Literal
Studio album by
Juan Luis Guerra
Released31 May 2019 (2019-05-31)
Recorded2018–2019
StudioAbbey Road Studio 2
London, United Kingdom
JLG Studios
(Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic)
Genre
Length34:22
LabelUniversal Music Latin
ProducerJuan Luis Guerra
Juan Luis Guerra chronology
Todo Tiene Su Hora
(2014)		 Literal
(2019)		 Privé
(2020)
Singles from Literal
  1. "Kitipun"
    Released: 5 April 2019
  2. "Corazón Enamorado"
    Released: 26 April 2019
  3. "I Love You More"
    Released: 10 May 2019
  4. "Lámpara Pa' Mis Pies"
    Released: 30 August 2019

Literal is the 14th studio album (16th overall) by Dominican singer, songwriter and producer Juan Luis Guerra. It was released on 31 May 2019 by Universal Music Latin.[1][2][3] Written and produced by Juan Luis Guerra, the album contains eleven tracks and encompasses a variety of tropical genres, such as 'Bachata, Merengue, Salsa and Son along with influences from Jazz, Gospel, Rock and Dominican Folklore music. The album was co-produced by Guerra's longtime collaboration and musical director Janina Rosado. It has lyrics about romance, love, nostalgia, moving on and protest against corruption.

Recorded between Abbey Road Studios in London, United Kingdom and Guerra's own studio in studio in Santo Domingo, Literal provides musical interpolations along with retro and modern sounds. In much the same way that his 1994 album, Fogaraté includes a Bachata Adaptation of the Lacrimosa movement from Mozart's Requiem Mass in D Minor and "I Love You More" which interpolates sections from, or is otherwise influenced by, Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2.

Literal was one of Latin Music's most awarded and critically-praised Tropical releases of 2019. It won Best Contemporany Tropical/Tropical Fusion Album and Best Tropical Song at the 20th Annual Latin Grammy Awards on November 14, 2019.[4] Also, it was for nomintated for Best Tropical Latin Album at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. The album was supported with the released of four singles: Kitipun, Corazon Enamorado, I Love You More and Lámpara Pa' mis pies. Literal debuted at the Top 20 of the albums charts in Spain and Argentina and Tropical in the United States. To promote the album, Guerra went on the Literal Grandes Exitos Tour.

Background

On March 19, 2019, Juan Luis Guerra performed at the closing performance of the Tenerife Carnival. The concert had a record attendance of 400,000 people, breaking the record of the highest attendance at the carnaval previously held by Celia Cruz with 240,000 in 1987.[5] On March 23, 2019, Guerra posted on Instagram the cover of the new single and the release day. The track was premiered with a music video directed by Taba Blanchard and a dance challenge.[6] On April 23, 2019, Guerra announced his next tour as Literal Grandes Exitos Tour.[7]

On April 25, 2019, Guerra received a Lifetime Achievement Awards following a tribute at the 2019 Billboard Latin Music Awards. Shortly before the ceremony, the title of the album was released to the press.[8][9] On May 2, 2019, the cover and release day were given to the press.[10] Latter, the artist explain that he came up with the title because his daughter used that word for almost everything.[11]

Recording, musical style, and composition

Recording sessions for Literal took one year between 2018 and 2019. One of the studios used to record the album was the Abbey Road Studio in London. It has the composition, musicalization, arrangements and production of Juan Luis Guerra and the co-production of Janina Rosado.[12]

The first musical cut of this album, "Kitipun", was released on April 5. It is a romantic bachata with innovative sound. "Lampara Pa` Mis Pies", is tropical carnival dance music (and a love song to Guerra's wife and with references to Christianity), a merengue with group-chanted choruses that touch on South African township jive and Nigerian highlife.[13]"Cantando Bachata" flirts with '60s rock and '80s funk in its backbeat as slippery, infectious bachata rhythms embrace them both amid gorgeous stacked vocal harmonies and swinging R&B horns. The following track "Ma Pa Lante Vive Gente" is an old school salsa number. "I Love You More" is a celebratory merengue that interpolates Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2.

"Corazon Enamorado" is a romantic Bachata with typical Guerra sound. "Son a Mamá" with its muted mariachi trumpet, decoratively charted horns, passionately chanted choral vocals, and bubbling bongos, congas, and timbales. "Esto No Tiene Madre" is percussive trova-rock social cut with references to social injustices. "Me Preguntas" is a ballad melding bachata and bolero. "El Primer Baile" is worthy of its translation as "the first dance." Its structure is panoramic: It melds jazz, bachata, pop, and smooth Latin soul along with retro merengue sound. "Merengue de Cuna" is a track dedicated to his older son, Jean Guerra.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[14]
Rolling Stone(Positive)[15]
Billboard(Positive)[16]

Literal was one of Latin Music's most awarded & Critically-Praised Tropical releases of 2019 cited at the top 10 or best Latin albums of 2019.[17] AllMusic gave the album four of five stars and wrote "Bears the hallmarks of Guerra's sophisticated artistry, but rendered with abundant tenderness, intimacy, and joy …Literal is Brilliant…an unabashedly romantic yet poetically poignant record."[13]

Isabelia Herrera from Rolling Stone gave a positive review to the album titled "Bachata Legend Juan Luis Guerra Fights Nostalgia on New Album, ‘Literal’".[18] On the review she stated "The Bachata Legend who revolutionized the genre…continues to experiment on his new LP — but he's still endearingly himself - It's in the little details that Literal shines brightest."

