Suavemente (English:Smoothly) is the debut studio album by American merenguero recording artist Elvis Crespo. Released by Sony Music Latin on April 14,1998,the album established Crespo as a leading artist in the Latin music market. He collaborated with several songwriters and record producers to create an overall tropical music-flavored recording.
With romantic ballads and uptempo songs,Suavemente received favorable reviews from music critics who found the recording to contain energetic and catchy tracks. The album was commercially successful;it became the first merengue recording to peak at number one on the United States BillboardTop Latin Albums chart. Suavemente peaked at number 106 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. Two of its singles,"Suavemente" and "Tu Sonrisa",topped the U.S. BillboardHot Latin Songs chart;Crespo was recognized as becoming the first artist to have placed two merengue singles at number one. Suavemente was Crespo's commercial breakthrough,introducing him to the popular music market with the Spanglish remix of its title track.
In 1993,brothers Héctor and Oscar Serrano formed Grupo Manía in Puerto Rico.[1] They enlisted Alfred Cotto,Reynaldo Santiago,and Elvis Crespo to tour and record two-stepmerengue music,popularizing the genre to a younger audience.[1] In 1996,Crespo left Grupo Manía and signed with Sony Music Latin (the company which signed his former band),beginning his solo career.[2][3] He said in a May 1999 Billboard interview that leaving the band was "a very hard decision",since they worked well together.[4] Crespo originally intended for "Suavemente" and "Tu Sonrisa",the singles which brought him international recognition,to be recorded with Grupo Manía.[4]
Release and promotion
The album was released in the United States on April 14,1998.[5]Suavemente and American merengue singer Manny Manuel's album,Es Mi Tiempo,increased U.S. tropical-music sales by 27 percent over the previous year.[6] On November 28,the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified Suavementegold for shipments of 500,000 copies,[7] the first merengue record certified gold.[8] The album was certified gold in Chile,platinum in Venezuela,and platinum in Central America.[7] During the 1998 Christmas season,Suavemente was among the top-selling Latin albums in the United States.[9] On February 20,1999,Sony Discos president Oscar Llord expressed an interest in promoting Suavemente in Latin America and Europe since he believed that the album would sell over one million copies.[7] In May,it sold 1,500,000 copies worldwide.[10]As of October2017[update]Suavemente has sold over 879,000 copies in the United States,making it the 11th bestselling Latin album in the country according to Nielsen SoundScan.[11] Worldwide,it had sold more than 4 million of copies.[12][13]
Crespo performed at the 23rd New York Salsa Festival at Madison Square Garden on September 5,1998,with El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico,and Latin jazz recording artist Eddie Palmieri.[14] He was part of the Hot Latin Nights show at Walt Disney World's Pleasure Island on September 19,which was broadcast as a two-part Telemundo special on December 14 and 31.[15] On October 11 Crespo (performing with other Latin acts) sang "Suavemente" on the seven-hour Puerto Rico Se Levanta,a benefit concert broadcast live on Telemundo which raised $13 million for victims of Hurricane Georges on Hispaniola.[16] He performed "Suavemente" at the 1999 Billboard Latin Music Awards.[17] Crespo's appearance was praised by Billboard's John Lannert,who believed that it foreshadowed possible dominance at future music awards.[17] He appeared at El Concierto Del Amor,an annual tropical-music festival held at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford,New Jersey,on February 14,1999,with fellow salsa singers Jerry Rivera,Frankie Negron,Tito Nieves,and Michael Stuart.[18] To promote Suavemente Crespo toured Uruguay,Argentina,Chile,Colombia,and Peru in the first quarter of the year,[7] and he performed at Billboard's 10th annual Latin Music conference on April 20,1999.[19]
In Billboard,Latin music contributor John Lannert called the album a "merengue-bomba disc"[21] and Crespo a "midtempo pop/merengue" artist.[22] In his 2003 book,The Latin Beat,Ed Morales described the title song as a "salsa classic or pop hit."[2]True crime novelist M. William Phelps called "Suavemente" a "romantic Latin ballad" in his 2008 book,I'll Be Watching You.[23] In her 2005 book,Pop Culture Latin America,Lisa Shaw called "Suavemente" "an example of some of the best merengue with a rock-pop sound."[24] According to Batanga magazine,Suavemente is "intoxicating,feverish,pure sabroso merengue. Sizzle in the summer streets to the fast-paced beats,ear busting horns and percussive stamina";[25]Latina magazine noted the album's "feverish beat".[26] Spanish-language magazine Vistazo called Crespo the new sensation of merengue music,[27] and his album a favorite of listeners who enjoy pachanga.[27]
