the most prolific artists in music today. Since bursting onto the scene with his debut album ‘Magia’ in 2012, the singer-songwriter has released an impressive five albums, two EPs and 91 singles (yes, you read that right). As well as releasing his own material, Maluma has collaborated with a number of top and emerging Latin performers as well as international superstars such as Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin and Shakira. He’s also packed in four world tours and he’s currently in the midst of his fifth one – the ‘Don Juan World Tour’ – which kicked off earlier this year.
Three years have passed since Maluma’s last studio album ‘Papi Juancho’ in 2020 but since then he’s released two EPs – ‘7 Dias in Jamaica’ (2021) and ‘The Love & Sex Tape‘ (2022) – notching up plenty more hits in the process. Now, Maluma has finally released his much-teased fifth album ‘Don Juan’, which has been preceded by 10 single releases. I should note as this point that six of those – ‘Sobrio‘, ‘Mamá Tetema‘ (feat. Rayvanny), ‘Junio‘, ‘La Fórmula‘ (with Marc Anthony), ‘La Reina‘ and ‘Diablo, Qué Chimba‘ (with Anuel AA) have been included on ‘Don Juan’ as bonus tracks.
If fans are expecting any of those songs to be indicative of the overall sound of ‘Don Juan’, they’re going to be surprised. As has become tradition for Maluma, he moves around sounds and genres like a chameleon, whilst always putting his own distinctive stamp on every song (and usually his iconic ‘Maluma baby!’ catchphrase). ‘Don Juan’ continues to establish Maluma as a global musical force that is showing no signs of peaking. Everything he releases is an event and everything he does grabs the world’s attention. While ‘Don Juan’ may seem sprawling at 25 tracks, the album is actually one of Maluma’s most cohesive bodies of work to date.
The album opens with the Salsa tones of ‘Don Juan (Intro)’, which quickly transforms into a more typical Maluma sound as beats kick in and the star delivers his sing-rap style. The sample that opens the track reappears throughout. That’s followed by recent single ‘Coco Loco‘, a down-and-dirty track that plays into Maluma’s ‘Don Juan’ persona as an insatiable ladie’s man. An early highlight on the record is ‘Balance’, a song that is much more R&B in parts than we’ve heard from the star before. Fear not, the beat kicks in but there’s a 90s R&B influence in the mix across the track.
As is to be expected from a Maluma album, there are guests sprinkled throughout the tracks. Puerto Rican reggaeton duo Jowell y Randy appear on ‘Nomina’ (‘Payroll’), serving up a track that’s destined to blast out of the clubs in Latin America, while rising Colombian star Ryan Castro lends his vocals to the dramatic and intense reggaeton beat of ‘Luna Llena’ (‘Full Moon’), which is classic Maluma territory. On ‘Según Quién’ Maluma is joined by Mexican singer-songwriter Carin León, switching up his sound to a more traditional one and it suits him. It’s always a joy to hear Maluma sing in the more traditional sense and I wish he showcased that a little more.
One of the best collaborations on the record is ‘Parcera‘ (‘Partner’) with Nicaraguan-American producer Gordo. It brings to mind ‘La Jumpa’ by Arcangel and Bad Bunny thanks to its frantic beat and EDM-leanings. It’s another example of Maluma stepping out of his comfort zone and it’s a sound that suits him well. Also worth noting is the just-released single ‘Trofeo’ (‘Trophy’) feat. Yandel, which is a huge reggaeton track that’s among the singer’s most infectious songs to date.
Elsewhere on the record, Maluma lets his softer side shine on the gentler ‘La Piloto’ (‘The Pilot’) with comforting reggaeton beats providing the backdrop for his vocals. ‘Hace Un Mes’ (‘One Month Ago’) is one of the catchiest tracks on the album and proof that Maluma really doesn’t need guest stars to shine; he does that all on his own and this track is one of my favourites on the album. ‘Bikini’ captures a 90s euro-pop sound, marking a departure from Maluma’s love of reggaeton.
‘Don Juan’ will continue building Maluma’s already huge fanbase. While he may not have made an impact on the charts here in the UK yet, his music is starting to find traction. Given he performed at The O2 Arena in London on his ‘Papi Juancho World Tour’ in 2022, it suggests that it’s only a matter of time before he explodes on our shores too. ‘Don Juan’ is a confident, assured collection of Latin pop bangers that will be the perfect soundtrack for the end of the summer.
Track list: 1. Don Juan (Intro) 2. Coco Loco 3. Ave Maria 4. Los Polvos 5. Nomina (ft. Jowell y Randy) 6. Balance 7. Segun Quien (with Carin Leon) 8. Procura 9. Luna Llena (ft. Ryan Castro) 10. Trofeo (ft. Yandel) 11. Parcera (with Gordo) 12. Ojitos Chiquitos (ft. Don Omar) 13. La Piloto 14. Porsche 15. Hace Un Mes 16. Aparentemente 17. Humedad 18. Bikini 19. TBC Bonus tracks 20. Sobrio 21. Mama Tetema (ft. Rayvanny) 22. Junio 23. La Formula (with Marc Anthony) 24. La Reina 25. Diable Que Chimba (with Anuel AA) Record label: Sony Music Latin Release date: 25th August 2023 Buy ‘Don Juan’ now
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