Judy Cantor-Navar from Billboard gave a positive review to the album and wrote "From the godfather of contemporary tropical music... a life-loving, set whose arrangements are an instant pick-me-up, a mood-enhancing answer to today's global blues"[19] in a more complete review about guerra life achievement award, Houston Press wrote "simply one of the most dynamic, emotional, and complete musicians in all of the Americas, ever…a true music genius".[20]

Commercial performance

In the United States, Literal debuted at number 31 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums and number seven Billboard Tropical Albums on the week of June 15, 2019 selling over 2,000 units.[21]Literal was Guerra's 17th straight top 10 at the Tropical Charts, debut dating back to La Bilirubina, which opened at No. 2 on the June 30, 1990-dated list. Also, Literal’s was driven mostly by album sales, which sparks up the set's start at No. 3 on the Latin Albums Sales chart.It debut a number 15 in Argentina retail albums charts according to Prensario and number 17 at the Spanish Albums Charts.[22]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Juan Luis Guerra

No.TitleLength
1."Kitipun"3:35
2."Lampara Pa' Mis Pies"3:00
3."Cantando Bachata"2:59
4."Ma' Pa' Lante Vive Gente"3:19
5."I Love You More"3:16
6."Corazon Enamorado"3:09
7."Son A Mama"3:04
8."No Tiene Madre"3:23
9."Me Preguntas"3:03
10."El Primer Baile"3:31
11."Merengue de Cuna"2:03
Total length:34:22

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2019) Peak
position
Argetinan Albums (Prensario)[23] 15
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[24] 17
US Top Latin Albums (Billboard)[25] 31
US Tropical Albums (Billboard)[26] 7

Year-end charts

Chart (2019) Position
US Top Latin Albums (Billboard)[27] 99

References

  1. ↑ Diario, El Nuevo. "El Nuevo Diario". El Nuevo Diario (in Spanish). Retrieved 2019-05-03.
  2. ↑ "Juan Luis Guerra anuncia fecha de lanzamiento de su próximo álbum 'Literal'". Ritmo Romántica (in Spanish). Retrieved 2019-05-03.
  3. ↑ "El dominicano Juan Luis Guerra regresa a los escenarios de EEUU". Los Angeles Times en Español (in Spanish). 2021-11-12. Retrieved 2022-07-26.
  4. ↑ "Juan Luis Guerra se llevó dos Latin Grammy en la 20 edición". Acento (in Spanish). 2019-11-15. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
  5. ↑ Libre, Diario. "Juan Luis Guerra colapsa Tenerife en el cierre de Carnaval". Diario Libre (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-06-13.
  6. ↑ Castaneda, Tom (2019-03-23). "Juan Luis Guerra Releasing New Single "Kitipun" | Hispanically Yours". Retrieved 2022-06-13.
  7. ↑ Live, Loud and. "Loud and Live anuncia la esperada gira "Literal" de Juan Luis Guerra y 4.40 en Estados Unidos". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
  8. ↑ Aguila, Justino (2019-04-26). "Billboard Latin Music Awards: Juan Luis Guerra's Career Celebrated With Lifetime Achievement Tribute". Billboard. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
  9. ↑ "INTERNATIONAL MUSIC SUPERSTAR JUAN LUIS GUERRA TO RECEIVE BILLBOARD LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD AT THE BILLBOARD LATIN MUSIC AWARDS APRIL 25 ON TELEMUNDO". News Powered by Cision. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
  10. ↑ "Juan Luis Guerra vuelve con "Literal"". Tango Diario (in Spanish). 2019-05-02. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
  11. ↑ "Por qué Juan Luis Guerra llamó a su nuevo álbum 'Literal'". Dallas News (in Spanish). 2019-05-31. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
  12. ↑ Villar, Merit Designs 2022, Web developer: Andrés J. ""Literal", el nuevo disco de Juan Luis Guerra ya tiene fecha". Extra Digital (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-06-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. 1 2 440, Juan Luis Guerra, Juan Luis Guerra y 440 Literal Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic, retrieved 2022-06-13
  14. ↑ "440, Juan Luis Guerra, Juan Luis Guerra y 440 Literal Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  15. ↑ "Bachata Legend Juan Luis Guerra Fights Nostalgia on New Album, 'Literal'". Rolling Stone. 6 June 2019.
  16. ↑ "Juan Luis Guerra's Grammy Nominated Album "Literal" Leads off "All Music's Best of 2019" Album Selections". 3 January 2020.
  17. ↑ ""Literal", de Juan Luis Guerra, es el mejor álbum de 2019 para All Music". www.efe.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-06-13.
  18. ↑ Herrera, Isabelia (2019-06-06). "Bachata Legend Juan Luis Guerra Fights Nostalgia on New Album, 'Literal'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
  19. ↑ Cantor-Navas, Judy; Cantor-Navas, Judy (2019-05-31). "Juan Luis Guerra's Album 'Literal' is a Tropical Lovefest: Stream It Now". Billboard. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
  20. ↑ "JUAN LUIS GUERRA 4.40'S LATEST STUDIO ALBUM "LITERAL" IS THE MOST AWARDED & CRITICALLY-PRAISED TROPICAL RELEASES OF 2019". Universal Music Latino. 2019-12-10. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
  21. ↑ devops (2013-01-02). "Tropical Albums". Billboard. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
  22. ↑ "Gilberto Santa Rosa & Juan Luis Guerra Debut in Top 10 On Tropical Albums Chart | Billboard – Billboard". Billboard. 2022-03-05. Archived from the original on 2022-03-05. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
  23. ↑ "Prensario Musica" (PDF). Premsariomusica.com. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
  24. ↑ "Top 100 Albumes – Semana 23: del 31.5.2019 al 6.6.2019" (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  25. ↑ "Latin Albums". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-06-11.
  26. ↑ "Juan Luis Guerra 440 Literal Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-06-11.
  27. ↑ "Top Latin Albums – Year-End 2019". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
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