Asymmetric Music

One of the more decent Noelia pictures available on the web.

Americans have Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Fergie, Jewel, Miley Cyrus, Madonna (the queen) and many other pretty talented, pretty pop singers to produce light duty, dancy confections for the happy part of the female population. A distinct animal from talent-based singers like Rocio Durcal and the constellation of regional singers ranging from Colombian cumbia singers to Mexican rancheras to Dominican merenguistas, singers like Thalia, Gloria Trevi, Paulina Rubio, and Fey provide the same service to the feliz chicas of Latin America.

Follow up:

If there's one distinction between American and Latin American pop "divas" it's that the American ones tend to push the decency envelope a little farther. For pop-divas, that means sexual explicitness and I'm not just talking about dancing or wardrobe. I mean attitude and philosophy. Madonna created a whole anti-religious, sexually liberated, slut ethos; Britney Spears kissed Madonna and Christina Aguilera on stage; and Christina Aguilera waxes idiotic in such statements as:

I may have been the naked-ass girl in the video, but if you look at it carefully, I'm also at the forefront. I'm not just some lame chick in a rap video; I'm in the power position, in complete command of everything around me. To be totally balls-out like that is, for me, the measure of a true artist.

Stripped

Their music reflects the boundary-pushing: Subjects broached by the above American artists and others like Cindi Lauper include abortion, lesbianism, masturbation, and other edifying activities that make the implication in the Shirelles' Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" seem as racy as Pilgrims Progress.

With the exception of the disgusting, Madonna-aping Alejandra Guzman, Latin-American pop singers still, for the most part, conform to contemporary mainstream values except with shorter skirts. To give you an idea of the difference, Noelia's recent Paris Hiltonesque sex tape actually embarrassed her.

Puerto Rican singer Noelia's personal behavior aside, she's pretty tame by American standards. Her lyrics sing of love and heartbreak. When she says desnudar ("strip naked") in the lovely guitar ballad, Con el Tiempo, she only means to expose la verdad ("the truth").

Volverte a Ver

People who like light dancable pop should love the hit album Volverte a Ver. It has enough diversity to withstand a track to track listen and Noelia's voice is solid with the ability to stretch out a little. Let's go through the songs:

1. Te Suigire is a mid-tempo ballad with rock guitar flourishes and a great hook. A real hand-waver.

2. Nada, Nada de ti: A cheating man returns to beg forgiveness. But, guess what? Noelia's moved on. So there. Reminds me a little of eighties style Bangles. Nice.

3. Volverte a Ver is a strait pop ballad. The voice is too close for my tastes and it's a little boring. The tempo change is annoying.

4. Yo te Amaria is another hand waver. Pleasant, frothy nothingness.

5. Find your partner: Tu y Yo is the school dance-closer. I like this one. Noelia shows off her voice on this one.

6. Voy a Caminar brings some aural diversity to the album. It sounds kind of eighties New Wave. The lyrics are as radical as the album gets. She threatens to leave her boyfriend and find herself. She takes pains, however, to point out that her self-realization won't hurt anybody (sin pisar a nadie).

7. Si el Amor se Rompe: Back to mid tempo land. Nice lilting ballad with Whitesnake-style rock ballad bursts.

8. A little slower, but similar, is Con el Tiempo. The lyrical stutter isn't annoying this time and produces a good effect. Acoustic guitar.

9. Prefiero Olvidar: Waa Waa guitar. Semi-rap singing without Reggaeton vulgarity. A strong hook and nice beat. Has the always good robot voice and through-the-telephone chorus.

10. Alla Voy gets a little funky. More telephone chorus and robot voice. Effective Spanglish usage. This is probably the best one.

11. Enamorada de Ti: Beeping mid tempo funk. OK.

12. Te Seguire (ballad) tones down the guitar of the other version. Instead of waving your hand, you'll probably just sway your head.

13. Cookie-cutter salsa version of Enamorada de Ti.

40 Grados

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