Grasa (album) explained

Grasa
Type:studio
Artist:Nathy Peluso
Cover:Grasa (album).png
Released:May 24, 2024
Genre:Latin rap
Length:42:43
Language:Spanish
Producer:
  • Nathy Peluso
  • Manuel Lara
  • Pablopablo
  • Benjamin Alerhand
  • Didi Gutman
  • Devonté Hynes
  • Servando Primera
  • Yasmil Marrufo
  • Casta
  • Rafa Arcaute
Prev Title:Calambre
Prev Year:2020

Grasa (Spanish: Grease) is the second studio album by Argentine-Spanish singer Nathy Peluso, released on May 24, 2024, through Sony Music Latin and 5020 Records.[1] It was produced by Nathy Peluso herself, alongside Manuel Lara, pablopablo, Benjamin Alerhand, Didi Gutman, Devonté Hynes, Servando Primera, Yasmil Marrufo, Casta and Rafa Arcaute; and features collaborations with Duki, Lua de Santana, Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso, C. Tangana and Blood Orange.

The album was supported by the single "Aprender a Amar", released on May 17, 2024. Additionally, Grasa was released alongside an accompanying music film, directed by Agustín Landa.

Background

In 2020, Peluso released her debut album Calambre to both critical and commercial success, peaking at number five at the Spanish Albums chart and being certified gold in the country.[2] The album won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album (Peluso's first Latin Grammy Award) and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album.[3] [4] Additionally, it won several awards at Argentina's Premios Gardel, including Best New Artist, Best Alternative Pop Album and Record of the Year, the latter for the song "Buenos Aires".[5]

Between the release of her first and second album, Peluso released several singles and collaborations. In 2021, she released the certified-gold singles "Mafiosa" and "Vivir Así Es Morir de Amor", the latter a cover of the 1978 song by Spanish singer Camilo Sesto.[6] [7] Also that year, she released two highly commercially successful collaborations: "Ateo" with Spanish rapper C. Tangana and "Pa Mis Muchachas" with American singers Christina Aguilera and Becky G, and fellow Argentine rapper Nicki Nicole. The former collaboration debuted at the top of the Spanish Song chart while the latter peaked at number 37 at the Hot Latin Songs chart (Peluso's first appearance in the chart) and received nominations for Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Urban Fusion/Performance at the 23rd Annual Latin Grammy Awards.[8] [9] [10] Both collaborations were certified gold in the United States.[11]

In 2023, she released three more singles as a lead artist, the pop song "Tonta", the house-infused "Salvaje" and the bachata collaboration "Ella Tiene" with Argentine singer Tiago PZK.[12] [13] [14] None of the singles were included in the album. In early May 2024, Peluso announced the album via her Instagram account, also releasing a video to YouTube where she appears in front of a billboard which shows the album title in red letters as well as the release date.[15] The following week, she shared on her Instagram both the tracklist and the album cover, which features Peluso taking a topless selfie in the set of the music videos for the album.[16]

Composition

The album consists of 16 tracks, all composed and co-produced by Peluso herself in collaboration with Venezuelan producer Manuel Lara, with the exception of "No Les Creo Nada - Skit" with consists only of eighteen seconds of dialogue by C. Tangana. pablopablo, Benjamin Alerhand, Didi Gutman, Devonté Hynes, Servando Primera, Yasmil Marrufo, Casta and Rafa Arcaute, also appear as producers in the album. Similarly to her previous album, Grasa is an eclectic Latin rap album,[17] with tracks that experiment with other genres such as salsa in "La Presa",[18] 50s Italian ballads in "Corleone", pop in "Legendario", reggaeton in "Real", and trap in "Menina", "La Mentira" and "Todo Roto".[19]

The album's title, meaning "grease" in Spanish, was chosen by Peluso due to the word's multiple meanings and associations to her. To Peluso, the word was "something rough, something strong", which was what she was looking for the album, though the word is also tied with childhood memories of their dad working at a gas station coming home with his hands and clothes with grease. Hence, the word became a "symbol for hard-working people" to Peluso. Additionally, the word in used in Argentina as slang for vulgar things.[20] Described by media outlets as both her most theatrical album and her project with the most intimate and personal lyrics, the album showcases introspective lyrics about empowerment, love, her life decisions and sacrifices, and her relationship with fame and her career as an artist.[21] Peluso has said that "there is a very important message in the album, which is learning to love oneself", this is discussed in tracks like "Aprender a Amar", described by her as a "mantra that I tell myself and the world".[20] [22] In other tracks such as "Envidia" and "Remedio", self-love in the face of hate and critics is discussed.

