On Mar. 2, the Colombian singer Manuel Turizo released his newest collaboration, “El Merengue,” with the American EDM producer Marshmello. The result? A unique and rhythmic fusion of merengue and a touch of electronic music.
The new music video, directed by Chadrick Preuss and Sandeep Vadlamudi, starts with Turizo looking at a photo of himself and an ex-lover. The video follows him as he navigates a packed club, dances with who appears to be the same ex-lover, and drinks a bottle of liquor. The camera POV starts to show blurrier frames, which mirrors the singer’s state of inebriation. In the following shot, we see him throwing up in a toilet, only to realize that there’s a hand gesturing to join him from the inside. He falls into a hazy dream-like abyss and we later see him looking at the same old photo.
“Merengue is a rhythm that all of us Latinos have within our DNA,” Turizo said about the collaboration in a recent interview with Rolling Stone. “We wanted to have the opportunity with Marshmello, such a global-recognized producer, to bring and propose another element of what he is known for in music and with other artists.”
Fans across social media platforms are praising the artists’ new joint track. A YouTube user, andrea lerma, wrote: “Amazing collaboration with 2 of my favorite artists Manuel Turizo and Marshmello, I never imagined that Marshmello would upload a song in Spanish, it captures the essence of both artists.” Another YouTube user, Nico The Hedgehog, wrote: “I think it’s great that mello is trying to expand into latam culture.”
This isn’t the first time Marshmello has collaborated with a Latine artist. Last year, he released “Estilazo” with Tokischa. Last weekend, he was joined by Fuerza Regida and Peso Pluma during his EDC Mexico set, where they gave their audience a taste of their upcoming unreleased single together.
Watch the music video for “El Merengue” below.