Quevedo has returned from his break with what will probably be the next number 1 in Spain: ‘NI BORRACHO’, a total vindication of the Canary Islands. The Canarian artist’s merengue arrives almost a year after ‘Debí Tirar Más Fotos’ and just a week after the celebration of Puerto Rican culture in the Super Bowl. Opportunism or honesty?
A little of both, surely. That Quevedo’s new thing has coincided so strongly with Bad Bunny paying homage to his homeland in front of the whole world is destined to raise some eyebrows, even provoke laziness. The comments calling Quevedo a copycat, profiteer or imitator are going to be there, although this does not affect the musical aspect. Some of these crossed my mind on my first listens to ‘NI BORRACHO’. At the same time, I feel that the Canarian would never deny having felt inspired by what Bad Bunny has done. He has nothing to hide.
Quevedo has never stood out for his originality and the most logical prediction after what happened with the Puerto Rican was that in the coming months dozens of artists would try their luck by highlighting local culture. The same old story: what is initially out of the norm soon becomes a trend. Furthermore, there is the certainty that ‘NI BORRACHO’ is one of the best things Quevedo has done in a long time.
The merengue del canario – a genre chosen to represent the people who emigrated to the Dominican Republic from the islands – is designed as a tribute to the Canary Islands festival, specifically its famous carnivals. This is a total success, because it gives the song a reason for being beyond being a fad and that’s it. The instrumentation, organic and colorful, moves away from the minimalism of the merengues of Rosalía and Karol G, in addition to being totally refreshing within Quevedo’s discography.
The lyrics, on the other hand, are not spectacular. «Who the hell said out there that you don’t go out in the Canary Islands?»… Nobody? In any case, the opposite is said. In the chorus, Quevedo wants to make it clear that the Canary Islands are the best place in the world and that is why he would not move “not even drunk”, but he fails to impress too much by saying that he went “on a trip to Paris” or that he was “in the summer in Miami.” Something that does work well for him is to include all the possible Canarisms in his verses, such as “trabe”, “baifo” or “magua”, which at no time are forced.
Quevedo has been one of the first to follow in Bad Bunny’s footsteps, and he will not be the only one for the rest of the year. If it lacks seasoning, drums and reggaeton, the public will decide.