Difficulties with love are the subject in tracks like "Ideas Radicales" and "La Presa", with the latter being about killing a lover by depriving them of love. In the music video for "La Presa", Peluso is seen performing in a prison cell after being arrested for said crime.[19] Peluso also sings about the sacrifices she's had to do to for her career in the songs "El Día Que Perdí Mi Juventud" and "Envidia", also talking about the loss of inocence that comes with growing up and the courage and discipline that is required to have a career in music.[23]

Finally, some songs deal with Peluso's relationship with fame and success. In "Corleone", which references fictional mafia leader Vito Corleone, Peluso reflects on her place within the Latin urban music scene, in "Aprender a Amar", she talks about the privileges that artists have to generate conversations with their art, in "Manhattan", she jokes about dreaming with an apartment in Manhattan, and in "No Les Creo Nada - Skit", Spanish rapper C. Tangana makes a surprise appearance talking about the importance of connecting with audiences as an artist.[24] [23]

Promotion

The album was supported by the single "Aprender a Amar", released on May 17, 2024.[25] The album was accompanied by a music film uploaded to Peluso's YouTube account, consisting on music videos for every song in the album, all directed by Agustín Puente and produced by The Movement by Landia.[22] The film was shot in a "theatre-like" set of an apartment, decorated with white walls, red and black furniture, and a bright blue carpet. It also features scenes of Peluso in a jail cell. The film shows Peluso posing and singing in an apartment while policemen investigate the rooms and later arrest her.[17]

To promote the album, Peluso made different appearances in various countries. In Spain, she appeared in the television talk shows El Hormiguero, where she sang a portion of "Envidia", and La Resistencia.[19] In New York City, she appeared at Prince Street Pizza where she offered pizza slices and teased the name of the album by shouting "¿Quién quiere grasa?" (¿who wants grease?).[26] Lastly, in her native Argentina, she hosted a private listening party where several Argentine personalities attended, including Emilia, Nicki Nicole, Úrsula Corberó, Duki, Paco Amoroso and Ca7riel, among others.[27]

Critical reception

Writing for British newspaper The Guardian, Alim Kheraj gave the album four out of five stars, writing that in the project, Peluso "moves between snarling bombast, acoustic yearning and lavish salsa in her eclectic second album". He concluded his review by praising the album's scope and execution.

