Not all reggaeton acts see need to go "urban"

By Leila Cobo

MIAMI (Billboard) - As reggaeton continues to evolve, and as Latin rhythmic stations increasingly add pop and other rhythms to their playlists, many acts are beginning to label themselves as "urban" rather than reggaeton.

And that label indeed fits a number of acts whose main focus is rap or hip-hop but who make some music with a reggaeton base. It also fits acts that capitalized on the reggaeton craze and now are ready to follow suit with the next thing.

Not so for top sellers Wisin & Yandel, whose album "Los Extraterrestres" is due November 6 on Machete, and for Tito El Bambino, whose album "It's My Time" (EMI Televisa) debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Latin Rhythmic Albums chart in the October 20 issue. Both acts unabashedly label themselves "reggaeton," despite the fact that today, only 10 Nielsen BDS-monitored stations fall under the Latin rhythmic category and play large doses of the music.

"I am a reggaeton act, I sing reggaeton, that's what I do," Wisin said. "And I do very well with it."

While "Los Extraterrestres" sounds like an evolution of Wisin & Yandel's previous album, "Pa'l Mundo," Tito's "It's My Time" sounds more like a departure. The album is the follow-up to 2005's "Top of the Line," which was more romantic-tinged, pop-leaning reggaeton.

This time, Tito said, he did include more romantic tracks, among them a bachata duet with Toby Love (bachata is a guitar-based variation on romantic Cuban bolero that originated in the Dominican Republic). But in general, he went for a more rhythmically hardcore album.

"My fans wanted it to be more reggaeton," he said, noting that he carefully reads blogs and fan Web sites. Some acts, he said, "mix in many genres and rhythms, and they lose the essence of what our music is and what made us popular in the first place."

"Los Extraterrestres" and "It's My Time" are highly dance-driven, but with catchy singles that can play not only on Latin rhythmic stations but also on tropical and pop outlets. The danceability, a key factor in making reggaeton popular in the first place, remains the selling point today, particularly among younger audiences.