Azul (song) explained

Azul
Cover:Cristian Azul single.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Cristian Castro
Album:Azul
Genre:Pop rock
Length:4:24
Label:BMG US Latin
Prev Title:Por Amarte Así
Prev Year:2000
Next Title:Yo Quería
Next Year:2001

"Azul" is a song by the Mexican singer Cristian Castro from his seventh studio album of the same name (2001). The song was co-written by brothers Kike and Gustavo Santander and produced by Kike, Andrés Munera, Fernando "Toby" Tobón. It is a pop rock power ballad in which the singer likens love to the color blue. The track was released on as the lead single from the album by BMG US Latin on 3 May 2001. A music video for "Azul" was directed by Pedro Torres and features Castro in a beach, house, and a nightclub with friends and premiered on 6 June 2001.

The song received positive reactions from music critics who found it to be catchy. It was nominated in the category of Pop Song of the Year at the 2002 Lo Nuestro Awards and Latin Pop Airplay of the Year at the 2002 Latin Billboard Music Awards, while Kike Santander was the recipient of the Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) Latin Award in the same year. Commercially, it topped the Billboard Hot Latin Songs, Latin Pop Airplay, and Tropical Airplay charts in the United States.

Background and composition

In 1999, Cristian Castro released his sixth studio album, Mi Vida Sin Tu Amor, which was produced by the Colombian musician Kike Santander.[1] Although the album was met with mixed reviews,[1] [2] [3] [4] it achieved multi-platinum status and Castro was named Latin pop artist of 2000 in the US by Billboard.[5] On 15 October 2000, Castro announced that he was working on two albums, one with rock songs and experimental music and an English-language disc of cover ballads. He also announced the titled of the former album as "Azul" as well as the lead single of the same name.[6] Santander worked with Castro again to produce the album.[7]

"Azul" is a pop rock power ballad reminiscent of 1980s music.[8] The San Antonio Express-News editor Ramiro Burr compared the track to Castro's 1992 song "No Podrás" with its "driving percussions and searing guitar lines".[9] It was written by Santander and his brother Gustavo, and produced by Kike, Andrés Munera, and Fernando "Toby" Tobón.[8] In the song, Castro sings: "Azul, y es que este amor es azul como el mar. Azul, como de tu mirada nació mi ilusión. Azul como una lagrima cuando hay perdón" ("Blue, and this love is blue like the sea. Blue, like my illusion was born from your look. Blue like a tear when there is forgiveness").[10]

Promotion and reception

"Azul" was released as the album's lead single on 3 May 2001 by BMG US Latin.[11] BMG also released a remix disc containing a dance and merengue versions of the track on 20 August 2001.[12] A music video was filmed at South Beach, Florida and directed by Pedro Torres. It features scenes of Castro at a beach with friends, at a house, and at a nightclub. The visual was released on 6 June 2001 and took over 30 hours of filming.[13] AllMusic critic John Bush called "Azul" a "downright catchy hit single".[14] In spite of giving the album a negative review, Jordan Levin of the Miami Herald found it to be a "reasonably catchy pop-rocker".[8] Billboard editor Leila Cobo also regarded the track as a "catchy, exuberant slice of '80s-etched rock".[15] Billboard ranked the track number 23 on their list of the 50 best Latin pop songs between 2000 and 2023.[16]

At the 2002 Latin Billboard Music Awards, "Azul" was nominated Latin Pop Airplay of the Year, but lost to "Abrázame Muy Fuerte" by Juan Gabriel.[17] In the same year, it was nominated for Pop Song of the Year at Lo Nuestro Awards,[18] but also lost to the same song.[19] The track was recognized as one of the award-winning songs at the 2002 BMI Latin Awards.[20] Commercially, "Azul" topped the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart for nine weeks and was ranked the second best-performing track of 2001 on the chart. It also reached the top of the Latin Pop Airplay and Tropical Airplay subcharts, spending 12 weeks on the former and four weeks on the latter.

Track listing

Single[21]

  1. Personal Greeting
  2. "Azul" (album version) - 4:24
  3. Screensaver

Remixes[22]

  1. "Azul" (album version) - 4:24
  2. "Azul" (dance remix) - 4:32
  3. "Azul" (merengue version) - 4:14
  4. "Azul" (merengue version with guitar intro) - 4:20

Charts

Year-end charts

2001 year-end chart performance for "Azul"
Chart (2001)Position
US Hot Latin Songs (Billboard)[23] 2
US Latin Pop Airplay (Billboard)4
US Tropical Airplay (Billboard)12

Decade-end charts

2000s decade-end chart performance for "Azul"
Chart (2000-2009)Position
US Hot Latin Songs (Billboard)[24] 75
US Latin Pop Airplay (Billboard)[25] 42

