Los Extraterrestres (CD - 2007)

Additional personnel: Joseph Almonte (guitars, keyboards); Angel Rodríguez (congas); Felix Marquez (guiro); Felix "El Poeta" Rivera (tambora); Gadiel, Jayko, Don Omar, Eve, Fat Joe, Franco De Vita, Tony Dize.

Through the mid 2000s Puerto Rican duo Wisin & Yandel slowly climbed their way to the top of the reggaeton heap. Riding the momentum of 2005's smash PA'L MUNDO, the pair unleashed a flurry of touring, guest appearances, and remix projects, before dropping LOS EXTRATERRESTRES in 2007. Wisin & Yandel deliver what their fans expect here: hard-driving reggaeton powered by rapid-fire Spanish-language rhymes and top-drawer beats (the duo recruited a bevy of excellent producers for the set). Cameos by Eve and Fat Joe add variety, but it's Wisin & Yandel's reliable, hit-making magic (just check the lead single "Sexy Movimiento") that holds sway.

By the time Wisin & Yandel released Los Extraterrestres, the veteran reggaeton duo was a well-oiled hitmaking machine. It had taken them a half-decade to break into the mainstream with Pa'l Mundo (2005), a chart-topping album that spawned a long string of singles, including the number one hit "Llame Pa' Verte." In the wake of Pa'l Mundo, Wisin & Yandel began leveraging their newfound mass appeal: they established their own boutique label (WY Records), formed their own supporting group (Los Vaqueros), and begun flooding the marketplace with product, including a deluxe edition of Pa'l Mundo (featuring the number one hit "Pam Pam"), a group album (Los Vaqueros), a remix album (Los Vaqueros: Wild Wild Mixes), a live CD/DVD (Tomando Control), and a collection of repackaged archival material (2010 Lost Edition). Plus, they were featured on a Top 20 hit by Don Omar ("No Se de Ella 'My Space'") that was as much their song as his, and for good measure, they struck a deal with Microsoft to market the Zune MP3 player. Given the machine-like productivity of Wisin & Yandel throughout 2006 and 2007, it's no surprise that Los Extraterrestres is workmanlike and well-executed, serving up everything fans will expect, beginning with a sure-fire lead single, "Sexy Movimiento" -- everything except surprises, that is. At a point in time when fellow reggaeton figureheads such as Daddy Yankee, Tego Calderón, and Calle 13 were pushing the boundaries of the style in their own respective ways, Wisin & Yandel chose to return with a safe album that should do nothing to alienate their fan base. This is good news for those who enjoy state-of-the-art reggaeton without any experimentation, for even the two songs that feature English-language rap artists ("Control," featuring Eve; "Jangueo," Fat Joe) are stylistically straightforward. Moreover, the employment of first-rate producers Nesty, Tainy, El Nasi, and Monserrate and DJ Urba in the place of Wisin & Yandel's former beatmakers-in-chief, Luny Tunes, ensures the quality of the music. Couple this with the veteran approach of Wisin & Yandel, who bring their A-game here, and the result is a new-yet-familiar album sure to please the duo's fan base, and likely grow it as well as the hits mount. ~ Jason Birchmeier minimize