The Last (album)

Last updated

The Last
The Last(Aventura Album).jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 9, 2009
Recorded2008–2009
StudioPlatinum Sound Recording, Legacy Recording Studios (New York City, New York); Skylight Recording, Kick Back Productions & Recording Studio, (New Jersey); The Hit Factory (Miami, Florida)
Genre
Length75:26
Label
Producer
Aventura chronology
Kings of Bachata: Sold Out at Madison Square Garden
(2007)
The Last
(2009)
14 + 14
(2011)
Singles from The Last
  1. "Por Un Segundo"
    Released: November 10, 2008
  2. "All Up 2 You"
    Released: April 27, 2009
  3. "Su Veneno"
    Released: June 30, 2009
  4. "Dile Al Amor"
    Released: October 13, 2009
  5. "El Malo"
    Released: March 11, 2010

The Last is the fifth and final studio album by the bachata group Aventura, released on June 9, 2009. In the "Intro" of this album, Anthony "Romeo" Santos states that this could possibly be their last album; his prediction came true in July 2011 when the group publicly confirmed it was breaking up for good.

Contents

The Last became the top selling Latin album of 2009 and 2010. The Last spent 23 weeks at number one in the Latin Billboard chart. The Last debuted at number 5 in the Billboard chart and number 1 in the Latin Billboard chart.

Album information

One of the members of the group, the guitarist Lenny told MTV that the album was recorded in Wyclef's studio, and stated that Wyclef wanted to record a song with them. The song was "Spanish Fly", which features Wyclef Jean and Ludacris. [1]

Rumors were circulating that this album would be the last of the group. In the "Intro" of this album, Anthony Santos states that this could possibly be their last album. However, the group said that this is their last album with their label Premium Latin Music. So there will still be Aventura albums to come in the near future, but however in 2011, that was rebuked after Santos announced that the group is breaking up for good.

Aside from their original Bachata sound, the album also explores new genres for the group. In the song "All Up 2 You", has a Europop dance sound with auto-tune effects. Also the songs "Spanish Fly" has a dance-pop sound. The New York Times called "The Last", Aventura's surest, catchiest record. [2] The group collaborated with reggaeton duo Wisin & Yandel, Akon, Wyclef Jean, and Ludacris.

The album has become thus far the group's best album. The album spawned four hit singles, two which topped the Latin charts, and has been the #1 album for 23 weeks on Billboard Top Latin Albums. At the Premio Lo Nuestro 2010 awards, the album was awarded "Tropical Album of the Year". At the Billboard Latin Music Awards of 2010 in held in San Juan, Puerto Rico Aventura won nine awards including one for Album of the Year for "The Last"

Singles

Main singles

"Por Un Segundo" is the first single release from the album, released November 10, 2008. It became the group's first number 1 on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart. It also peaked at number 1 on both the Latin Rhythm and Tropical Songs Billboard charts.The music video was released in 2009 and features the winner of Cycle 8 of America's Next Top Model , Jaslene Gonzalez.

"All Up 2 You" was released as the second single. The song features R&B artist Akon, and reggaeton duo Wisin & Yandel and a remix with dancehall artist Adrian Banton. It peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart, at number 2 on the Billboard Tropical Songs chart at number 1 on both the Latin Rhythm Songs charts. The music video was released on June 5, 2009.

"Su Veneno" was released as the third single on June 30, 2009. The song was released as a bolero version and a bachata version the following day. It peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart, and at number 1 on the Billboard Tropical Songs chart, lasting 5 weeks on that spot. The music video for the Bachata version was released on July 20, 2009. The music video for the Bolero version was released the next day.

"Dile al Amor" was released as the fourth single on October 13, 2009. It peaked at number at number 2 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. It also peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart, became the group's second number one on that chart. It also peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Tropical Songs chart, lasting 15 weeks on that spot. The music video was released on November 4, 2009.

"El Malo" was released as the fifth single on March 11, 20100. Initially, the song did not reach same success as the previous singles on the Hot Latin Tracks until it was re-released. It peakied at number 5 on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart and at number 1 on the Billboard Tropical Songs charts. The music video was released on June 29, 2010.

