Ozuna & Beelé - Stendhal (2025) Review by El Funky Bae and general opinions about Afrobeat
Man, I don't know how to write this without offending. That is because in places like Honduras, Panama, and Colombia with heavy Afrocentric influences, Latinos, not just black either, have adopted the Afrobeat Riddim as their own. This is akin to how in the 1980's, Afrocentric influenced Latinos in Panama created Reggaeton by making the first Spanish Language Dancehall Reggae songs. Renato in particular is the prime example. El "Afrito" might be on the cusp of revolutionizing Latin Music as we know it. However, I greatly doubt it.
I think Afrobeat is awesome but I am too ignorant on its history to make any valid assessment of it. I think Paul Simon made Afrobeat in the 80's with "Graceland", but back then the rhythms had less of a dancehall/soca sound I think? But I did read the Wikipedia entry and recorded Afrobeat is nothing new. The genre has been around since the 1970's.
If people are wondering why all of a sudden such a big interest in Afrobeat worldwide? That's because of Drake. When he was still one of the biggest Pop stars in the world, he made a heavily Afrobeat influenced album known as "Views". Reggaeton has always followed the trends in American Urban Music. There is very little in Reggaeton that is wholly original, of course that can be said of most genres of music except Jazz, Rhythm & Blues, Classical and Reggae. Because of what Drake did with "Views" in 2016, we then got the first wave of Afrobeat Latino with songs like "Baila Baila Baila" from Ozuna and "Te Bote" by Bad Bunny & Friends.
BTW DJ Blass claims to have made the first "Afrobeat" with "No Te Veo" way back in 2007. But I don't count it because everywhere in the media, the song was reported as a Soca. Even Jowell & Randy said it was a Soca if I am not mistaken. It also sounds more like a Soca than Afrobeat not having the typical Afro syncopation which is the same as Salsa. So, sorry Blass, 2007 doesn't count. Everything that copied "No Te Veo's" sound was also deemed Soca.
For some reason, the Afrobeat craze died out as quickly as it came, at least in Latin America. I've read that Afrobeat has become very big throughout the Caribbean and in countries like France. By 2019, there were pretty much no more big Afro Beat hits coming out anymore. But something was bubbling beneath the surface.
I don't recall Beelé's beginnings. I heard of him because he was DJ Luiann's follow up artist to Bad Bunny, shortly after Bad left him in 2018 to sign with RIMAS. DJ Luiaan is a very successful manager and exec. On top of Beelé, he also manages the hitmaking production team "Mambo Kingz". He was also the former manager of Kendo Kaponi, Arcangel and Bad Bunny. And Luiann founded the company "Hear This Music" which has created some of the biggest hits in Urbano music history including "Diles" by Bad Bunny & Friends.
But I think Beelé started doing Reggaeton, mostly in the Pop Urbano vein. He was supposed to be DJ Luiann's answer to Manuel Turizo. But at first, he achieved much local recognition, though not as much internationally. Upon doing a little a bit of research just now, it turns out he always did Afro but used to do Reggaeton too, but I don't know how much and I refuse to do the research to find out.
I am of the unpopular opinion that "La Plena" is just fine. Some think it's the greatest Urbano song ever made or among them, and that's ok. But for my taste "La Plena" is ok. It's not a terrible song. I understand why it's a hit. Ovy made a competent Afro beat in tune with today's sound. And Beelé humming the chorus is fairly catchy. Add some Ron Medallo and rowdy college teens in a party scene, then you probably have the formula for a hit. Cool.
I know why Beelé is all over the scene, though nowhere egregious as when they tried to make Floyy Menor the next promise (anyone remember that?) but I won't highlight what that is. The kid has worked hard all these years to get where he is at, regardless of my opinion of him as an artist and he is currently at the top of the Pop and Urbano world. I personally have nothing against it. He has some songs I genuinely enjoy like "Top Diesel" and "Mad Konut" which I think is a great song but unnecessarily too short. Like, why didn't you add another 30 seconds by just bringing back the hook once, Beelé?
Ozuna... I like him, I really do. But he peaked with "Odisea" and has never come close to it although he has not stopped making hits. But meanwhile in 2017, Ozuna would be 9/10 at worst, today he is 4/10 as far as how many of his releases will be good or at least decent. Fans have been complaining about this for years beginning with "Nibiru". A lot of people though it was over for Ozuna as he was in peak mediocrity post his DJ Snake collab, but then "Hey Mor" came out and Ozu had the comeback of the century. For real, before that song, many had him counted out, not me, but a lot of people.
My opinion of Ozuna is that quality wise, he would have been better as part of a duo had he found his Wisin equivalent. But he achieved the maximum level of superstardom early on, thus putting him in a duo would have been stupid though they experimented with Anuel but "Los Dioses" is a horrendous effort. People want me to deep dive on the erasure of duos/groups in Reggaeton and Latin Urban music. I plan to. Lord Willing I can carry it out. If I do, it will be on my Reggaeton Party Mane Blog. And it will probably take me days to write, if and whenever I decide to start it.