Track listing

Notes

Personnel

Musicians

Technical

Notes and References

  1. Web site: GRASA – Nathy Peluso. Apple Music. May 25, 2024. May 25, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240525073458/https://music.apple.com/us/album/grasa/1746200769. live.
  2. Web site: CALAMBRE - Nathy Peluso. 4 December 2020. 22 October 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201022005815/https://www.elportaldemusica.es/album/nathy-peluso-calambre. live.
  3. Web site: THE LATIN ACADEMY OF RECORDING ARTS & SCIENCES, INC. 22nd Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards®. Latin Recording Academy. 28 September 2021. 2 October 2021. 28 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210928191647/https://www.latingrammy.com/files/22nd_annual_latin_grammy_awards_nominations_2021_09_28.pdf.
  4. Web site: 2022 GRAMMYs Awards Show: Complete Nominations List. Grammy.com. 23 November 2021. 24 November 2021. The Recording Academy. 25 November 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211125170413/https://www.grammy.com/grammys/news/2022-grammys-complete-winners-nominees-nominations-list. live.
  5. Premios Gardel 2021: Conocé la lista completa de ganadores. Billboard Argentina. Spanish. 3 August 2021. 23 July 2021. 3 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210803032708/https://billboard.com.ar/premios-gardel-2021-conoce-la-lista-completa-de-ganadores/. live.
  6. Web site: 2021-07-12. Nathy Peluso estrena el single 'MAFIOSA' Popelera. 2021-11-04. es. 2021-11-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20211104142830/https://www.popelera.net/nathy-peluso-single-mafiosa/. live.
  7. Web site: Nathy Peluso versiona "Vivir así es morir de amor", de Camilo Sesto. 2022-01-30. www.efe.com. es. 2022-01-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20220130214933/https://www.efe.com/efe/america/cultura/nathy-peluso-versiona-vivir-asi-es-morir-de-amor-camilo-sesto/20000009-4695053. live.
  8. Web site: 2021-10-19. 'Ateo' de C. Tangana y Nathy Peluso, número 1 en España. 2021-11-04. jenesaispop.com. es. 2021-11-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20211104153640/https://jenesaispop.com/2021/10/19/420719/ateo-de-c-tangana-y-nathy-peluso-numero-1-en-espana/. live.
  9. Billboard Hot Latin Songs: The Week of November 6, 2021. Billboard. 2 November 2021. 2021-11-02. https://archive.today/20211102133451/https://www.billboard.com/charts/latin-songs/2021-11-06. live.
  10. Cobo . Leila . 2022-11-17 . Latin Grammys 2022: Jorge Drexler & Bad Bunny Lead Early Winners (Updating) . 2022-11-18 . Billboard . en-US . 2022-11-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221118001416/https://www.billboard.com/music/latin/latin-grammys-2022-winners-list-1235172910/ . live .
  11. United States. Nathy Peluso. 19 February 2022.
  12. Web site: Nathy Peluso abraza el pop bailable con su "Tonta". Mondo Sonoro. April 22, 2023. May 25, 2024. es. May 9, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230509094357/https://www.mondosonoro.com/noticias-actualidad-musical/nathy-peluso-tonta/. live.
  13. Web site: Nathy Peluso es una personaje, pero 'Salvaje'. Jenesaispop. Paula. Cano. July 14, 2023. May 25, 2024. es. July 21, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230721135044/https://jenesaispop.com/2023/07/14/459772/nathy-peluso-nueva-cancion-salvaje/. live.
  14. Web site: Nathy Peluso y Tiago PZK se unen la bachata 'Ella tiene'. Los 40. Alberto. Palao. September 15, 2023. May 25, 2024. es. May 26, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240526023045/https://los40.com/2023/09/15/nathy-peluso-y-tiago-pzk-se-unen-la-bachata-ella-tiene/. live.
  15. Web site: NATHY PELUSO ANUNCIA SU NUEVO ÁLBUM: "GRASA". Sony Music Latin. May 8, 2024. May 25, 2024. es. May 26, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240526125158/https://www.sonymusic.es/actualidad/nathy-peluso-anuncia-su-nuevo-album-grasa/. live.
  16. Web site: La portada en topless de Nathy Peluso para 'Grasa' que ha levantado pasiones: "Sos fuego". Los 40. Juan Ignacio. Herrero. May 7, 2024. May 25, 2024. es. May 14, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240514155745/https://los40.com/2024/05/08/la-portada-en-topless-de-nathy-peluso-para-grasa-que-ha-levantado-pasiones-sos-fuego/. live.
  17. Web site: Así es "GRASA" el nuevo disco de Nathy Peluso. Los 40. Lisa. Parada Larenas. May 24, 2024. May 25, 2024. es. May 26, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240526023044/https://los40.cl/2024/05/24/asi-es-grasa-el-nuevo-disco-de-nathy-peluso/. live.
  18. Web site: Nathy Peluso muestra su versatilidad y deslumbra con 'GRASA'. Los 40. Ana. Escobar Rivas. May 24, 2024. May 25, 2024. es. May 24, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240524231049/https://los40.com/2024/05/24/nathy-peluso-muestra-su-versatilidad-y-deslumbra-con-grasa/. live.
  19. Web site: Nathy Peluso y 'Grasa': Un disco de empoderamiento. El Generacional. Marta. Cuesta Sanz. May 25, 2024. May 25, 2024. es. May 26, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240526023043/https://elgeneracionalpost.com/cultura/2024/0525/149821/nathy-peluso-y-grasa-un-disco-de-empoderamiento.html. live.
  20. Nathy Peluso redefine 'Grasa' en nuevo álbum: 'Quería una palabra ruda, fuerte y vulgar'. Billboard Argentina. Isabela. Raygoza. May 23, 2024. May 25, 2024. es. May 24, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240524213056/https://www.billboard.com/espanol/musica/nathy-peluso-grasa-nuevo-album-entrevista-1235690903/. live.
  21. Web site: NATHY PELUSO LANZA SU TAN ESPERADO SEGUNDO ÁLBUM 'GRASA'. Highxtar. Mar. Piera. May 24, 2024. May 25, 2024. es. May 26, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240526023043/https://highxtar.com/nathy-peluso-lanza-su-tan-esperado-segundo-album-grasa/. live.
  22. Nathy Peluso busca traspasar sus límites en GRASA. Rolling Stone. Ximena. Zambrano. May 24, 2024. May 25, 2024. es. May 25, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240525122308/https://es.rollingstone.com/nathy-peluso-busca-traspasar-sus-limites-en-grasa/. live.
  23. Web site: Nathy Peluso expone la vida del artista en "Grasa". Indie Club. Alejo. Inza. May 24, 2024. May 25, 2024. es. May 24, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240524142500/https://indieclubargentina.com/nathy-peluso-expone-la-vida-del-artista-en-grasa/. live.
  24. Web site: Nathy Peluso y su lado más poderoso, teatral y honesto en "Grasa", su nuevo álbum. El Ciudadano. May 25, 2024. May 25, 2024. es. May 25, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240525200620/https://www.elciudadanoweb.com/nathy-peluso-y-su-lado-mas-poderoso-teatral-y-honesto-en-grasa-su-nuevo-album/. live.
  25. Web site: APRENDER A AMAR - Single. Apple Music. May 25, 2024. May 26, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240526023044/https://music.apple.com/us/album/aprender-a-amar-single/1745496669. live.
  26. Web site: Nathy Peluso anuncia "Grasa", su nuevo disco. Mondo Sonoro. May 16, 2024. May 25, 2024. es.
  27. Web site: Nathy Peluso publicó una foto junto a Emilia Mernes en un evento por el lanzamiento de su nuevo disco. TN. May 14, 2024. May 25, 2024. es. May 26, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240526125159/https://tn.com.ar/musica/noticias/2024/05/14/emilia-mernes-reaparecio-en-redes-sociales-tras-su-problema-de-salud-y-se-mostro-junto-a-nathy-peluso/. live.