Artist: Calle 13 Album: Entren los que quieran

Year: 2010
Duration: 0:0-1

Entren los que quieran: A Critical Review of Calle 13's Album

Calle 13, the Puerto Rican alternative music group, has always been known for their unapologetic style and bold lyrical content. Their fourth studio album, Entren los que quieran, is no exception to their signature sound. Released in 2010, the album is a mix of reggaeton, rock, and hip hop that tackles themes of social justice, love, and politics. In this blog post, we will do a critical review of the album, providing a brief history of the artist, discussing the music genre of the album, listing the best songs of the album, examining its most innovative parts and offering our honest opinion of the album.

Calle 13, consisting of stepbrothers René Pérez Joglar (Residente) and Eduardo José Cabra Martínez (Visitante), started their music journey in 2005 with their debut album. Entren los que quieran, their fourth album, was released in 2010 to critical acclaim. It was a departure from their previous albums in terms of genre-blending and lyrical content.

The album is a fusion of genres from across the board, including reggae, rock, and hip hop, which is characteristic of Calle 13’s music. They successfully tackled a range of issues in this album that they felt strongly about, including justice for the indigenous peoples of America, the corrupt government, and the plight of refugees.

In terms of the best songs on the album, there are quite a few, but some certainly stand out. “Calma Pueblo” is an anthemic track that actively calls out politicians and corrupt officials in Puerto Rico. “La Vuelta al Mundo” is a track that showcases the group’s signature reggaeton sound while also addressing the wealth inequality in the world. “Latinoamérica” is a tribute to Latin America’s art, history, religion, and resilience, sung in three different languages and featuring a folkloric melody.

The most innovative part of this album is undoubtedly the blend of genres. Calle 13 managed to merge different sounds seamlessly and make it sound both fresh and unique. Their use of indigenous instruments, including the Andean flute in “Latinoamérica,” and the timbales in “La Bala” are some examples of this skill.

Critically, Entren los que quieran is a fantastic album. However, it does have a flaw, and that is the occasional tone-deafness of the group concerning sensitive topics that affect oppressed communities. The use of slurs in some of the tracks is jarring, and while it might be their way of taking back the word, it can come across as insensitive.

In conclusion, Entren los que quieran is an excellent album. It is a clear progression for Calle 13, both in terms of their lyricism and experimentation with different genres. They took risks with each song, and while not every track is perfect, they have done enough to cement their position as one of Latin America’s most innovative music groups. Listening to this album in 2021, more than a decade after its release, highlights the timelessness of music that speaks truth to power.