Sony Music International Latin America president Frank Welzer called Crespo a "genius" who wrote "catchy fan-pleasing" songs.[7] Terry Jenkins of AllMusic praised the album's "seductive Latin ballads" and found the focal mode of the recording to be sentimental,strong,lively,and swinging.[20]Business Wire noted its popularity in the American and Latino markets.[28] The Los Angeles Times called Suavemente and Crespo's repertoire "energy-packed".[29]Billboard's Lannert wrote that other Latin acts tried to emulate Crespo's style.[30]
Chart history
Suavemente debuted at number six on the U.S. BillboardTop Latin Albums chart for the week ending May 2,1998.[31] In its second week the album rose to number five,[32] selling 3,000 copies.[6]Suavemente was number three on the chart for the week ending May 16,selling 5,000 copies (a 60-percent increase).[6] The following week the album rose to number two,behind Selena's Anthology box set,and sold 7,000 copies.[33] The sales increase placed Suavemente at number 188 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart,only the second merengue album to make that chart.[33] In its fifth week,album sales fell 50 percent and it dropped to number eight.[34] The following week (which included the Memorial Day weekend),Suavemente moved up to number six.[35] For the week ending June 13,the album re-entered the Billboard 200 chart at number 170 and peaked at number one on the Top Latin Albums chart.[36] The next week it dropped to number three and 197 on the Top Latin Albums and Billboard 200 charts,respectively.[37]Suavemente sold 6,000 copies for the week ending June 13,rising to number two on the Top Latin Albums chart behind Ricky Martin's Vuelve.[38] The album dropped to third the following week.[39]Suavemente sold 6,000 copies the next week,rising to number two behind Vuelve.[40] After five weeks behind Vuelve,Suavemente passed it on the Top Latin Albums chart when its sales increased 16 percent to 8,600 copies.[41] For the week of August 8,1998,it fell back to number two behind Vuelve.[14] After three weeks of declining sales,Suavemente was number three when it sold 5,000 copies as "Tu Sonrisa" (its second single) topped the Hot Latin Songs chart.[42] It ended 1998 as the year's eighth-bestselling Latin album.[43]Suavemente spent 98 consecutive weeks in the top 10 of the Top Latin Albums chart,the second-longest run in history.[44]
The album remained atop the U.S. Tropical Albums chart for seven consecutive weeks after its release.[22] It began sliding down the chart,but remained near the top. Suavemente returned to the top of the Tropical Albums chart after twelve weeks behind the Dance with Mesoundtrack.[45] The following week it sold 4,000 copies,remaining at number one.[8] In the album's fourth consecutive week atop the chart,it sold 6,500 copies.[46] During its fifth straight week atop the Tropical Albums chart,it sold 6,000 copies,down 16 percent.[47]Suavemente ended 1998 as the fourth-bestselling tropical-music album.[43] In its ninth consecutive week atop the Tropical Albums chart the album sold 7,000 copies,down 17 percent from the previous week.[48] The following week,its tenth consecutive at number one,it sold 7,500 copies (up seven percent).[49] For the week ending February 6,1999,although sales of Suavemente dipped 13 percent to 6,500 copies the album remained atop the chart.[18] On the February 27,1999,chart,album sales increased by 67 percent.[50] The following week sales decreased 30 percent to 7,000 copies,but Suavemente remained atop the Tropical Albums chart for its fourteenth straight week.[51]
The album debuted at number 43 on the U.S. BillboardHeatseekers Albums chart for the week ending May 2,1998;[31] the following week,it rose to number 39.[32] For the week ending May 16,the album jumped to number 13;[6] the following week,it rose to number nine.[33] In subsequent weeks,the album continued to rise up the chart;for the week ending June 13,it was number five.[36]
Singles