DJ Luiann CEO of Hear This Music
But Ozuna isn't the most versatile of artists. His vocal range is somewhat limited. In chanteos and vocalization, he pretty much has one style each. And his verses aren't consistently strong to the point people want to hear Ozuna rap. That's why he pretty much sings everything. To me, it appears Ozuna did this collaboration album out of necessity to avoid coming across as stale, while Beelé did it to grow in stature in associating with one of the biggest names in Urbano history.
I don't know what the future holds for either. But in my personal opinion, Afrobeat Latino is growing stale. They often accuse Reggaeton of the same since the beginning, but it always blends a new sound that keeps it going stronger than ever. Afrobeat may do the same, somewhere down the line. I don't hear of much Afrobeat, even in Spanish. I like some of the big hits like "One Dance" and "Calm Down", but I know very little beyond that. I am more familiar with the Spanish version of the genre and honestly... it does little for me.
Songs these youngins call modern day classics like "Pa Mi". I think to myself "Are You Kidding me? That is such an average song!" So I may just be Hall & Oates "Out of Touch". Maybe I just don't get it. Because of that, I remained mostly mum in my opinions of Afro Beat. Then I heard Kapo's album. Before Kapo, the only album entirely of Afrobeat I had ever heard was Brytiago's "Afro Vibes" and it sucked. But I liked Kapo's singles so I decided to give it a chance. It was good, not great, but solid.
I thought Beelé's "Boreondo" kind of sucked. It was a "Bore-Ondo" if you know what I mean. I found it boring. There's like 4 or 5 genuinely good songs, another 4 or 5 so-so and the rest sucked. I thought Kapo was gonna be a sole example. There was also Boza, but his roots are Plena and Reggaeton. Like it was an "Afro" album technically, but from a guy who still flows like a Plena artist over it. His album was quite good too.
But I still feel that "Afrobeat" in Spanish is too limited. I tried to listen to Hamilton's effort and had I not heard so much that sounds the same from others, sometimes better, sometimes not, I would have listened to more, but I have no interest going past the 4th song, though I feel he has potential. Baby Rasta & Gringo's "El Final" was a very good effort and gave Afrobeat a different light and style.
A lot of people don't know this because they are known more for their street and underground efforts, but Rasta & Gringo have great Pop sensibilities. Those guys know how to make a great commercial Pop song. And they brought those noteworthy abilities to "El Final". It lacks Beelé's loose, somewhat unstructured style where he sounds like a gifted drunkard freestyling, though not every freestyle is good, but at least that crazy drunk is persistent and doesn't stumble nor fall out of tune. But "El Final" had the structure and familiarity most Afrobeat in Spanish lacks. "El Final" was like Kapo meets "A La Reconquista" and it worked, but Rasta & Gringo are now independent thus their latest effort is underpromoted. They need some YOUTUBE ads.
Back to "Stendhal" however. The beats sound like they could be AI. Now AI hasn't evolved to be that good yet. It needs genuine human ingenuity to sound as good as it does on "Stendhal". The beats are good on the product, but quite generic. What is more likely is that the producers are borrowing from the same blueprints on Digital Audio Workstations to make their beats. That is why the sounds are so identical and it is hard to distinguish some beats from the others. But Luny Tunes were guilty of the same thing too. So were the producers that used to steal blueprints from their studio sessions as Luny Tunes sometimes left behind files inside of said studios. Luny said it in an interview.
But just like the old school Reggaeton artist made the same dembow beat work over and over again, you can make generic Afrobeats work. Now someone that knows me would probably diss me being like "Funky Bae, you don't know even know how to make an Afrobeat. Why you talking shit!?" That's fair. I haven't really tried, but it is probable that I couldn't make a beat as impressive as DJ Gangsta who is making all of Kapo's hits and producing for others like Myke Towers and Jhayco. That doesn't change the fact these beats and the songs over them bore me to death sometimes.
Let me go into my production side a little bit. I never had a big hit, but I purposely unfollow trends. Once something goes too trendy, I like to go the opposite way. And my goal as a producer is to come up with something new and fresh. Not every time, but often enough to make a difference. People personally dissed me when Balvin took over being like "Man, you say Balvin is mediocre, but you can't even make a beat like his." And I would be like "I made Balvin beats back in 2010. I don't have anything to prove to you. You want Balvin beats listen to that generic Pop Urbano crap." If I was ever a big artist, I would be viewed as the biggest asshole. But I am a non conformist artistically. I may not always be like that in my personal life which is why my existence is so mundane and routine. But as an artist I hate compromise.
So "Stendhal" was also pretty boring to me. The production was professional, pretty and trendy. But like a pretty girl with no personality, there was nothing that made "Stendhal" unique enough to stand out from the bunch. Plus, I'm going to be 40 this year. I commit myself to this culture because it literally saved my life. If I did not have music, I don't know where I would have been and I have a rather unenviable life, but I am grateful to have kept my soul because I still believe in Jesus. Had music not been in my life, I don't know how that would have been possible.
