Over the years, Wisin y Yandel had become a force of nature in the world of Latin urban music. Critically-acclaimed albums like P’al Mundo and Líderes lent to the duo’s pioneering, cross-genre work. This past year marked the first time fans received Wisin’s and Yandel’s respective solo albums within the same time frame, since the pair’s split in 2013.
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As an avid fan of both artists, it was difficult to decide which album was the superior. While Wisin’s third solo LP Los Vaqueros: El Trilogía spent weeks at the top of the charts, Yandel’s third solo effort Dangerous is his most diverse body of work to date. It served as the tipping point he needed to turn his growing solo career into a successful Latin pop crossover. Both albums are a bang-up job, yet one audibly outshines the other.
Los Vaqueros: La Trilogía
In 2014, Wisin achieved his mainstream crossover goals with his second solo album, El Regreso del Sobreviviente. For his follow-up, Wisin decided to continue the duo’s well-known album series with the third installment, Los Vaqueros: La Trilogía. Wisin invited a mixture of veterans and today’s new favorites like Plan B, J Alvarez, Gocho, Tony Dize and singer Divino. Wisin also teamed up with his old friends Luny Tunes, Haze, Noriega and more, to produce the double-disc compilation.
The lead single from the 23-track project “Nota de Amor,” featuring the legendary Carlos Vives and Puerto Rican icon Daddy Yankee, excels as the most unique-sounding track on the album, while songs like the Ricky Martin-assisted, EDM-inspired “Que Se Sienta El Deseo” and the extensive “La Trilogía (Intro)” featuring Tito “El Bambino,” Arcángel, Baby Rasta, and Farruko keep the party going. Plus, playful tunes like “Traviesa” and “Faldita Esa” will have all the ladies winding and grinding ’til night falls.
Dangerous
Yandel, on the other hand, expands his melodic versatility on, Dangerous. The Puerto Rican crooner switches up his flow to match Future’s Dirty Sprite-inspired verses in “Mi Combo (Spiff TV),” an unlikely and unprecedented collabo. He also brings on artists like Shaggy, Lil Jon and Pitbull to flex his pop appeal and challenges rapper French Montana to “keep up” on their joint track, “Dejáme Explorar.”
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With production from Nesty “La Mente” Maestra and Luny Tunes, Yandel falls back into his reggaeton roots with songs like “Fantasia” and radio hit “Encantadora.” He also recruits De La Ghetto, Nicky Jam, Tego Calderon and Gadiel to add their own sazón to the already-eclectic mix. All in all, Yandel’s album seemingly has the quality sound and mass appeal necessary for the mainstream crossover he deserves. Just ask Jay Z.
The Final Verdict
According to Billboard, Yandel’s third solo album failed to match the overall success of Wisin’s body of work in La Trilogía, which held the No. 1 spot in the Top Latin Album Charts for several consecutive weeks. However, the groundbreaking collaborations on Dangerous coupled with making history on TIDAL and HBO helps catapult Yandel’s budding solo career into the musical stratosphere. While we congratulate Yandel on his crossover progression, Wisin’s third solo album remains an international success. Number don’t lie, right? You be the judge…