Promotional single and other charted songs

"El Desprecio" was released as the promo single and only peaked number 40 on the Billboard Tropical Songs charts. It was featured on the soundtrack for Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony, which is an expansion pack from Grand Theft Auto IV's Episodes from Liberty City.

"La Curita" is a Salsa song. It peaked at number 42 on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart, at number 32 on the Billboard Latin Pop Songs chart, and at number 6 on the Billboard Tropical Songs chart.

Other songs that hit the charts was the song "Tu Jueguito", which peaked at number 27 on the Billboard Latin Pop Songs chart. On the Billboard Tropical Songs charts, the song "Peligro" peaked at number 40, and the song "La Tormenta" peaked at number 32.

Chart performance

The Last debuted at number five in the U.S. Billboard 200 with sales of 47,000 units in its first week. [3] The album also arrived at number-one on the Top Latin Albums chart, where it became their first chart-topper and holding the number one position for 16 non-consecutive weeks on the top Latin charts and becoming the best selling Latin album of 2009 with 246,000 copies sold. [4] It sold over 400,000 copies worldwide. [5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [6]
About.com Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [7]

John Bush of Allmusic gave the album a somewhat positive review. He called the lead single "Por un Segundo" a "straight bachata, rhythmic and sweet" and noted that the crossovers are put on the latter half of the album. [6] Tijana Ilich of About.com praised the vocals of Anthony "Romeo" Santos and the called song "Soy Hombre" the best on the album. On the other hand, she criticized the lack of diversity on the album as "Basically all-bachata album". [7]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Anthony "Romeo" Santos, including where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)TranslationLength
1."Intro" (The Last)  1:24
2."Por Un Segundo" "For One Second"4:15
3."Yo Quisiera Amarla" "I Would Like To Love Her"5:06
4."El Malo" "The Bad Guy"3:58
5."Dile Al Amor" "Tell Love"3:49
6."Su Veneno" "Her Poison"4:18
7."Tu Jueguito" "Your Little Game"3:42
8."Spanish Fly" (featuring Ludacris and Wyclef Jean) Christopher Bridges, Wyclef Jean, Jerry Duplessis  3:57
9."Peligro" "Danger"4:38
10."La Tormenta" "The Storm"4:35
11."El Desprecio" "The Contempt"4:35
12."All Up 2 You" (featuring Akon and Wisin & Yandel) Llandel Veguilla, Juan Luis Morera Luna, Aliaune Thiam, Marcos Masís  3:38
13."Skit"  4:05
14."La Curita" "The Band-Aid"4:21
15."Princesita" Henry Santos Jeter "Little Princess"4:17
16."Su Vida" "Her Life"4:34
17."Soy Hombre" (featuring Arturo Sandoval) "I'm A Man"4:33
18."Gracias" "Thank You"7:33
Total length:1:15:26

Producers

The album was produced mostly by Anthony "Romeo" Santos, Lenny Santos, and Gerry Grimaud, Jr. Other artist and producers were involve in producing the following tracks: [8]

Charts

Sales and certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Mexico (AMPROFON) [31] Platinum80,000^
United States (RIAA) [32] 4× Platinum (Latin)400,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

RegionDateLabel
United StatesJune 9, 2009 [33] Sony International
Canada [34] Strichcode
GermanyJune 12, 2009 [35]
France [36]
United KingdomSeptember 9, 2009 [37] Sony International

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aventura (band)</span> Dominican-American bachata group

Aventura is an American bachata group formed in The Bronx, New York. With the lineup always consisting of the members Romeo Santos, Henry Santos, Lenny Santos, and Max Santos, they are regarded as one of the most influential Latin groups of all time. All of the members are of Dominican descent, although Romeo is also half Puerto Rican on his mother's side. They were the first major bachata act to have originated in the United States instead of the Dominican Republic. The group was integral to the evolution of bachata music and are the pioneers of the modern bachata sound.