After "Suavemente" debuted at number 15 on the U.S. BillboardHot Latin Songs chart for the week ending April 25,1998,the magazine's John Lannert predicted that Crespo could "easily win a new artist award" in 1999.[52]Billboard music analyst Karl Ross called the album's title song "a sultry [track] about the power of a kiss".[7] For the week ending May 16 "Suavemente" peaked at number one,displacing "Una Fan Enamorada" by Servando y Florentino.[6] Crespo became the first merengue recording artist with a number-one single on the Hot Latin Songs chart since Dominican singer Juan Luis Guerra's "El Costo De la Vida" six years earlier.[6] "Suavemente" remained at number one with 13 million audience impressions, a four-percent increase over the previous week.[6] The song broke the record for most weeks at number one for a tropical-music recording on the Hot Latin Songs chart (six) since Billboard began monitoring Latin airplay in 1986,[17] and it was number one on the Tropical Songs chart for nine consecutive weeks.[22] "Suavemente" ended 1998 as the year's most-successful tropical single.[43] Sony Discos president Oscar Llord told Billboard about the "carefulness" of crossing over into the English-language market,calling the lead single a process done "naturally" as a result of two U.S. radio stations (in Miami and New) York requesting a Spanglish version.[17] The bilingual version was released in Germany in the second quarter of 1999.[7] "Suavemente" became Crespo's most-popular song and a "teenage anthem" in the Latino community.[53][54][55] It was the first Sony Music Latin release to debut on the U.S. BillboardHot 100 chart,[9] peaking at number 84.[56]
The album's second single,"Tu Sonrisa",was distributed to U.S. radio stations in the second week of July 1998. It debuted at number 21 on the U.S. Hot Latin Tracks chart,as "Suavemente" remained in the top five.[22] The song peaked at number one on the Tropical Songs chart,Crespo's second number one.[14] "Tu Sonrisa" topped the Hot Latin Tracks chart in its sixth week,the singer's second number one on that chart.[42] It displaced "Te Quiero Tanto Tanto" by Mexican Latin pop group Onda Vaselina,and Crespo became the first merengue artist with two number-one Hot Latin Tracks singles.[42] After a week at number one,"Tu Sonrisa" was displaced by Gloria Estefan's "Oye!".[57] A week later it again topped the chart for one week before being displaced by "Perdido Sin Ti",Martin's fourth single from Vuelve.[58] After the success of "Suavemente"'s bilingual version,Sony Music distributed a club mix of "Tu Sonrisa" to radio stations in February 1999.[7]Billboard Latin music contributor Leila Cobo called the song "catchy"[59] and (with "Suavemente") "irresistible".[54] "Tu Sonrisa" is the fifteenth-most-successful Sony Discos single on the Hot Latin Tracks chart since the chart was established in 1999.[60]
"Luna Llena",Suavemente's third single,debuted and peaked at number 29 on the Hot Latin Tracks chart for the week ending December 12,1998.[46] It dropped off the chart after a week[47] before charting on Hot Latin Tracks and Tropical Songs at 33 and 13,respectively,for the week ending January 16,1999.[61] The song peaked at 26 and 11 on the Hot Latin Songs and Tropical Songs charts,respectively.[56] The fourth and final single from the album,"Nuestra Cancion",was less successful;it peaked at number 17 on the Tropical Songs chart in 1999.[56]
Impact
Suavemente is considered to have revolutionized merengue music,making it a popular subgenre of Latin music,[62] and the album brought Crespo international recognition in the merengue market.[63][21] The singer is the first merengue artist with an album atop the U.S. Top Latin Albums chart,[17] and two number-one songs on the U.S. Hot Latin Songs chart.[17]Billboard cited Crespo and American singer-actor Carlos Ponce as jump-starting the US market with their albums.[43] According to Billboard's Karl Ross,Crespo transcended the U.S. Latino market and his success may have been felt in Europe and the Pacific Rim.[7] Sony Discos president Oscar Llord called Suavemente the "most successful debut album of a Tropical artist in history."[7]Suavemente was listed as the third best-charting and -selling Sony Discos album during the Top Latin Albums twenty-fifth year in 1999.[60] Crespo was ranked fifth on the Hot Latin Songwriters in 1998,eleventh on the Top Latin Albums Artists,seventh on the Hot Latin Tracks Artists,fourth on the Top Tropical Album Artists,and second on the Tropical Tracks Artists lists.[43]Suavemente has been named one of the most essential Latin albums of the past 50 years by Billboard,[64] and its title song became a staple in Latin-music nightclubs.[65][66] The lead single also became a popular tune in Mexico,where it was used in festivals around the country.[67] "Suavemente" ranked number 219 on Pitchfork's list of the 250 best songs of the 1990s. According to contributor Gio Santiago,"Suavemente" catapulted merengue into the mainstream,introducing it to a wider audience,and ending the genre's waning popularity. Since its release,the song has become a staple at any Latino gathering and elicits attendees to dance once the a cappella opening of the song begins,which is followed by an explosion of horns,güira,and percussion that evokes an endless state of euphoria,according to Santiago.[68]
On April 11,2019,the album was re-released to celebrate its 20th anniversary.[73] Nine of its tracks were redone into a salsa or mambo version. The song "Abracadabra" was added.
