Selena (album)

Last updated

Gnome-mime-sound-openclipart.svg
"Sukiyaki" (1989)
"Sukiyaki" was a 1960s Japanese pop song translated into Spanish from an English-language version written by Janice Marie Johnson. [13]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Selena was recorded in its entirety, with the exception of "Sukiyaki" and "My Love", at Manny Guerra's AMEN Studios in San Antonio, Texas and was engineered by house engineer Brian "Red" Moore. "Sukiyaki" and "My Love" were recorded at Sunrise Studios in Houston, Texas. [13] Selena wanted the album to concentrate on Tejano music and Latin pop. [14] A.B. found the genres in Selena to be pop and R&B. [13] Selena incorporates a range of contemporary genres with a mix of cumbia and regional styles of Mexican music. [16] Boleros and polka music were other genres explored on Selena. [17] Astudillo had written a concept and gave it to A.B. after the band's concert in Laredo, Texas. [13] The resulting song was called "Besitos", it was the first recording A.B. and Astudillo collaborated, and the first song Astudillo wrote for the group. A.B. found "Besitos" as the "pivotal point [in Selena's career]" because of the introduction of cumbia music, a genre the band used heavily in subsequent releases. [13] "Besitos" became a platform for the group in producing more cumbia-flavored tracks in Selena's second studio release, Ven Conmigo (1990). [13]

Abraham suggested the idea of writing "Sukiyaki"—a 1960s Japanese song by Kyu Sakamoto—into a Spanish-language song. [13] He expressed his interest after an English-language version by A Taste of Honey was released. [13] Abraham worked with Astudillo to write the recording. The lyrics used were a Spanish version of an English version of the song by Janice Marie Johnson. [13] Vela confirmed that he was supposed to help with the writing process of "Sukiyaki" but did not contribute. [13] Vela expressed how Astudillo's songwriting skills and Spanish were more advanced and overall preferred Astudillo in writing "Sukiyaki". [13] Joe Nick Patoski wrote in Texas Monthly that "Sukiyaki" is a "sentimental" track. [18]

Astudillo was due to record backing vocals on "Amame, Quiereme", his first recording sessions in a studio, Suzette noticed how nervous he was at recording. [13] He was removed from the recording studio after an unsuccessful session, he expressed his disappointment at not meeting the desired range in an interview. After his friend successfully recorded the track, Astudillo retried and met the required demands. [13] Astudillo said how his aspirations of recording in a studio inspired him to not give up. [13] Selena wrote "My Love", an English-language track that A.B. believed echoed works by Exposé and Sweet Sensation. He helped with the arrangements along with Astudillo. It was Selena's first attempt at songwriting. [13] Biographer Joe Nick Patoski, believed "My Love" was paean to Madonna. [17] Vela was chosen to record the accordion on "Mentiras", though he expressed how his instrument was not up to par and had faulty sounds that sounded "un-accordion". [13] The group decided to hire professional studio accordions after Vela's "cringy" sounding instrument was brought to the band's attention. [13] A.B. desperately needed more materials to record for Selena, Vela wrote some parts for a song called "Tengo Ganas de Llorar". In retrospect, Vela said how his part was not satisfactory even though A.B. liked it, for which Vela said he was "just being polite, so he let it pass because we needed another song". [13] Though A.B. remained the singer's principle record producer and songwriter, he did not compose "Sukiyaki" (Abraham/Astudillo), "Contigo Quiero Estar" (Alejandro Montealegre), and "No Te Vayas" (Reinaldo Ornelas). [13]

Critical reception

Selena
Selenaalbum.jpg
Studio album by
Selena
ReleasedOctober 17, 1989
Recorded1988–89
Studio AMEN (San Antonio, Texas)
Genre
Length28:59
Language
Label EMI Latin
Producer A.B. Quintanilla III
Selena chronology
Dulce Amor
(1988)		Selena
(1989)		 16 Super Éxitos Originales
(1990)
Selena studio album chronology
Dulce Amor
(1988)		Selena
(1989)		 Ven Conmigo
(1990)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [19]

