Ahead of its fourth and final studio album, Major Lazer is further leaning into its global sound with “Que Calor.” With this track, J Balvin gives Diplo and his friends, DJs Walshy Fire and Ape Drums, a warm welcome into the Latino Gang. O, he tries to at least. (We all know a global conference call followed by a unanimous vote would be the only way to make that official.)
This crew has a history of Latin collabs and fusion tracks, most recently working with Anitta on “Make it Hot,” and this isn’t its first time working with J Balvin either – as evidenced by the wavy “Buscando Huellas” and a “Lean On” remix with Farruko. But it’s the first time the Colombian reggaetonero and 40-year-old Mad Decent label boss appear together on a track with El Alfa. This comes shortly after the trippy Tecnobow sound was cooked up, clearly leaving both parties hungry for more.
In this late summer drop that hopes to get you dripping on the dance floor, Major Lazer’s classic EDM sound pairs nicely with El Alfa’s Dominican dembow in a clean transition that somehow doesn’t have that overdone feel. Clocking in at less than three minutes, they aren’t looking to do anything revolutionary nor award-worthy, just – I suspect, on the trio’s part – have a song like this be a part of their legacy.
My main, and only, gripe with this track is that El Alfa doesn’t dip in until a minute and seventeen seconds in and spits for a mere twenty seconds. That’s a mere 11% of a song that would’ve been 100% better with his bright sonic stroke consistently weaved in. Like every other song to ever precede it, it needs more El Alfa.
The king of Dominican dembow is finally getting the recognition he deserves. To close off 2018, Bad Bunny blessed us all with “La Romana,” honoring one of the first big Latino names in urbano to give him a chance on “Demaga Ge Gi Go Gu,” which will forever slap. Just a few months later, Cardi B would swing “Mi Mami” and promise more of where that came from in the future. Now, others like Pitbull and Tito el Bambino are taking notice, too.
This track is late in more ways than one but better late than never, and better to have El Alfa on it than not have him at all. They need him here, not the other way around.
~ FUA ~