You may know Bad Bunny from the Shellphone Corona commercial with Snoop Dogg, or the smash collab hit Te Boté, or maybe his dragged inspired Yo perreo sola video. His rise may seem sudden but his work ethic shows that he is in it to make a gigantic impact on the music scene.This is an artist that has released three albums in one calendar year and has elevated to super stardom in such a short amount of time. His signature sound has always been latin trap and new wave reggaeton. With his latest effort, El Último Tour del Mundo, Bad Bunny takes a different direction and brings a unique change to his creative work.

With his new album, El Último Tour Del Mundo, Bad Bunny once again surprises us and released this new foray with little to no promotion. The theme of the album plays out as the last tour of the world before the end of times. In many of Bad Bunny’s interviews he waxes about this album being one with more feeling, more emotion, darker, and one that shows a different side of himself. It may be the final expression of himself before his time is up and if his time is up he won’t go quietly. Gone are the turn up perreo sounds that dominated his art just a few months prior on YHLQMDLG.

TE DESEO LO MEJOR, TE MUDASTE, and HACIENDO QUE ME AMAS hit all the feels. These tracks are laced with sensual heartbreak and some have a more alternative/rock influence. Te Deseo lo Mejor is a track of knowing your wrongdoing in a relationship and acknowledging your imperfection, but bidding the other person good luck regardless. There are bits of arrogance and pride within all three tracks that make for great additions to his already nuanced catalog. The album plays like great stadium music and I can imagine that Bad Bunny sees himself performing some of these live as we turn to a new year and the possibility of an end to the covid pandemic. 

If the world is ending, as it sometimes feels these days, Bad Bunny wont go without some trap bangers in his playlist. HOY COBRE is a more typical latin trap track that grabs a hold of you and doesn’t let go for its brief 2 mins and 42 seconds. It’s about making money and spending it fast. BOOKER T is a nice braggadocious anthem in honor of the 5 time WCW Champion Booker T. The lyrics and flow Bad Bunny comes with on this one are as tough as nails.

This is an effort that might miss with some audiences, but may bring new ones and please his core fanbase. There aren’t groundbreaking tactics being used here but the genre bending is something Bad Bunny uniquely does better than most of his contemporaries like Anuel AA, J. Balvin, Ozuna, or Sech. SORRY PAPI feat ABRA is a pop track and TRELLAS is a minimal alternative song. YO VISTO ASI is Nirvana like and has the grunge feel of the early 90’s. ANTES QUE SE ACABA is a latin EDM track that would be a perfect close out track to a long festival night. MALDITA POBREZA is a spanish rock track that speaks of the shittyness of being poor and not being able to afford a Ferrari for his girl.

YO VISTO ASI is a standout track for me. Its anthem of letting people know you dress however you want and anyone’s opinion on how you dress doesn’t matter. In his Youtube interview with Chente Ydrach, el conejo malo talks about being able to create music and have people feel some type of emotion is one of his main goals. While he’s expressing himself and being true to his genuine character, no matter the feedback, it’s worth it to express yourself. This is at the core of what makes me a fan. It is relatable when you are creative without limitation. Making creative works is an extremely vulnerable place to be. An artist like Bad Bunny is an example of what work ethic and genuine creative expression can take you.

This is an album that is more alternative and less latin trap. It is more experimental than his past 2 efforts but is done in an entertaining way. It is a welcome change and shows the evolution of an artist that is really in a creative zone. No album is perfect and there were in my opinion 2 or 3 tracks too many on the album as a whole. Listen for yourself and share what you thought! Check out, El Ultimo Tour del Mundo streaming now on all platforms.

One of the most anticipated exhibits at the Art Institute of Chicago this year was “Andy Warhol: From A to B and back again” When I caught wind that the exhibit would be coming to Chicago. I had to return to one of my favorite places in the windy city, the Art Institute. You often hear of the art icons Basquait, Haring, Picasso, and Warhol in popular culture. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing some of the works of these icons before but I had not seen much of Andy Warhol in particular. With over 400 of his personal works on display it was a no brainer for me. I had to visit. By the end of the exhibit, I was shown the true brilliance of the man and why he is so highly regarded. Let me give you a glimpse of this master at work.

I turned the corner to Michigan avenue to behold the famous lions guarding the entrance to the building. Stretched extensively down the block a line to get in had formed and had me worried. Luckily, I preordered my tickets and did not have to wait outside. I noticed many in line were excited to be there and to view the exhibit. Much to my dismay, there was a secondary line formed inside the massive museum hall specifically for this exhibit. At this point I realized I had not been to anything like this before. It was very exciting. Definitely a different way to take in visual art!

I had finally made it. Upon entering the gallery one could see some of Warhol’s signature styles immediately. The wall was covered with celebrity photos, cow wallpaper, and at the far end you could see the famous portrait of Mao. The exhibit takes a look back at the periods of Warhol’s artistic works. Works included everything from film, drawings, sculpture, prints, and installations that show the true range of this innovator.

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The 60s is where you really start to see Warhol’s use of commercial products and logosbeing used. The classic Coke bottles were what first drew my attention but as I walked further into this timeframe the Superman 1961 painting was one that really stood out to me. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to take any photos or video of this one but you can’t say people didn’t try. The use of comic books and one of America’s most iconic superheroes had me amazed and excited for what was still in store.

It was interesting to see some of Andy’s self-portraits. I always find it fascinating to see how an artist sees himself/herself over their lives. Throughout the many years that image changes much like the passing time. Andy’s self portraits are no exception. The wealth of color with each passing portrait is what stands out in the works and I quite enjoyed it.