Selena was initially scheduled for a summer 1989 release, [14] but was pushed back to October 17, 1989. [13] Unimpressed with the image Guerra presented, creative director Rubén Cubillos decided to express an image of "natural beauty" for Selena on this album's cover. [17] The singer chose an outfit that her mother believed would upset her conservative father, and Cubillos had to distract Selena from looking at Abraham Quintanilla throughout the photoshoot. Selena's father was visibly uncomfortable with her clothing and makeup. [20] Abraham came in and out during the shoot and complained to Cubillos that Selena loathed her makeup during their conversations. [15] EMI Latin detested the album cover and called it "the worst they'd ever gotten." [15] Cubillos believed the company "didn't understand it" and said he liked the cover because of "the warmth of her skin." [15] He claimed in retrospect that he regretted Selena's makeup and wished he had washed it off because "she's not a model, she's not anything but a nice, fresh young woman with talent." [15] Patoski argued that the cover unveiled a tall and sultry Selena, but expressionless, as if her mind was wandering. He noted that the band and Abraham Quintanilla were also unimpressed with the cover. Abraham later complained to Ramon Hernandez about Selena's nose "looking too flat." [15]

Because the album was released on a major record label, Selena expected presentation to a larger, global audience. [13] EMI Latin's marketing team "worked the radio stations as no independent producer had before" to deliver Selena "more chart action than she'd ever enjoyed." [17] An April 1989 survey found "Contigo Quiero Estar" as the most-played song on Tejano radio stations in the Corpus Christi area for two weeks. [1] The album debuted at number 17 on the US Billboard Regional Mexican Albums chart for the week ending December 2, 1989. [21] It was the highest debut for an album that week, beating out La Fiebre's On the Right, and was Selena's first album to chart on a national music chart. [21] It promptly slipped off the charts the following week but returned to number 15 after the holiday season. [22] Selena rose to number 12 for the week ending January 27, 1990. [23] The album peaked at number seven in its seventh week on March 24, 1990. [24] It was Selena's highest peaking album, until Ven Conmigo surpassed it a year later. [11] During the twenty-year celebration of Selena-released music, Selena was repackaged and re-made available for physical and digital purchase on September 22, 2002. [25] This limited-edition version included Selena's top 20 single "La Bamba" from (1987), as well as spoken liner notes with commentary and recollections of each track provided by the singer's family, friends, and band. [25]

The album performed better than other recordings from other contemporary female Tejano singers. [26] Selena became the "dominant female vocalist in a predominately-male industry." [11] The album's tour sent Selena to Arizona, New Mexico, Indiana, Illinois, Washington state, and Florida, areas where she had not been in prior demand. [17] Selena was responsible "for bringing a certain charm, innovative spirit, and new perspective [to Tejano music]." [11] Other critics attested that it was a "door-opener" for the group in the Tejano market. [27] This was echoed by Billboard magazine, who believed Selena's recordings were not successful until she signed with EMI Latin and released Selena in 1989. [28] Author Lee Stacy wrote that Selena "achieved reasonable success." [29]

Selena's popularity increased following the album's success and her provocative image made her a musical sex icon. [30] According to Latin Style magazine, the tracks "Sukiyaki", "Contigo Quiero Estar", and "Besitos", were "pivotal" recordings that showcased Selena's "mixed rhythm and sound" which the magazine attributed to being her "trademark". [31] At the 1990 Tejano Music Awards, Selena won Female Vocalist of the Year and Female Entertainer of the Year. [32] A.B. was nominated for Songwriter of the Year. [33] Songs from the album, "Contigo Quiero Estar" were nominated for Song of the Year, [33] and "Amame, Quiereme" was nominated for Vocal Duo of the Year. [34]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Tú Eres"
3:04
2."Sukiyaki"
3:12
3."Contigo Quiero Estar"Alejandro Montealegre3:13
4."Besitos"Quintanilla III3:00
5."Amame, Quiéreme"Quintanilla III3:42
6."Tengo Ganas De Llorar"
3:32
7."My Love" Selena 3:16
8."Quiero Ser"
  • Quintanilla III
  • Astudillo
2:34
9."Mentiras"
  • Quintanilla III
  • Astudillo
2:54
10."No Te Vayas"Reinaldo Ornelas2:23
2002 re-release bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."La Bamba" ( Anthology remix; originally from And the Winner Is... , 1987)Traditional3:54
12."Spoken Liner Notes: Intro" 2:53
13."Spoken Liner Notes: Sukiyaki" 1:27
14."Spoken Liner Notes: Contigo Quiero Estar" 0:35
15."Spoken Liner Notes: Besitos" 1:22
16."Spoken Liner Notes: Amame, Quiereme" 2:05
17."Spoken Liner Notes: Tengo Ganas De Llorar" 0:25
18."Spoken Liner Notes: My Love" 0:41
19."Spoken Liner Notes: Mentiras" 0:36
20."Spoken Liner Notes: No Te Vayas" 0:27
21."Spoken Liner Notes: Outro" 0:22

