Viva Tu

Last updated

Viva Tu
VivaTu.jpeg
Studio album by
Released20 September 2024
Length38:19
Language
  • English
  • French
  • Portuguese
  • Spanish
Label Because
Producer Manu Chao
Manu Chao chronology
Baionarena
(2008)
Viva Tu
(2024)
Singles from Viva Tu
  1. "Viva Tu"
    Released: 29 May 2024 [1]
  2. "São Paulo Motoboy"
    Released: 26 June 2024 [2]
  3. "Tu Te Vas"
    Released: 28 August 2024 [3]

Viva Tu is the fifth studio album by the French-Spanish singer Manu Chao, released on 20 September 2024 through Because Music. It was Chao's first studio release since 2007's La Radiolina seventeen years prior, as he opted to collaborate with other artists. Produced entirely by Chao, the album features guest appearances from Willie Nelson and Laeti.

Contents

Background

After the release of his 2007 album La Radiolina, Manu Chao seemingly disappeared from the public eye, leading many to believe he had gone on hiatus. [1] [4] However, he hardly remained inactive at all. [4] Instead, Chao chose to embrace a simpler, more introspective lifestyle. [1] He traveled with a small group of friends, adopting a minimalist approach to life, focusing on the essentials and maintaining a "pure heart" free of pretension. [1] He also collaborated with various artists, contributing to projects with Bomba Estéreo, Rumbakana, Charlart58, Carlangas, Dani Lança, and Calypso Rose, among others. [4] It wasn't until Chao decided to release "Viva Tu" as a single on 29 May 2024, with no prior announcement, ultimately breaking the silence. [1]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 81/100 [5]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Financial Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]
PopMatters 8/10 [9]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Uncut Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [11]

Viva Tu was met with widespread acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 81, based on 5 reviews.

The critical reception of Manu Chao's Viva Tu highlights both its strengths and its limitations. David Honigmann of the Financial Times notes that while the album is "a more original set than La Radiolina ," it still suffers from the "recycling" of familiar ideas, suggesting a lack of newness compared to Chao's earlier works. [7] Similarly, Mariano Prunes of AllMusic acknowledges that the album sticks to the same formula, but praises its "warm and engaging" songs that sound "positively inspired and refreshing," offering a welcome return for Chao. [6] Luis Aguisvivas from PopMatters sees the album as an "art of feeling," highlighting the emotional depth of its "simplistic composition," which he feels is its strongest suit. [9] Meanwhile, Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone offered a more mixed view, calling it "a satisfying continuation of his artistic journey," but noting that it lacks the same impact and excitement as Clandestino and Próxima Estación: Esperanza though "has a little more of a singer-songwriter quality than its predecessors." [10]

Track listing

All music is composed by Manu Chao except where noted

Viva Tu track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Vecinos En El Mar" 2:37
2."La Couleur du Temps" 2:08
3."River Why" 3:16
4."Viva Tu" 3:08
5."Heaven's Bad Day" (featuring Willie Nelson)Willie Nelson2:05
6."Tu Te Vas" (featuring Laeti)Laetitia Kerfa3:25
7."Coraçao No Mar" 2:37
8."Cuatro Calles" 4:20
9."La Colilla" 2:34
10."São Paulo Motoboy" 2:28
11."Tom et Lola" 2:44
12."Lonely Night" 2:34
13."Tantas Tierras" 4:23
Total length:38:19

Charts

Chart performance for Viva Tu
Chart (2024)Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [12] 5
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [13] 36
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [14] 8
French Albums (SNEP) [15] 4
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [16] 29
Italian Albums (FIMI) [17] 54
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [18] 100
Portuguese Albums (AFP) [19] 36
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [20] 22
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [21] 6

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References

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  2. Raygoza, Isabela (26 June 2024). "Manu Chao Announces Solo Album 'Viva Tu' With Single 'São Paulo Motoboy'". Billboard . Archived from the original on 3 July 2024. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  3. Siroky, Mary (28 August 2024). "Manu Chao Recruits Laeti for New Single "Tu Te Vas": Stream". Consequence . Archived from the original on 5 September 2024. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 Garcia, Thania (26 June 2024). "Manu Chao to Release First Album in 17 Years, 'Viva Tu'". Variety . Archived from the original on 27 June 2024. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  5. "Viva Tu Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 7 November 2024. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  6. 1 2 Prunes, Mariano. "Viva Tu – Manu Chao". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 7 November 2024. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  7. 1 2 Honigmann, David (18 September 2024). "Viva Tu album review — Manu Chao returns with first album in 17 years". Financial Times . Archived from the original on 7 October 2024. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  8. "Mojo 372 – November 2024: David Gilmour". Mojo . November 2024. p. 85.
  9. 1 2 Aguasvivas, Luis (25 September 2024). "Manu Chao Returns After 17 Years". PopMatters . Archived from the original on 6 October 2024. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  10. 1 2 Dolan, Jon (23 November 2024). "Many Chao's Joyful Revolution Gets A New Chapter With 'Viva Tu'". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 7 October 2024. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  11. "Uncut – October 2024". Uncut . November 2024. p. 35.
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