Wisin y Yandel Albums (14)
What The Critics Say
Released just weeks after their previous album, Los Extraterrestres, won Billboard's 2009 Latin Rhythm Album of the Year award, La Revolucion finds reggaeton superstars Wisin & Yandel on a serious roll. After the opening title track suggests a futuristic concept album on the scale of Don Omar's 2009 release iDon, La Revolucion slips into a much more standard album for the duo, which is hardly a disappointment. Bouncing between grand club numbers and smooth ballads, the overall structure is familiar to all returning fans, but just like Omar in 2009, the duo have become fans of euro-disco synths and urban dance music. The slick "Quitame El Dolor" stomps the ground like a Flo Rida cut while "Mujeres in the Club" creeps and swaggers in such a G-Unit way that special guest 50 Cent sounds right at home. On the other hand, a handful of cuts -- "Perfecto" with Yaviah and Ivy Queen being the best -- prove that the duo can still create vital and undiluted reggaeton as they please. Purists might balk at how they choose to do so but La Revolucion is more about expanding the duo's sound while making sure that high quality control is still in effect. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The third in a series of various-artists albums featuring the roster of WY Records, Wisin & Yandel Presentan: La Mente Maestra showcases the lesser-known associates of reggaetón superstars Wisin & Yandel. The roster of associates is slightly different on La Mente Maestra than on its predecessors, Los Vaqueros (2006) and Los Vaqueros Wild Wild Mixes (2007), showcasing vocalists Jayko, Franco "El Gorila," and Gadiel as well as producers Nesty "La Mente Maestra" and Victor "El Nasi." In addition, Tony Dize, Alexis & Fido, and Tico "El Imigrante" show up as featured guests. Relative to its predecessors, La Mente Maestra doesn't offer many thrills over the course of its 48-minute running time. The couple highlights are sequenced early, beginning with the lead single, "Me Estas Tentando," one of only a precious few Wisin & Yandel contributions to La Mente Maestra. Driven by an electro-fashioned beat and graced with a melodic hook, "Me Estas Tentando" is one of Wisin & Yandel's better singles and should do a lot to promote La Mente Maestra upon the album's initial release. Unfortunately, the only other clear highlight is the subsequent song, "Sex," a solo showcase for Jayko that is strikingly similar in style. This turn toward club-oriented electro productions and R&B-leaning melodies served Wisin & Yandel well in the past, as "Noche de Sexo" and "Sexy Movimiento" in particular come to mind. Both of those songs were produced by Nesty "La Mente Maestra" and Victor "El Nasi," whose talents are on vivid display throughout La Mente Maestra (hence the album's title, a nod to Nesty, whose longstanding alliance with Wisin & Yandel was evidently valued enough to earn him such billing). In fact, once the album-opening highlights pass, the production work of Nesty and Victor becomes the most interesting aspect of La Mente Maestra -- the Alexis & Fido feature, "Superheroe," standing out above all -- as they push reggaetón in new directions stylistically, toward American R&B and European dance in particular. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
'Los Extraterrestres'
Release Date 11/6/2007
Tracks 19
Label Machete Music
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
By the time Wisin & Yandel released Los Extraterrestres, the veteran reggaeton duo was a well-oiled hitmaking machine. It had taken them a half-decade to break into the mainstream with Pa'l Mundo (2005), a chart-topping album that spawned a long string of singles, including the number one hit "Llame Pa' Verte." In the wake of Pa'l Mundo, Wisin & Yandel began leveraging their newfound mass appeal: they established their own boutique label (WY Records), formed their own supporting group (Los Vaqueros), and begun flooding the marketplace with product, including a deluxe edition of Pa'l Mundo (featuring the number one hit "Pam Pam"), a group album (Los Vaqueros), a remix album (Los Vaqueros: Wild Wild Mixes), a live CD/DVD (Tomando Control), and a collection of repackaged archival material (2010 Lost Edition). Plus, they were featured on a Top 20 hit by Don Omar ("No Se de Ella 'My