Personnel

Credits are taken from the album's liner notes. [13]

2012 re-issue

Charts

Weekly charts

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Selena</span> American singer (1971–1995)

Selena Quintanilla Pérez was an American singer. Referred to as the "Queen of Tejano Music", her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most celebrated Mexican-American entertainers of the late 20th century. In 2020, Billboard magazine put her in third place on their list of "Greatest Latino Artists of All Time", based on both Latin albums and Latin songs chart. Media outlets called her the "Tejano Madonna" for her clothing choices. She also ranks among the most influential Latin artists of all time and is credited for catapulting the Tejano genre into the mainstream market.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Selena y Los Dinos</span> American Tejano band

Selena y Los Dinos was an American Tejano band formed in 1981 by Tejano singer Selena and her father Abraham Quintanilla. The band remained together until the murder of Selena in 1995, which caused the dissolution of the band in the same year. When Selena was signed with EMI Latin, EMI president José Behar told Selena that "the world wanted Selena, not Selena y Los Dinos." Selena then began releasing her solo studio albums under her name and her own logo title Selena instead of Selena y Los Dinos. Before Selena was signed with EMI, the band had sold more than 80,000 copies in the state of Texas.

<i>Ven Conmigo</i> (album) 1990 studio album by Selena

Ven Conmigo is the second studio album by American singer Selena, released on November 12, 1990, by EMI Latin. The singer's brother, A.B. Quintanilla III remained her principal record producer and songwriter after her debut album's moderate success. Selena's Los Dinos band composed and arranged seven of the album's ten tracks; local songwriter Johnny Herrera also provided songs for Selena to record. Ven Conmigo contains half cumbias and half rancheras, though the album includes other genres. Its musical compositions are varied and demonstrate an evolving maturity in Selena's basic Tejano sound. The album's structure and track organization were unconventional compared with other Tejano music albums. The songs on Ven Conmigo are mostly love songs or songs following a woman's struggles after many failed relationships.

<i>Entre a Mi Mundo</i> 1992 studio album by Selena

Entre a Mi Mundo is the third studio album by American singer Selena, released on May 6, 1992, by EMI Latin. The label endeavored to bolster Selena's popularity within the Latin music market in the United States with this release. Selena's brother, A. B. Quintanilla kept his role as the singer's producer and, in collaboration with Selena y Los Dinos members Pete Astudillo and Ricky Vela, composed tracks for the album. The ensuing recording encompassed an eclectic array of songs, attributable to the members' diverse backgrounds, which facilitated the modernization of the many genres they explored. Entre a Mi Mundo is a Tejano cumbia album that encapsulated Selena's quintessential sound, characterized by engaging tunes harmonized with her distinctive, plaintive vocals and a relaxed, danceable cumbia beat. The album incorporates musical inspirations from power pop, R&B, disco, rock, funk, and synthesized Tejano music.

<i>Alpha</i> (Selena album) 1986 studio album by Selena y Los Dinos

Alpha is the second independent studio album by American Tejano music group Selena y Los Dinos. Released on June 11, 1986 under Manny Guerra's G.P. Productions, it followed the group’s debut album, which was recorded under Freddie Records. Selena y Los Dinos, led by vocalist Selena, recorded mostly cover songs. Wanting to stand out, bassist A.B. Quintanilla requested original material from Luis Silva after noticing his track record for writing award-winning songs. Silva ignored A.B.'s request and he was inspired by Abraham to write songs himself. The group expanded to include keyboardist Ricky Vela and guitarist Roger Garcia. Vela collaborated with A.B. on "Dame un Beso", while he collaborated with Abraham on "Dame Tu Amor". A.B. became Selena y Los Dinos' music producer and songwriter, while Abraham encouraged them to record songs of various genres to appeal to a wider audience. Despite her limited Spanish, Selena recorded all nine tracks phonetically.

<i>Mis Mejores Canciones – 17 Super Éxitos</i> 1993 greatest hits album by Selena

Mis Mejores Canciones – 17 Super Éxitos is a greatest hits album by American singer Selena released on September 17, 1993, through EMI Latin. Beginning in January 1993, the label released a comprehensive collection that spotlighted its Latin music artists as part of its Latin Classics series. Mis Mejores Canciones – 17 Super Exitos encompasses 17 tracks, ranging from songs recorded on her debut album with EMI Latin, to songs present in Entre a Mi Mundo (1992). The album received a positive response from music critics who enjoyed the label's catalog releases and praised the tracks on the album for showcasing Selena's early popular recordings. Following the shooting death of Selena on March 31, 1995, Mis Mejores Canciones – 17 Super Exitos debuted at number one on the US Billboard Top Catalog Albums chart, the first Spanish-language recording to do so. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the album diamond (Latin), denoting 600,000 units shipped in the United States.

