As the pandemic took a hold of all of us and forced us into lockdowns, moments of solitude, and events where we questioned our mortality. The Puerto Rican indie and underground scene kept working hard. One of the movement’s members to emerge as one of the most promising has been singer/songwriter RaiNao, a musician who mixes various elements of what is traditionally called “urban music” with alternative sounds making her a distinctive voice in the continuously evolving Boricua music landscape, something which she keeps demonstrating in her latest offering ahora A.K.A NAO. The project kicks off with the spoken word piece “Track3”, which sees her reflecting on the current Puerto Rican panorama along with her status on the industry. Afterwards, “Sukhoi” shows RaiNao stating her mission statement while mixing elements of rock and trap while displaying her singing and rapping skills. Then listeners are introduced into the entrancing sounds of “Plug,” a track that’ll have listeners slowly perreando hasta ‘bajo as RaiNao provides a mix of ethereal vibes with reggaetón, dembow and some strings on the side. Next, “Agapicidio” shows RaiNao mixing Caribbean sounds with a bit of pop in a love-driven track where many will be able to feel identified. The second half of the album kicks off with “Un Amarre,” a song that features another of the scene’s most promising artists, Villano Antillano, as both artists display their rapping skills on an experimental reggaetón beat while doing a little bit of flexing. Then RaiNao delivers “Mi Piscis”, an otherworldly R&B tune that once again shows RaiNao exhibiting her singing abilities as she tells a bit of a love story. Next, in “L.U.V” the singer/songwriter once again explores the topic of love, but this time on a reggaetón track, which features subtle experimental details that make it unique. Finally, the project closes with “Gata Loca”, a dreambow tune that serves as a perfect closure for the album as RaiNao mixes a distinctive sound like dreambow with others that you’d never expect making the track a display of the artist’s seamless ability to create something fresh out of something which has yet to reach the mainstream in full force. Overall, RaiNao’s ahora A.K.A NAO is a perfect presentation of the singer/songwriter’s abilities. It is a project that’ll have audiences guessing what’s coming next with each and every song, something that starts by simply watching the cover art by Milton “Gaquino” Pérez. As a whole, if you love reggaetón, dembow, hip hop, trap and R&B that takes a chance and experiments with different sounds, this album is one to definitely have on your rotation.
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AuthorFernando E. E. Correa González is the author behind over 30 self-published poetry books. He has been published by literary magazines & journals [Id]entidad, El Vicio del Tintero, Sábanas Magazine, Smaeralit, The Occulum, Tonguas and Hound Magazine. Other than writing, Correa is also the host of FENCast, a podcast dedicated to documenting the Puerto Rican independent art scene. Aside from this, he experiments with filmmaking, photography, drawing, painting, multimedia and transmedia. He currently lives in his native Puerto Rico. Archives
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