Alternate version of Track #1-9 were made for this edition.
The song "Te Vas" was the only song from the original edition not included nor remade. It was replaced by the song Abracadabra released in 2019. It was the only merengue in this edition as the other 9 songs were remade for another genre.
Elvis Crespo Díaz is an American singer of the Merengue genre. He has won multiple awards, including a Grammy and a Latin Grammy Award in merengue music.
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.
Ni Es lo Mismo Ni Es Igual is the eighth studio album recorded by Dominican singer-songwriter Juan Luis Guerra and his backup vocals 4–40. It was released by Karen Records on 15 December 1998 and distributed by PolyGram Latino. It was Guerra's comeback album after four years of silence, out of the public eye and since his conversion to Christianity. It was his first studio album since Fogarate (1994). The album production and songwriting were done by Guerra. The album was supported by the release of four official singles: "Mi PC", "Palomita Blanca", "El Niagara en Bicicleta" and "La Hormiguita". Two singles were released as promotional singles: "Vale La Pena" and "Quisiera".
"Amor Prohibido" is the title song of American Tejano singer Selena's fourth studio album of the same name (1994). Released as the lead single through EMI Latin on April 13, 1994, it was written by Selena, her brother and music producer A.B. Quintanilla III, and her band's backup vocalist Pete Astudillo. A popular interpretation compares it to Romeo and Juliet.
This is a comprehensive listing of official releases by Elvis Crespo, a Puerto Rican merengue singer. Elvis Crespo has released 10 studio albums, 19 singles, and many music videos in the record label Sony BMG.
"Suavemente" is a song recorded and composed by Puerto Rican artist Elvis Crespo on his first solo album, Suavemente, which followed his departure from Grupo Manía. Released as the lead single, "Suavemente" reached number one on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks on May 16, 1998, and remained atop the chart for six weeks. Crespo re-recorded it with Spanglish lyrics. The song also hit the Billboard Hot 100 as well as received a Premios Lo Nuestro award and two Latin Billboard Music Awards the following year. "Suavemente" was the tenth best-performing Latin single of 1998. The song has been covered by several artists, some of whom also charted.
"Lo Mejor de Mí" is a song written and produced by Rudy Pérez and first recorded by Spanish singer Juan Ramon for his second studio album Por Haberte Amado Tanto (1990). In the song, the protagonist tells his lover how he gave his best despite not meeting his lover's expectation. In 1997, Mexican recording artist Cristian Castro covered the song for his fifth studio album Lo Mejor de Mí which Pérez also produced and arranged. Castro's version peaked at number-one on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs and the Billboard Latin Pop Songs charts in the United States. The song received a Billboard Latin Music Awards and a Lo Nuestro nomination for Pop Song of the Year. Pérez earned the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers award in the Pop/Ballad field.
"Mi PC" is a song by Dominican Republic singer-songwriter Juan Luis Guerra and his band 4-40 from his eighth studio album, Ni Es lo Mismo Ni Es Igual (1998). The song was released as the lead single from the album in November 1998 by Karen Records. The song was written and produced by Guerra. It is a pop merengue track in which Guerra uses computer terminology to narrate a love story. "Mi PC" was met with positive reactions from music critics who found the lyrics to be clever and its music catchy.
"Tu Sonrisa" is a song recorded and composed by the American merengue music artist Elvis Crespo. It was released as the second single from his solo first album Suavemente (1998).
This is a list of notable events in Latin music that took place in 1995.
This is a list of notable events in Latin music that took place in 1998.
"Así Fue" is a song written and produced by Mexican singer-songwriter Juan Gabriel and performed by Spanish singer Isabel Pantoja. It was released in 1988 as the second single from her studio album Desde Andalucía (1988). The song tells of the singer dealing with her ex-lover after she has a new fiancé. It reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart in the United States, and was the fifth best-performing Spanish-language single of 1989 in the US. The song's composer, Juan Gabriel, performed a live rendition of the song at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City which was recorded and released as a live album titled Celebrando 25 Años de Juan Gabriel: En Concierto en el Palacio de Bellas Artes (1998).