<i>Anthology</i> (Selena album) 1998 box set by Selena

Anthology is the first box set by American singer Selena. It was released posthumously on April 7, 1998, through EMI Latin to commemorate the singer's works. The collection comprises 30 tracks, dispersed across three genre-themed discs: "Pop / English" showcases uptempo pop compositions, "Mariachi" highlights Mexican ballads featuring poignant narratives of heartache, and "Cumbia" presents danceable tropical rhythms. The album encompasses recordings from a 14-year-old Selena on her Alpha (1986) album to the posthumous "Disco Medley" (1997). With a limited number of unaltered tracks, Anthology predominantly features reworked and remastered musical arrangements, while preserving the singer's original vocals. Selena's death in March 1995 prompted an influx of requests from her admirers. The singer's father and manager, Abraham Quintanilla, expressed a desire to maintain his daughter's legacy through her music. However, Selena's family has faced criticism from both fans and the media, who accuse them of capitalizing on her death and commodifying her repertoire.

<i>All My Hits: Todos Mis Éxitos</i> 1999 greatest hits album by Selena

All My Hits: Todos Mis Éxitos is a greatest hits album by American singer Selena. It was released posthumously on March 9, 1999, through EMI Latin to commemorate its ten-year anniversary since entering the music industry. The album coincided with the fourth anniversary of Selena's death, though then-president Jose Behar rebuffed the idea that the album was an exploitive ploy by the company. Following Selena's death on March 31, 1995, Abraham Quintanilla expressed his interest in preserving his daughter's memory through her works. Selena's family has been criticized by fans and the media for exploiting the singer and cannibalizing her murder by commercializing her repertoire. According to the singer's brother, A.B. Quintanilla, one of Selena's wishes was for her to "never go away", citing a conversation he shared with Selena and their sister Suzette Quintanilla, that if anything were to happen to any one of them, their wish would be to continue on with their music.

<i>All My Hits: Todos Mis Éxitos Vol. 2</i> 2000 greatest hits album by Selena

All My Hits: Todos Mis Éxitos Vol. 2 is a greatest hits album by American singer Selena that was released on February 29, 2000, through EMI Latin. After Selena's murder in 1995, her father Abraham Quintanilla stated his commitment to preserving her music and EMI Latin pledged ongoing support for her releases. In 1999, the label's president José Behar acknowledged Selena, who remained the label's top-selling artist, for her contributions to establishing EMI Latin as "the house that Selena built". In March 1999, to commemorate the label's tenth anniversary, it released All My Hits: Todos Mis Éxitos; it achieved commercial success and a sequel was announced. All My Hits: Todos Mis Éxitos Vol. 2 contains 16 songs ranging from tracks featured on Selena's Muñequito de Trapo (1987) to the posthumous 1997 club remix of "Enamorada de Ti" (1990).

<i>Momentos Intimos</i> 2004 compilation album by Selena

Momentos Intimos is a compilation album by American singer Selena and released posthumously on March 23, 2004, through EMI Latin. The album contains 24 tracks, though the last eight are spoken liner notes provided by the singer's family, friends, and her Los Dinos band. The songs on the album range from "Como Te Quiero Yo A Ti" (1988), a re-recorded version modernized and remixed on the album, to "Puede Ser", an unreleased duet with Nando "Guero" Dominguez, recorded two weeks before Selena was shot and killed in March 1995. Following Selena's death, her father Abraham Quintanilla expressed his interest in persevering his daughter's memory through her works. Selena's family has been criticized by fans and the media for exploiting the singer and cannibalizing her murder by commercializing her repertoire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pete Astudillo</span> American singer

Pedro Astudillo, known as Pete Astudillo, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and dancer. Referred to as "the Latino Babyface" by The Daily Journal, he is regarded as the architect behind Selena's sound, as he collaborated or coauthored the singer's top-selling and most popular recordings that cemented him into music history. Astudillo wrote or collaborated on some of the most popular Tejano music songs of the 1990s and was inducted into the Tejano Roots Hall of Fame in 2019. His impact on the United States Latin music scene lies in his role as a songwriter collaborator, according to Billboard magazine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enamorada de Ti (song)</span> 1990 song recorded by Selena

