Of Dominican reggaeton acts and clichéd pillows…
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[5.43]
Josh Langhoff: Ozuna’s voice, a dreamy tenor that floats like the offspring of a Human League synth line and a fluffy throw pillow, has dominated reggaeton this year, partly because it serves as ideal counterpoint to the more assertive brassiness of his duet partners. Whether he and Natasha are sing-rapping in the same range or an octave apart, they turn this midtempo romantic metaphor into something warm and inviting. Every stolen heart becomes a hug, every syncopation an invitation, each echoing synth a welcome dip into the sensory deprivation tank.
[6]
Will Adams: Somehow, Natti Natasha and Ozuna conjure up chemistry despite their differences in approach: she goes sultry, he goes pinched. The lethargic, too slow arrangement lets them down, however.
[5]
Alfred Soto: Robo-Rihanna vocal over cod reggaeton.
[3]
Juana Giaimo: Natti Natasha’s confident vocals overshadow Ozuna’s high-pitched, autotuned, and rather unbearable voice. Still, she is not enough to save this repetitive, sluggish reggaeton track.
[4]
Nortey Dowuona: A nice, understated groove with bouncy and crisp drums, popping bass and clinking guitar, where you can find Natti Natasha reading and chilling while Ozuna tries too hard to have fun and not mess up the vibe.
[7]
Micha Cavaseno: My existential despair, as yet another pop reggaeton single with sultry vibes manages to overpower my general conditioning against the genre. Both Natti and Ozuna work the edge of forlorn and lovestruck to suit the ebb and flow of the track, gentle rock that never works hard to convince the listener of its romantic passion but still delivers a performance of note.
[7]
Ryo Miyauchi: “Criminal” gives in to the comfort of cliché. Stealing one’s heart is far from a novel metaphor in pop. Neither is the song’s breezy reggaeton rock in 2017. But Ozuna shamelessly indulges in the predictability nonetheless, as if there’s nothing he can do but sing to shake it off.
[6]