Besides the many pop culture references and the commercial logos widely used in his works, Warhol is known for celebrity. His infatuation with celebrities from all walks of life is widely known and it was a joy to see some of the many art works created from their likenesses. Being able to see prints of Warhol’s peers like Marilyn Monroe, Muhammad Ali, and Liza Minnelli was great. Each image had a certain intimacy to it that gave me an opportunity to see these celebrities in a different light.

Andy was a celebrity and icon in his time. He chose to indulge and immerse himself in the life of celebrity and I believe that gave an interesting edge to his work. He didn’t choose to be the reclusive artist and I think we all benefit from that.

Art is often influenced by one’s environment. Some of Andy’s later 70s and 80s work began to reflect the tumultuous time. A grieving Jackie Kennedy, a gun, electric chairs, photos of a gruesome car crash and skulls were the focus of Andy’s Death and Disaster phase. These images were certainly powerful and show not the beauty of life but the realness and darkness that is part of life. As I moved to the end of the exhibit, you see his artwork become more cerebral and abstract. I originally was introduced to Andy Warhol through the artwork of Jean-Michel Basquiat so it was a treat to see their collaborative work on display as well. Paramount and Third Eye show two icons embracing each other’s signature style and is a wonder to see.

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Andy Warhol was and is an influential artist in Pop Art but his reach goes beyond that. My visit to the Andy Warhol exhibit showed me the true brilliance of the man and why he is so highly regarded. You can see the influence and intrigue of his work through the excitement and gathering of the masses just to get a glimpse of his work. The range, experimentation, collaboration, and true uniqueness of his art is second to none. It was a pleasure and inspiration to see an artistic icon’s work in this way, further cementing his place in history for a new generation.

Fore Information visit: https://www.artic.edu/exhibitions/2937/andy-warhol-from-a-to-b-and-back-again

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 2019 Grammys came and went and on one of music’s biggest nights the stars were out in full force. The Grammys are known for more daring fashion choices and this year artist did not disappoint. Here are my fashion standouts for the night!

 

I am back with another Fresh Press Playlist! This week’s playlist focuses on the Summer’s Hottest Songs. This year has seen a tremendous amount of music being dropped. A$AP Rocky, Drake, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, and Travis Scott all released new albums this summer. The summer of 2018 and more importantly the overall year of 2018 will go down as a special time for music. Early releases from Migos, Kendrick Lamar, Post Malone and many others set the tone for the year.

Below are the songs I feel that made an impact on the radio waves and within the Chicago party scene all summer long. I ran a few polls, asking what was the song of the summer, just to get a feel for what people were listening to. Cardi B-I like it ran away with the poll numbers and accounted for 56% of the vote. Drake- In My Feelings came in 2nd with 30% of the vote. Calvin Harris’ One Kiss and Post Malone’s Psycho made up the other 14%.

What was your song of the summer? Did I miss one? Comment below and enjoy the music!

I feel like I couldn’t go anywhere without someone asking me to play some Post Malone. Beer bongs and Bentleys has so many hits that were constantly on music playlist all summer long. This one is a personal favorite of mine from the album. It is amazing to see how big a fan base Post Malone has gained in such a short amount of time since White Iverson.

Lil Baby a new trap star gets help from Lil Uzi and Gunna.

It’s hard to pick from the two tracks released by Childish Gambino earlier this summer, but this one reflects the perfect summer love story. The bounce and vibe are all correct here for any summer activity!

Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa come together to make the greatest pool party jam ever!

A new queen takes over the summer air-waves.

Drake with his many hits off of Scorpion. It was hard to go anywhere without hearing this tune. The video and the Lauryn Hill sample are just right!

This is the song of the summer that you didn’t even know was the song of the summer.

Keke do you love this Playlist?

It’s been some time since my last Fresh Press Playlist but fear not because I am back to bring you the music you’ve been missing! This playlist is a preview of my upcoming podcast and features a Latin flavor on all tracks. I wanted to focus on music that is outside of my specific preference.

I am a Latino born to Mexican and Guatemalan parents. Music was always such a major part of every day life. At parties or on holidays there is guaranteed to be music playing. Growing up I never paid much attention to the artist or lyrics I just enjoyed listening. Now as I get older and look to expand my musical catalog and push my music taste, I go back and search artist and classic tunes. Lately I have been diving deep into cumbia and salsa.

Latin music is having a major influence on the current radio waves. Artist like Bad Bunny, J. Balvin, Ozuna, and Maluma are having an impact on pop culture and within the club scene. So my focus was to highlight these new emerging artist and include some of the classics that influenced these newer artist.

Enjoy the playlist and come back soon for my two Upcoming podcast.

 

 

Many of you might know J. Balvin from the hit Mi Gente. His album Vibras has so much energy and is packed with hits. Cuando Tu Quieras follows another banger Ambiente. The album tracklist was well organized and adds to the cohesiveness of the album. Check out Vibras for more J. Balvin.

I found this gem on Soulection Radio. Joe Kay always dropping the fire. No more words necessary. Press Play

This video always puts me in A good mood. Los Angeles Azules perform this classic with full orchestra and we are blessed by the amazing vocals from Ximena Sarinana. Cumbia classic!

Being a creative you always seem to go back to the drawing board to edit. The final product sometimes is totally different from when you start or could have minor edits. I had already finalized all tracks for the podcast until………I seen this video. Visually stunning!

JUST PLAY PODCAST EPISODE 8: OUT NOW ON MIXCLOUD

 

-Manny P