Over the last year or so, I have been trying to find Latin artists who venture away from Reggaeton and Latin Trap music. I feel like as an American, the only Latin music I am exposed to are artists in those genres, but I know there are so many great artists out there who go against that style. A Latin artist I came across recently who certainly has their own sound and style is ELENA ROSE. Instead of going with the more traditional Reggaeton sound that most would expect, she expands her horizons into Funk, Pop, and various forms of Rock to create music that stands out. ELENA ROSE has been gaining a lot of traction recently due to some awesome features on the tracks of some of her peers over the last couple of years. Particularly, she has gotten love for her contribution to Boza’s ‘Orion,’ Mora’s ‘PLAYA PRIVADA,’ and Young Miko’s ‘no quiero pelear,’ which is where I was first introduced to her. ELENA ROSE has also had a bit of viral success this year in her own right, as her singles ‘CARACAS EN EL 2000’ and ‘Me Lo Merezco’ have had a high amount of success over the last year or so. Up until this point, ELENA ROSE has focused on dropping singles and doing these awesome features. She has released a plethora of singles over the last several years, but up until now, has never put out a full project. This changed last week with the release of ELENA ROSE’s debut EP En Las Nubes – Con Mis Panas. This EP has been highly anticipated, as ELENA ROSE has impressed in recent history in a way that has made her one to watch. With that being said, here is how I feel about ELENA ROSE’s En Las Nubes – Con Mis Panas. Please let me know in the comments below what your favorite songs are from this EP, and also comment on how you feel about this EP as a whole!
‘Qué Es Estar Enamorado’ gets the EP going on a very soft and sweet note. To be honest, based on the singles and features I have heard from her, I did not expect this kind of track at all, but I do really enjoy it. ‘Qué Es Estar Enamorado’ has a soothing sound. The melody is driven by a cozy and sweet guitar riff with an island feeling to it. This melody reminds me of something one would play on a beach around a campfire. This melody is put on top of a light and soft beat; this beat gives the track a bit of texture but does not overshadow the melody in any way. ELENA ROSE’s vocals on this track are so lovely. The warmth in her vocals is palpable, and she sings with a level of emotion that stands out in the best way. On ‘Qué Es Estar Enamorado,’ ELENA ROSE sings about falling in love, giving various metaphors for how she feels when she is head over heels. ‘Otro Huevón’ has a somewhat similar tone to the previous track, but feels a bit more funky and spritely. The tone of the melody does not differ too much from the opener. There is a groovy element to this one that is driven by an underlying bassline and piano riff that drives this one, but the overall feeling of the melody for ‘Otro Huevón’ does sound a lot like the one on the opener. The beat for this track is a bit more pronounced. If the first track on the EP is one that will make you bop your head, this is one that will make you move your hips a bit. Once again, ELENA ROSE’s vocals on this track are great. Her vocals on ‘Otro Huevón’ are so clear and luscious, and her flow gives the song a bit of attitude that makes it stand out. On ‘Otro Huevón,’ ELENA ROSE sings about drinking the night away because she keeps getting hurt. She keeps getting screwed over by her partners and has to do a better job at finding love. ELENA ROSE turns up the energy a considerable amount on ‘Catira,’ which features Neutro Shorty. This song takes on a sonic theme that we have been seeing a lot over the last year or so. It is a Latin Pop/Jersey Club music fusion. The basis of this track definitely leans into the Jersey Club sound initially revived by Lil Uzi Vert and Nicki Minaj and frequently used by Bad Bunny lately. This beat will get anyone out of their seat, as it is impossible to not want to dance to this one. The melody for ‘Catira’ is very soft and lovely, driven by an angelic piano riff complemented by some even sweeter synths. ELENA ROSE’s vocals on this song are nice, but I especially have to shout out the contribution of Neutro Shorty. His quick flow gives the song texture, and the high notes he hits give it life. On ‘Catira,’ ELENA ROSE and Neutro Shorty sing about a girl(with ELENA probably referring to herself, and Neutro Shorty referring to a potential partner) who focuses on improving their own life and getting their money up rather than trying to find love. ‘Atlántico,’ which features Alvaro Diaz, is another energetic track with a sound that stands out but leans into trends that are big in Pop right now. When I hear this one, I immediately think of the 1990s. The beat for this one has a Boom-Bap tempo to it which I dig a ton. Like the song before, it is impossible to not want to dance to this one. As I sit here writing, I literally want to get up and move around my apartment. This song has the most full instrumental out of anything on the record so far. Everything about this instrumental is intricate. The beat has so much texture and feels pretty complex, and the melody is so full. This melody is driven by a very pleasant guitar riff, but it is complemented by a plethora of synths, sound effects, and other instruments(like bass guitar and piano). The vocals on ‘Atlántico’ are great. ELENA ROSE shows off her range on this track in a manner that makes the song so bright and vibrant. Alvaro Diaz delivers a pretty low and gruff rap verse that provides a bit of harshness to the song that stands out nicely. On ‘Atlántico,’ ELENA ROSE and Alvaro Diaz talk about falling in love and trying to resist it. They realize how great things seem to be going, but are reluctant to fully dive into this new relationship.