Space'") that was as much their song as his, and for good measure, they struck a deal with Microsoft to market the Zune MP3 player. Given the machine-like productivity of Wisin & Yandel throughout 2006 and 2007, it's no surprise that Los Extraterrestres is workmanlike and well-executed, serving up everything fans will expect, beginning with a sure-fire lead single, "Sexy Movimiento" -- everything except surprises, that is. At a point in time when fellow reggaeton figureheads such as Daddy Yankee, Tego Calderón, and Calle 13 were pushing the boundaries of the style in their own respective ways, Wisin & Yandel chose to return with a safe album that should do nothing to alienate their fan base. This is good news for those who enjoy state-of-the-art reggaeton without any experimentation, for even the two songs that feature English-language rap artists ("Control," featuring Eve; "Jangueo," Fat Joe) are stylistically straightforward. Moreover, the employment of first-rate producers Nesty, Tainy, El Nasi, and Monserrate and DJ Urba in the place of Wisin & Yandel's former beatmakers-in-chief, Luny Tunes, ensures the quality of the music. Couple this with the veteran approach of Wisin & Yandel, who bring their A-game here, and the result is a new-yet-familiar album sure to please the duo's fan base, and likely grow it as well as the hits mount. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
'Tomando Control: Live'
Release Date 9/25/2007
Tracks 17
Label Machete Music
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Impressive. Wisin & Yandel's long slow climb to the top of the reggaeton world is impressive. Their ability to pack in tens of thousands of fans as seen on their 2007 production Tomando Control is impressive. Their list of guest artists is impressive. On Machete Music's Tomando Control: Live, Wisin & Yandel perform two marathon sets of their most popular material, showcased on both an audio CD and live DVD. Reggaeton heavyweights Tony Dize, Don Omar, Fonsi, and others take the stage alongside reggaeton's original duo. Backed by a live band and surrounded by gyrating dancers, Wisin & Yandel sweat and spit lyrics totaling a whopping 18 tracks. Less impressive than all of those factors is the sound quality. The live band (which is drowned out completely by the canned rhythm tracks heard on their records) is set so far back in the mix that they only color the overall sound. Both Wisin and Yandel, when singing with their own backing tracks, sound pitchy and inaccurate. The balance between voices and backing tracks is off enough that the music sounds neutered rather than bumping. All of these weaker points are less noticeable on the DVD, when there's more to focus on. On the disc they're harder to ignore. That said, it's exciting to hear the crowd of several thousand strong screaming at the top of their lungs for reggaeton's most accomplished duo. The genre is new to the live concert CD format, making Wisin & Yandel pioneers once again. That is both Tomando Control's strength and weakness. [This edition of Tomando Control: Live features the CD but not the accompanying DVD.] ~ Evan C. Gutierrez, All Music Guide
'2010 Lost Edition'
Release Date 5/22/2007
Tracks 18
Label Machete Music
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Pa'l Mundo: First Class Delivery'
Release Date 1/1/2007
Tracks 17
Label Universal Spain
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
The success of Pa'l Mundo (2005) elevated Wisin & Yandel to the top bracket of reggaeton performers, especially in terms of hitmaking, and in the wake of this success, the two vocalists used their clout to launch their own sublabel, WY Records, and present an affiliate group, Los Vaqueros. Comprised of Tony Dize, Franco "El Gorila," Gadiel, and El Tío, in addition to Wisin and Yandel, the group made its debut on Los Vaqueros, which essentially is a Wisin & Yandel album with a lot of guest features. The guest list is enhanced by established reggaeton stars Don Omar and Hector el Father, who are featured on the standout songs "Nadie Como Tú" and "El Teléfono," respectively. Granted, several of the songs lacking the presence of either Wisin or Yandel suffer for it, but in most instances, the affiliate members are well capable of carrying songs alone, especially Tony Dize, who is the most promising of the bunch. Album