<i>We Broke the Rules</i> 2002 studio album by Aventura

We Broke the Rules is the second studio album by the American band Aventura, released on July 2, 2002, by Premium Latin music. On the album, Aventura incorporated elements of pop, hip hop, and R&B into bachata, giving what critics thought was a new flavor to the genre and extending its appeal to those who preferred urban music styles. The album introduces to the mainstream a new style of bachata known as "the New York school", or "urban bachata", characterized by the inclusion of electric guitars instead of acoustic, and lyrics in Spanish and English instead of just Spanish. In addition, the singing style takes after R&B melodies. The album's themes mainly included heartbreak and melancholy, although it also included social themes like in "Amor de Madre", or "Mother's Love", which is a song describing the lifelong struggle of a prostitute and her son.

<i>Love & Hate</i> (Aventura album) 2003 studio album by Aventura

Love & Hate is the third album released by Bachata group Aventura released on November 18, 2003, by Premiun Latin Music. The album's production is based on bachata with elements of Hip Hop and R&B, similar to the bands previous studio albums. It is considered the band's album with the most songs that contains social messages including "Hermanita" and "Papi Dijo".

<i>Gods Project</i> 2005 studio album by Aventura

God's Project is the fourth studio album released by bachata group Aventura. It was released on April 26, 2005, by Premium Latin Music and distributed by Sony Music Latin. The album production was based on bachata with elements of rock, merengue and urban music such as R&B, exploring new sounds with reggaeton with an urban hip-hop Black American flavor. This combination of rhythms was classified by some critics as "neo-bachata". It features guest appearances by Judy Santos, Anthony Santos, Nina Sky and reggaeton artists Tego Calderon and Don Omar.

<i>K.O.B. Live</i> 2006 live album by Aventura

K.O.B. Live is the second live album released by bachata group Aventura by Premiun Latin Music distributed by Sony Music Latin. It was recorded during the promotion concert tour for their fourth studio album God's Project (2005). The tracks were recorded live in 3 United States locations which where New York City, Boston, and Puerto Rico. They also recorded in Dominican Republic and Colombia. It also contains a DVD with videos of the performance at Altos de Chavón in La Romana, Dominican Republic and at the Madison Square Garden theater in New York. In the first, the group played before some 6,000 people, while in the second they made history by becoming the first bachata group to sell all the tickets before the event for that venue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toby Love</span> Bachata musician from The Bronx, NY

Toby Love is an American singer, rapper and songwriter of Puerto Rican descent. Based on The Bronx, New York, he is best known for being a former member of Aventura before pursuing a solo career, mostly known for their 2002 album We Broke the Rules, later performing a style of bachata music that combines traditional and urban singing and production. In 2006, he embarked on a solo career, thus gaining success. His debut single, "Tengo Un Amor", helped him rise to fame in mainstream Latin music. Since then, he became one of the most successful bachata artists of the 2000s and 2010s with hits like "Llorar Lloviendo", "Te Parece Poco", "Lejos", "Vestida De Blanco", among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romeo Santos</span> American singer

Anthony "Romeo" Santos is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer who is best known as the frontman and lead vocalist of the bachata group Aventura. In 2002, the song "Obsesión" was number one in Italy for 16 consecutive weeks. He released several albums with Aventura before the group broke up. Since then, Santos has embarked on a solo career which has created seven number one songs on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart and seventeen number ones on the Tropical Airplay chart. Romeo Santos has sold over 24 million copies making him one of the best-selling Latin artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Malo (song)</span> 2010 single by Aventura , Remix featuring Sensato.

"El Malo" is the fifth single released from Aventura's fifth and final studio album The Last (2009). The single was released on March 11, 2010 and reached #1 on Tropical Airplay. The music video was released on, Jun 29, 2010. A remix was made with Sensato.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Santos</span> Dominican musical artist

Henry Santos Jeter is a Dominican singer, songwriter, and producer. Best known for his tenure as a singer and songwriter in the bachata group Aventura. During his time with the group, he produced, wrote and was the lead singer in the songs "9:15", "Déjà Vu", "Voy Malacostumbrado", and Princesita as well as being the background vocalist in most tracks. He made his debut as a solo artist in 2011. Since then, he has released hit singles like "Poquito A Poquito", "Por Nada", "My Way", "La Vida", among others. Santos has released 5 studio albums and 1 live album. He has been featured in other songs with other artist, including Bad Bunny, Anthony Santos & Pavel Núñez. He is also a dancer, actor and art designer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Promise (Romeo Santos song)</span> 2011 song by Romeo Santos