"Enamorada de Ti" is a song recorded by American Tejano recording artist Selena for her second studio album, Ven Conmigo (1990). The song was written by Selena y Los Dinos band member Pete Astudillo and her brother, A.B. Quintanilla III, and produced by Quintanilla, It is a Spanish-language adaptation of "Is It the Beat?", an English song originally written by Quintanilla III and Pamela Phillips Oland. The English version was recorded by Selena in 1989 for a potential English-language crossover album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ámame (song)</span> 1993 single by Selena

"Ámame" is a song by American singer Selena, taken from her third studio album, Entre a Mi Mundo (1992). Selena and Chris Pérez began secretly dating subsequent to Pérez's reintegration into Selena y Los Dinos in the summer of 1991, despite her father's objections. The song was written by Selena and conveys her sentiments towards Pérez as they concealed their liaison from familial scrutiny. Pete Astudillo contributed to the lyrical development of the composition, while A. B. Quintanilla handled production. It was released as the fourth and final single from the album in April 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">¿Qué Creías?</span> 1992 single by Selena

"¿Qué Creías?" is a song by American singer Selena, taken from her third studio album, Entre a Mi Mundo (1992). It was written by Pete Astudillo and A. B. Quintanilla; the composition was a result of a challenge issued by A. B. to Astudillo to create a song before they arrived in Las Vegas from California. Astudillo drew inspiration from the works of Mexican singer Juan Gabriel, culminating in a mariachi ballad. Selena, in describing the song, avers that it embodies women on a collective scale. It is the singer's torch song and the lyrics elucidate Selena's inflexible stance on refusing to absolve an unfaithful partner. She directly addresses her former lover who had taken her for granted, informing him of her capability to exist without him. Critics acclaimed Selena's emotional vocal range and her poetic expression with a distinctly feminine cadence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Carcacha</span> 1992 single by Selena

"La Carcacha" is a song recorded by American singer Selena for her third studio album, Entre a Mi Mundo (1992). The song was written by A.B. Quintanilla and Pete Astudillo. It was inspired by a dilapidated car and an experience in which A.B. observed a woman's willingness to court the owner of a luxury car. The song, characterized by its rhythmic melodies and satirical portrayal of life in the barrio, highlights the importance of love and genuine connection over material wealth. It is a Tejano cumbia song that is emblematic of Selena's typical style, while music critics found it to be musically similar to "Baila Esta Cumbia".

"Besitos" is a song recorded by American singer Selena on her eponymous debut album with EMI Latin. It was composed by A. B. Quintanilla and Pete Astudillo. Upon signing a recording contract with EMI Latin, A. B. was cautioned that failure to produce a successful album would result in his replacement by a company-approved candidate. The group Los Bad Boyz, composed of Astudillo and keyboardist Joe Ojeda, initially opened for Selena y Los Dinos before integrating themselves into the band's lineup. Astudillo's songwriting debut came in the form of "Besitos", a composition in which the lyrics convey a longing for the protagonist's lover's kisses and a desire to be their source of happiness.

<i>Dulce Amor</i> (album) 1988 studio album by Selena y Los Dinos

Dulce Amor is the sixth and last independent studio album by Tejano music group Selena y Los Dinos. The album became the final album to be released from RP Records on December 24, 1988. Selena's brother, A.B. Quintanilla III had become the main songwriter. Selena recorded fourteen songs but only released ten. All the songs were recorded in three different recording studios. Dulce Amor helped Selena to be noticed at the 1989 Tejano Music Awards. She was then signed by EMI Latin. This would be the last studio album to be released under “Selena y Los Dinos” as all subsequent albums would be released under “Selena”. The album had only sold over 30,000 copies. It was ordered to be removed from stores by EMI Records.

<i>16 Super Éxitos Originales</i> 1990 greatest hits album by Selena

16 Super Éxitos Originales is a greatest hits album by American singer Selena released on March 3, 1990, through EMI Latin. The label aimed to release a compilation containing recordings by Selena y Los Dinos prior to their contractual agreement in 1989, to illustrate the band's musical progressions up to that point. 16 Super Éxitos Originales encompasses 16 tracks re-recorded under new arrangements, ranging from compositions recorded through Freddie Records in 1983 to the group's Dulce Amor (1988) album. The album received critical acclaim from music critics, who found it to have contained recordings that solidified Selena's status in the Tejano music market and introduced her to a broader audience. The album peaked at number 22 on the US Billboard Regional Mexican Albums chart. EMI Latin posthumously re-issued 16 Super Éxitos Originales under the title Mis Primeros Éxitos on August 13, 2002.

References

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.