‘Guatapé,’ which features Greeicy, is another song with a very soft and sweet Acoustic Pop-Rock sound. The energy of this one somewhat reminds me of the opening track from the EP. The melody is driven by a sole guitar riff with a very balmy tone that is complemented by a secondary guitar that comes in and out. There is something about this melody that makes me think of Country Pop music. There is a certain twang to this one that makes me think of early 2000s Country. Admittedly, I am normally not super into that sound, but in this case, I think it works well; this is especially because of the tone of the vocals. The harmonies that ELENA ROSE and Greeicy perform on this song are so full and pretty. I really like how their voices mesh in ‘Guatapé,’ as they give it a level of emotion that makes it feel so luscious. On ‘Guatapé,’ ELENA ROSE and Greeicy reminisce on a former relationship, missing the comfort that this person provided for them. ‘En Carne Viva,’ which features Scarlett Linares, is by far the most adventurous and quirky song of the album. ‘En Carne Viva’ is an eccentric and bold traditional Salsa track. It is driven by a dark, energetic, punchy guitar riff. This guitar riff is a super theatrical sound and makes the song feel larger than life. I went into this record with presumption, but it was still impossible to know this kind of thing was in ELENA ROSE’s bag, as it is pretty uncommon these days. I like that ELENA ROSE went in this direction, because not only does it give the record a burst of energy, but it shows a different, more outlandish side to her artistry. The vocals on ‘En Carne Viva’ are excellent. Both ELENA ROSE and Scarlett Linares sing with an emphasis that gives the track a ton of texture. They both strain their vocals in a way that makes the song feel larger than life. On ‘En Carne Viva,’ ELENA ROSE and Scarlett Linares call out an ex for not putting in the amount of effort they deserved to receive in the relationship. ELENA ROSE closes out the EP with the aforementioned single ‘Me Lo Merezco.’ The first thing that came to my head when initially listening to this one is: “Man, this sounds like a particular kind of 1990s Adult Contemporary Pop.” It turns out this track is an interpolation of one of the most popular songs in that genre, ‘I Don’t Wanna Wait’ by the Paula Cole band. Not only does the melody follow the sound of that song, but the hook of that iconic track is even incorporated into this one. ‘Me Lo Merezco’ sounds like an island version of the song it is interpolating. The instrumental is a bit more floaty. The tone of the guitar on this track is super light compared to the original, and the synths that complement it are so floaty. ELENA ROSE’s vocals on the original version of ‘Me Lo Merezco’ are nice, but they do not hold a candle to her vocals on the acoustic version. On the acoustic version of ‘Me Lo Merezco,’ she flexes her range in a way that gives the song so much emphasis. ‘Me Lo Merezco’ feels so much more powerful in the acoustic version, as she takes the emotion of the track over the track. On ‘Me Lo Merezco,’ ELENA ROSE sings about accepting her life the way it is and taking things as they go. She knows that if she keeps moving on and improving herself, everything will work out in the end.
Going into En Las Nubes – Con Mis Panas I did not have a ton of expectations. All ll I knew about ELENA ROSE was through the features I had heard from and the couple of singles I had heard from her in passing. I knew that her music was not centered on Reggaeton, which attracted me to it because I wanted to hear something new. I have to say, this project is pretty awesome. ELENA ROSE shows her massive talent in many ways on En Las Nubes – Con Mis Panas. For one, this EP is super eclectic. Although the sonic themes do not stray too far away from each other, she shows off diversity and eclecticism on this project which is so cool. There is something for a lot of different kinds of music listeners on this EP, which makes it stand out. ELENA ROSE provides a sense of nostalgia with her music but still creates something that is fresh and unique. Throughout the project, ELENA ROSE shows off her pretty huge vocal talent. She hits notes on multiple songs that give them so much texture and life, and she sings with a variety of tones that make these songs pop. Overall, En Las Nubes – Con Mis Pants proves that ELENA ROSE is an exciting and individualistic artist that needs to be paid attention to. En Las Nubes – Con Mis Panas is full of quality, and it makes me excited to see what she does next!
EAST SIDE VIBES 