highlights include "Pegao" (Wisin & Yandel), "Dame un Kiss" (Dize), "Nadie Como Tú" (Don Omar, Wisin & Yandel), "Quizás" (Dize), and "Yo Te Quiero" (Wisin & Yandel), though there are many other standout songs as well. Contributing producers are Nesty, El Nasi, Urba, and Monserrate. Los Vaqueros overall doesn't measure up to the heights of Pa'l Mundo, which was laden with massive hit singles, but it's still an impressive album -- one of year's best reggaeton releases, in fact -- and offers plenty of hit-worthy material. Plus, the revolving lineup of vocalists helps ensure variety over the course of this long, 18-track album; consequently, Los Vaqueros plays more like a professionally assembled mixtape rather than a standard major-label full-length. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Reggaeton mainstays Wisin & Yandel upped their profile significantly with Pa'l Mundo, an outstanding genre exercise that put them over the top with major hits like "Rakata," "Llamé Pa' Verte (Bailando Sexy)," and "Noche de Sexo." The duo had been releasing albums as early as 2000 (Los Reyes del Nuevo Milenio), and they'd been featured on such popular albums as Daddy Yankee's Barrio Fino and Luny Tunes' Mas Flow, Vol. 2. But they hadn't yet enjoyed a major hit of their own. Well, Pa'l Mundo certainly changed that, as it's laced with major hits. Each of the aforementioned songs were Top Five hits on the Hot Latin Tracks chart, with "Rakata" topping the chart and "Llamé Pa' Verte (Bailando Sexy)" peaking at number two. Furthermore, "Mayor Que Yo, Pt. 2" is essentially a continuation of the Top Three original, which had been featured on a Luny Tunes album, while "Noche de Sexo" and "Paleta" also got lots of airplay and charted high, all of which only furthered the sense that Wisin & Yandel had finally entered the esteemed ranks of reggaeton superstars like Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, and Tego Calderón. Certainly, they did so with key production by reggaeton's go-to hitmakers, Luny Tunes, who co-produced the bulk of Pa'l Mundo. Luny Tunes were assisted here by Nely, Tainy, Thilo, and Nesty, and the contributions of these co-producers help make the album sound more well-rounded than the average reggaeton album. In fact, the 19 tracks of Pa'l Mundo exhibit a lot of variety for reggaeton circa 2005, and that in itself is to the album's credit, given the often-heard complaint that the style is musically monotonous, driven by subtle twists on one stock rhythm track. What above all helps Wisin & Yandel stand out from their peers, however -- beyond their knack for hits and their stable of ace producers -- is the way the guys complement each other vocally. Their years of experience on the reggaeton circuit finally paid off with dividends on Pa'l Mundo. It's the breakthrough album they'd long worked toward, and it couldn't have happened at a better time, just as reggaeton was breaking into mainstream consciousness. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
'Mi Vida: La Pelicula'
Release Date 3/22/2005
Tracks 10
Label Lideres
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Wisin & Yandel stay on the cutting edge of reggaeton with their 2005 release, Mi Vida: La Pelicula. Though not yet a huge chart success, the Puerto Rican power duo remains a crowd favorite just below the radar of reggaeton superstardom. The hook-writing is often quite tuneful and memorable, and the lyrics are consistently wry. Wisin & Yandel have made a name for themselves with their quick-witted wordplay, and they carry on that tradition with as they spit rhymes as fast as lightning, and just as bright. Though plenty funky, the production never really breaks past rockin' into innovation. There's plenty of swaggering reggaeton fun, but few truly new ideas. The scope of the album definitely suffers from many of the same pitfalls as the genre at large. From the first track to the last, there's virtually no variation in tempo or key. This is a fine point, but can wear on the listener after time, and is a sign that Lideres Records could have profited from a more mature ear in the booth. As this duo distills their potion, and the genre improves with age, it will be interesting to see what new flavors this pair can brew. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez, All Music Guide