See also

Notes and References

  1. Lannert . John . Previews & Reviews . Billboard . 12 June 1999 . 111 . 24 . 17 . 10 May 2024 . 0006-2510 . 11 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240511154218/https://books.google.com/books?id=uw0EAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA7&pg=PA17#v=onepage&q&f=false . live .
  2. News: Davis . Deborah . Si no lo aprovecha... . 10 May 2024 . . 20 June 1999 . 20 . es . 10 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240510175932/https://www.proquest.com/docview/316236132/91AB69C019904A1DPQ/20?accountid=196403&sourcetype=Newspapers . . live .
  3. News: Cardona . Eliseo . Discos . 10 May 2024 . . 24 June 1999 . 41D . es . 13 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240513212707/https://wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org/?next_url=/ezproxy/r/ezp.2aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubmV3c3BhcGVycy5jb20vYXJ0aWNsZS9lbC1udWV2by1oZXJhbGQvMTQ3MDAxODA4Lw-- . live .
  4. News: Cores . Ricardo . Musica . 10 May 2024 . . 9 . 13 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240513212724/https://wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org/?next_url=/ezproxy/r/ezp.2aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubmV3c3BhcGVycy5jb20vYXJ0aWNsZS9lbC1wYXNvLXRpbWVzLzE0NzAwMTM0OS8- . live .
  5. News: Emerick . Laura . Cristian at the Rosemont Theatre . 13 May 2024 . . 31 July 2001 . 5xm . 13 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240513212704/https://www.proquest.com/docview/258837438/96D4A6B2C55D4A2FPQ/1?accountid=196403&sourcetype=Newspapers . . live .
  6. News: Se da un gusto nostalgico . 13 May 2024 . . 15 October 2000 . 37 . es . 13 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240513212653/https://www.proquest.com/docview/315940702/7F1052CB85E04A2APQ/1?accountid=196403&sourcetype=Newspapers . . live .
  7. News: Burr . Ramiro . Salsa Singer Jerry Rivera Discovers Benefits in Change . . 10 June 2001 . 7.
  8. News: Levin . Jordan . New Music Reviews . . 20 July 2001 . 20H.
  9. News: Burr . Ramiro . Cristian Castro Singing Jose Jose's Song . . 1 July 2001 . 5H.
  10. News: Cristian Castro se vuelve tendencia en Twitter por Azul . 13 May 2024 . N Digital . 13 October 2020 . es . 20 January 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210120030157/https://n.com.do/2020/10/12/cristian-castro-se-vuelve-tendencia-en-twitter-por-azul/ . live .
  11. News: Escuchalo 'azulado' . Reforma . es . 3 May 2001 . . 31 March 2022 . 26 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230426164317/https://www.proquest.com/docview/310590057 . live .
  12. News: Garcia . Juan Carlos . Lanzaran su 'Azul' en varias versiones . 13 May 2024 . El Norte . 19 August 2001 . 27 . es . 13 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240513212737/https://www.proquest.com/docview/316410217/511E2900CF3E4827PQ/34?accountid=196403&sourcetype=Newspapers . . live .
  13. Web site: Cristian's New Album 'Azul' (Blue) in Stores June 6.. 25 June 2022 . 8 August 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170808153114/https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Cristian%27s+New+Album+%27Azul%27+(Blue)+in+Stores+June+6.-a075253829 . dead. The Free Library.
  14. Web site: Bush . John . Azul - Cristian Castro . . 13 May 2024 . 13 August 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230813193419/https://www.allmusic.com/album/azul-mw0000004304 . live .
  15. Cobo . Leila . Reviews & Previews . Billboard . 9 June 2001 . 113 . 23 . 22 . 13 May 2024 . 0006-2510 . 13 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240513212708/https://books.google.com/books?id=HBQEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA1&pg=PA22#v=onepage&q&f=false#v=onepage&q&f=false . live .
  16. Cobo . Leila . Calle . Luisa . Fajardo . Ingrid . Flores . Griselda . Ratner-Arias . Sigal . Raygoza . Isabela . Roiz . Jessica . The 50 Best Latin Pop Songs From 2000 to 2023, Ranked . Billboard . 23 April 2024 . 4 December 2023 . 23 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240423020225/https://www.billboard.com/lists/best-latin-pop-songs-21st-century/abrazame-muy-fuerte-juan-gabriel-2001/ . live .
  17. 2002 Billboard Latin Music Awards . Billboard . 13 May 2024 . 10 May 2002 . 20 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231020193011/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/2002-billboard-latin-music-awards-75808/ . live .
  18. Web site: Premios Lo Nuestro: Votación 2002. Univision. 20 August 2013. 2002. https://web.archive.org/web/20131013102553/http://especiales.univision.com/contentuvn/tv/plnuestro2002/votacion_tuopinion.html. 13 October 2013.
  19. Web site: Premios Lo Nuestro 2002 . Univision. 8 March 2013. 2002. https://web.archive.org/web/20070705174654/http://especiales.univision.com/contentuvn/tv/plnuestro2002/noche_premios_encuesta_premiados.html. 5 July 2007.
  20. Web site: Latin Awards Winners List . . 4 October 2022 . 8 May 2002 . 4 October 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221004010328/https://www.bmi.com/press/entry/534704 . live .
  21. Azul (CD Single) . Cristian Castro. 2001. BMG US Latin. United States. 3230-2RLDJ.
  22. Azul (CD Single) . Cristian Castro. 2001. BMG US Latin. Mexico. CDME 743218833120.
  23. The Year in Music: 2001 . Billboard . 29 December 2001 . 113 . 52 . YE-59, 62, 64 . 0006-2510 . 22 April 2024 . 6 June 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230606193908/https://books.google.com/books?id=sBIEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA1&pg=RA1-PA37#v=onepage&q&f=false . live .
  24. 2009 Decade End Charts . December 27, 2009 . December 22, 2011 . Billboard . July 19, 2012 . https://archive.today/20120719174423/http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/decadeendcharts/2009/latin-songs . dead .
  25. 2009 Decade End Charts . December 27, 2009 . December 22, 2011 . Billboard . July 23, 2012 . https://archive.today/20120723030433/http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/decadeendcharts/2009/latin-pop-songs . dead .

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