"Rezo" is a song by Puerto Rican entertainer Carlos Ponce from his 1998 eponymous debut album. The song was co-written by Ponce and Freddy Piñero, Jr. with productions being handled by Emilio Estefan and Kike Santander. It was released as the lead single from the album on May 12, 1998. A pop and tropical power ballad with a gospel chorus, the singer leads a prayer for a woman he desires. A remix of the track was also included in the album. The song received positive reactions from three music journalists.
"Contra la Corriente" is a song by American singer Marc Anthony from his third studio album of the same name (1997). It was released in 1998 by RMM and served as the album's fifth single. The song was written by Omar Alfanno, with co-production handled by Ángel "Cucco" Peña and Anthony. "Contra la Corriente" is a salsa song, that lyrically recalls a "good love from the past."
"Neverita" is a song by Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny from his fifth studio album Un Verano Sin Ti (2022), which it appeared as the eighth track. The song was released on August 22, 2022, along with its music video as the seventh single from Un Verano Sin Ti. It is written by Benito Martínez and its production was handled by Tainy, Pelangaboy and Cheo Legendary.
"Que Habría Sido de Mí" is a song written by Omar Alfanno and performed by Puerto Rican singer Víctor Manuelle on his fifth studio album, Ironías(1998), and was released as the second single from the album. It became his seventh number song on the Tropical Airplay chart. AllMusic critic José A. Estévez, Jr. cited it as one of the songs from where the album where Ramón Sánchez's arrangements allows Manuelle to "drive the best of the talented improviser, belting it out with all his might". This sentiment was shared by Billboard editor John Lannert who called it one of the album's "well-crafted tracks". Parry Gettelman praised the performance of both the bassist and the pianist in the track. On the former, she noted that Ruben Rodriguez "provides a graceful bass line that subtly builds tension released in the soaring chorus". It was nominated "Tropical/Salsa Hot Track of the Year" at the 1999 Latin Billboard Music Awards, but lost to "Suavemente" by Elvis Crespo. In 2000, it was recognized as one of the best-performing songs of the year at the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Awards under the salsa category.
"Agua Pasada" is a song written by Gil Francisco and performed by American salsa singer Frankie Negrón on his second studio album No Me Compares (1998). It was released as the lead single from the album. It became his third number one on the Tropical Airplay chart. On the review of the album, the Newsday critic Richard cited "Agua Pasada" and the title track where George and Negrón "deliver the salsa goods". John Lannert of Billboard called it a "sizzling leadoff single". "Agua Pasada" was nominated in the category of Tropical Song of the Year at the 11th Annual Lo Nuestro Awards, but lost to "Suavemente" by Elvis Crespo. It was acknowledged as an award-winning song at the 2000 BMI Latin Awards.
"Píntame" is a song by Puerto Rican American singer Elvis Crespo from his 1999 second studio album of the same name. The song was written by Crespo with Luis Angel Cruz and Robert Cora handling its productions. It is a merengue song in which Crespo asks an artist to materialize his lover by painting her. The song was met with positive reactions from three music critics who found the song to be catchy. An accompanying music video for the single features Crespo dancing with other performers in a white background.
"Por Mujeres Como Tú" is a song by Mexican singer Pepe Aguilar from his 1998 studio album of the same name. The song won Billboard Latin Music Award for Hot Latin Song of the Year and was nominated in the category of Regional Mexican Hot Latin Track of the Year. It also won the Lo Nuestro Award for Regional Mexican Song of the Year in 1999. In addition, the track was recognized as song of the year on the Regional Mexican field at the ASCAP Latin Awards. In 1999, Puerto Rican salsa singer Tito Rojas covered "Por Mujeres Como Tú" on his studio album, Alegrías y Penas. Rojas' version peaked at #1 on the Tropical Airplay, his second and final #1 before his death. Rojas' cover was nominated in the category Tropical Song of the Year at the 2000 Lo Nuestro Awards, but lost to "Píntame" by Elvis Crespo. It was recognized as one of the best-performing songs of the year at the ASCAP Latin Awards under the salsa category in 2000.
↑ Salaverri, Fernando (1999). Sólo éxitos. Año a año. 1959–2002[Only Hits. Year by year. 1959–2002] (in Spanish). Madrid, Spain: Iberautor Promociones Culturales. p.950. ISBN978-84-8048-639-2.
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