"Promise" is a song by Romeo Santos, featuring Usher, from Santos' debut studio album Fórmula, Vol. 1 (2011). The track was co-written and produced by Rico Love. It was released as the album's second single in Latin America and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You (Romeo Santos song)</span> 2011 single by Romeo Santos

"You" is the debut solo single by American singer Romeo Santos, released on May 9, 2011 as the lead single from his debut studio album Fórmula, Vol. 1 (2011). Produced by Santos, the track was released in Latin America and the United States.

<i>Formula, Vol. 1</i> 2011 studio album by Romeo Santos

Fórmula, Vol. 1 is the debut studio album by American singer Romeo Santos, released on November 8, 2011, by Sony Music Latin. It is Santos's first album as a solo artist following the break-up of American bachata group Aventura, of which he was the lead singer. The record contains fifteen tracks, most of which were composed by Santos and co-produced with Ivan Chevere. The album experiments with the sound of bachata and other genres including R&B and flamenco. It features several Anglophone and Hispanophone guest artists including Usher, Tomatito, Mario Domm, and Lil Wayne. Recording for the album took place in 2011 at The Castle, Fight Klub, and EMG Studios in New York City. A deluxe edition of the album containing five extra tracks was released exclusively in Walmart retail stores in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tengo Un Amor</span> 2006 single by Toby Love

"Tengo Un Amor" is the debut single by Puerto Rican-American singer and songwriter Toby Love from his self-titled debut studio album. It was released on July 18, 2006 by Sony BMG Norte. A remix version with R.K.M & Ken-Y was also recorded and included on the album. After separating from the bachata group Aventura in 2006, Toby Love set out on his own to record his debut album. The song became a success in the Latin market, reaching number one in the Billboard Latin Rhythm Airplay chart, the top five of both the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks and Billboard Latin Tropical Airplay charts while peaking at number 100 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States.

<i>Bachata Romántica: 1s</i> 2009 compilation album by Various Artist

Bachata Romántica: 1's is a compilation album released by Machete Music on January 27, 2009. The album includes tracks recorded by several artists from the bachata genre, such as Aventura, Ivy Queen, R.K.M. & Ken-Y, Jayco, Watson Brazoban, José Feliciano, Monchy & Alexandra, Frank Reyes, El Chaval de la Bachata, Zacarías Ferreíra, Daniel Monción, Fanny Lu, Toby Love and Xtreme, featuring content dating back to 2004.

<i>Bachata Number 1s, Vol. 3</i> 2010 compilation album by Various Artists

Bachata #1's, Vol. 3 is a compilation album released by Machete Music on March 30, 2010. The album includes tracks recorded by several artists from the bachata genre, such as Aventura, Héctor Acosta, Xtreme, Ivy Queen, Grupo Rush, Andy Andy, Carlos & Alejandra, and Marcy Place. It also features select bachata versions of songs by reggaetón and Latin pop artists including R.K.M & Ken-Y, Alejandro Fernández, Luis Fonsi, and Cristian Castro.

<i>Bachata Number 1s, Vol. 2</i> 2008 compilation album by Various Artist

Bachata #1's, Vol. 2 is a compilation album released by Machete Music. The recording features tracks performed by several artist from the bachata genre, such as Aventura, Xtreme, Toby Love, Óptimo, Monchy & Alexandra, Leny, Domenic Marte, Zacarías Ferreíra, Frank Reyes, Carlos & Alejandra, Joe Veras, Yoskar "El Prabu Sarante", and Alex Bueno. It also features a bachata performed by Latin pop singer Luis Fonsi exclusive to this release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mi Santa</span> 2012 single by Romeo Santos featuring Tomatito

"Mi Santa" is a bachata song by American singer Romeo Santos from his debut studio album Fórmula, Vol. 1 (2011). Produced by Santos, the track was released as the album's third single in Latin America and the United States. It features Spanish guitarist Tomatito. The track was nominated for Collaboration and Tropical Song of the Year at the Premio Lo Nuestro 2013.