What I am saying is I don't need anything new. I have DJ Crane, Nico Canada, Eddie Dee, Tempo, Mexicano 777. I already know the best music that will ever be made in this culture. And though future works might match, it is highly unlikely anything will surpass it. You kids think Bunny comes close, get out of here. And I am pretty sure he uses ghostwriters, he just hides it better than Hector El Bambino did. I think Alvaro Diaz uses ghostwriters too. Did I just write that? Whatever I don't care. As long as the music is good. But "Un Verano Sin Ti" is still lightyears away from being as good as "Game Over" at least to me. "Motomami" came closer but is still quite far too.
So I don't need this new generation to be good. Shoot I haven't retired from making music yet, but will soon unless I have a hit. Which I probably won't, but if I did, more money for me! This generation has nothing to live up to me. But for the next generation they do. I will write here in plain English. Eddie Dee saved my life. When I heard "Porque?" although 5 years after it came out. It was exactly what 15 year old me had to hear. I identified with it and it saved my life. I can't say with certainty that wouldn't happen today, because I almost never hear anything near that impactful anymore. I frankly think 15 year old me would have rejected modern day Reggaeton except for the cute girlies playing it around me. I'll hear boring Tuba music if a cute girl likes it. But yea, me in today's generation would have probably been an Emo rocker or something. Anything but Reggaeton and Urbano.
So I hope these guys carry this mantle/torch well into the future and at least meet or even exceed the expectations set forth by those who came before them. Though I know the feds are working to make it illegal. I have my Playero 37, and if we have to go off the grid for that, we (the underground) will find a way to have our music. I don't need anything new. My review of "Stendhal" is basically pointless if it were just for me.
In reality I hope that Beelé exceeds expectations, even those set forth by DJ Luiaan himself. Not financially mind you, he already did that. I mean artistically and culturally. I hope he elevates the game. And if a new generation genuinely feels he did. That's all that matters, as long as he's not promoting no negativity or injustice. But I only enjoyed a couple of songs on "Stendhal". And because of the fact most Afrobeat Latino sounds like this album, I don't see much of a future for it no matter how many popular social media streamers co-sign the joint. And to be truthful, if Reggaeton keeps going the way it has lately, I don't see much future for it neither.
I would love to be wrong. But I feel that Afrobeat is here to stay but it's going to be a Niche genre like Merengue Urbano. Something artists can always go back to in order to add variety to their product, but it won't be the next wave to overtake anything. Hip Hop En Español coming back has a better chance than Afrobeat ever overtaking Reggaeton.
What will overtake Reggaeton in the near future is just regular old Pop. Beelé is already bigger in the Pop world than he ever will be in the Urbano one and he is just a reflection of the future to come. In the near future there will be several artists who become bigger in the Pop than Urbano world. Danny Ocean for example. Most ñengo Flow fans don't listen to him, but in the Pop world he is 100x bigger than Nengo. Yet it will always be Nengo Flow and artists like him who have the stronger and more relevant legacies. Once in a while an Eladio Carrion will come out who gets the best of both worlds.
The difference between now and the Pop Urbano waves of 2018 (CNCO's Reggaeton Lento) and 2008 (Tony Dize's El Doctorado) is that Pop Urbano will only be marketed as Pop. They will disassociate with the word Urbano. Probably because if Beelé had to compete with Ñengo Flow, he wouldn't be able to. Competing with Ñengo Flow is literally what killed CNCO. But as long as the Pop audience doesn't know what real Urbano is, they can sell guys half as good as Beele to them all day and they do. That's how Manuel Turizo got over. Don't think it's Eddie Dee fans buying his music, the few of us that are still around. Manuel Turizo's not bad though, but awfully inconsistent.
As far as Beele is concerned, he makes me think of Diomedes Diaz which I think is as high as a compliment one can pay to anyone. I saw him yesterday perform "Hips Don't Lie" with Shakira and though at first you think he isn't going to do anything special except say "Shakira, Shakira", he flows a different verse exceptionally well. He is very good live and has quite an impressive vocal range. He could do a Mariachi Vicente Fernandez style if he wanted I think.
Beelé sounds like a drunk to me, and he probably is. That's ok, within varying degrees, as long as you don't go too far and aren't are a dangerous drunk in any way. In the history of Popular music, several great artists were noteworthy drunks. A lot of them Heroin addicts too, but that's far more dangerous. But that drunken style helps him live or he might have been sober and just has a naturally great voice. I might be wrong about Beele's drunken style and he might just be jovial in nature as the point of getting drunk is to get happy.
I think he will have to further expand his sound to remain or become relevant. What he's doing is working for now, but I think soon enough, the average fan will note Beele's lack of consistency and originality. He's one of the few artists still making poor albums work as long as they have strong singles. I think about 80% of Urbano artists that work like this will be irrelevant in a couple of years and half of them already are. But Beele has lucked out. But I predict Blessd will surpass him in relevancy soon and become the next big Pop sensation within Latin Music. They should collaborate again but on more street songs. As far as Beele, who knows? He has a gifted voice. I think he should be able to work more wonders with that unless he remains in the same pigeon hole. I believe Luiann should continue to allow Beele to grow as an artist and have him delve into other genres if he wants to.
Rating: 3.5/10
Stendhal is available on all popular audio streaming platforms.
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