JuanesTeban

Pop-rocker Juan Esteban Aristizábal Vásquez has operated under his musical namesake Juanes for over two and a half decades, putting out inventive and engaging full-lengths including <i>Origen</i> and <i>Vida Cotidiana</i>. No exception to this 2020s run, his concept album <i>JuanesTeban</i> finds the Colombian superstar in fine form. The duality represented by its titular portmanteau spreads across the nearly hour-long experience, with sometimes duelling perspectives reflected on singles like “Hagamos Que” and “Una Noche Contigo”. From the orchestral lushness of “El Gran Día” to the jangly swings of “Un Nuevo Amanecer”, he remains unafraid to play freely with genre. Still, he’s got plenty more rockers for the fandom, including “Nada Que Perder” and the soaring sing-along “Cuando Estamos Tú Y Yo”. A handful of international collaborators broaden things even further, including Chilean Mexican singer Mon Laferte on “Vuelve” and Venezuela’s Rawayana on the tropical standout “Timelapse de Sol”. Still, Colombia’s home-grown Bomba Estéreo best capture Juanes’ cumbia cool on “Muérdeme”.