"La Diabla" ("She-Devil") is a bachata song by American singer Romeo Santos from his debut studio album Formula, Vol. 1 (2011). Produced by Santos, the track was released as the album's last single in Latin America and the United States. The track was nominated for Tropical Song of the Year at the Premio Lo Nuestro 2013.

<i>Formula, Vol. 2</i> 2014 studio album by Romeo Santos

Fórmula, Vol. 2 is the second studio album by American singer Romeo Santos, released on February 25, 2014, by Sony Music Latin. The album was pushed by the success of its first two anticipation singles, "Propuesta Indecente," and "Odio", featuring Drake, which combined spent seventeen non-consecutive weeks atop the Hot Latin Songs charts and have remained in the top 5 of the chart for 98 of its 100 weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inmortal (Aventura song)</span> 2019 single by Aventura

"Inmortal" is a song recorded by Aventura released as the lead single from Romeo Santos' fourth studio album Utopía. It is the first single for the band since their split in 2011. The single debuted at number 95 on the Billboard Hot 100 and charted in numerous Latin American countries.

References

  1. Gonzalez, Lisa (June 23, 2009). "Aventura Thank Their 'Loyal Fans' For The Last's Top-Five Debut - Music, Celebrity, Artist News". MTV. Retrieved February 27, 2012.
  2. Rosen, Jody (June 7, 2009). "Crossover Dreams of a Bronx Bachatero". The New York Times. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  3. Caulfield, Keith (June 17, 2009). "Black Eyed Peas 'E.N.D.' Up At No. 1 On Billboard 200". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved June 17, 2009.
  4. Inc, Nielsen Business Media (January 9, 2010). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.{{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  5. "Aventura, con todo para ser un Soberano". El Día. February 1, 2010. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  6. 1 2 The Last - Review Allmusic
  7. 1 2 Review: Aventura - The Last About.com
  8. "The Last — Credits". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
  9. "Musicalisimo". musicalisimo.com.ec. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  10. "Discos más vendidos en Latinoamérica".
  11. "Aventura – The Last". MexicanCharts.com. LesCharts.com. June 21, 2009. Archived from the original on November 25, 2010. Retrieved November 5, 2009.
  12. "Swisscharts.com – Aventura – The Last". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  13. "Aventura Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  14. "Aventura Chart History (Top Current Album Sales)". Billboard . Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  15. "Aventura Chart History (Top Latin Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  16. "Aventura Chart History (Tropical Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  17. "|| RecordLand ||". www.recordland.com:80. Archived from the original on April 6, 2010. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  18. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2009". Billboard. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  19. "Top Latin Albums – Year-End 2009". Billboard. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  20. "Tropical Albums – Year-End 2009". Billboard. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  21. "Top Latin Albums – Year-End 2010". Billboard. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  22. "Tropical Albums – Year-End 2010". Billboard. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  23. "Top Latin Albums – Year-End 2011". Billboard. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  24. "Tropical Albums – Year-End 2011". Billboard. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  25. "Top Latin Albums – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  26. "Tropical Albums – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  27. "Top Latin Albums – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  28. "Tropical Albums – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  29. "Top Latin Albums – Year-End 2022". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
  30. "Tropical Albums – Year-End 2022". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
  31. "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas.Type Aventura in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and The Last in the box under the TÍTULO column heading.
  32. "American album certifications – Aventura – The Last". Recording Industry Association of America.
  33. Amazon.com: The Last: Aventura: Music Amazon.com, Inc. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
  34. The Last: Aventura: Amazon.ca: Music Amazon.com, Inc. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
  35. The Last: Aventura: Amazon.de: Musik Amazon.com, Inc. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
  36. Last: Aventura: Amazon.fr: Musique Amazon.com, Inc. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
  37. Last (Dig): Aventura: Amazon.co.uk: Music Amazon.com, Inc. Retrieved January 1, 2011.