вЂњWe went from, if we put out a record and itвЂ™s not reggaeton, nothing is going to happen, to, you know what - thereвЂ™s a chance.вЂќ вЂњEverybodyвЂ™s cheering for Rauw and for Kali,вЂќ says Nir Seroussi, executive vice president of Interscope Records. Kali UchisвЂ™ вЂњTelepatГaвЂќ made it all the way to Number One on the Latin airplay chart this week despite being closer to breathy Eighties funk than reggaeton. вЂњTodo De TiвЂќ comes at a time when the sound of mainstream Latin hits appears to be loosening, slipping out from under reggaetonвЂ™s long shadow. For other artists, вЂњitвЂ™s like, shit, now we can do whatever we want to do.вЂќ

вЂњWhen Rauw decided to drop вЂTodo De Ti,вЂ™ for English speakers itвЂ™s just a pop record, but for Spanish speakers, nobody in his genre is doing that and having the success heвЂ™s having,вЂќ adds Alvaro Diaz, who has known Alejandro for years and co-wrote four songs on Vice Versa. вЂњEvery once in a while an artist comes and sets a trend,вЂќ Perez notes. Some artists and executives in the Latin music industry see AlejandroвЂ™s power-pop curveball, part of his new Vice Versa album, as more than just a hit. вЂњIt surpassed all expectations and went global immediately,вЂќ Perez says happily. How True Is 'Respect'? Fact-Checking the Aretha Franklin BiopicД«ut any skepticism ultimately proved unwarranted: вЂњTodo De TiвЂќ has been a resounding commercial success, one of the Top Five most popular songs on SpotifyвЂ™s Global chart for all of June, and a rising hit in the U.S. We said, вЂweвЂ™ll support you.вЂ™ But we have something different on our hands - I donвЂ™t like to use this word, but we were a little skeptical of how it would work out.вЂќ

вЂњWith вЂTodo De TiвЂ™ there was a chance it wouldnвЂ™t even make the album. Unlike вЂњFantasiasвЂќ and вЂњReloj,вЂќ melodic reggaeton lay-ups that became charting hits for Alejandro, this was nu-new-wave itвЂ™s no surprise that members of the singerвЂ™s team were taken aback when they heard вЂњTodo De Ti.вЂќ вЂњRauw was like, вЂI have this record, I feel it can be different, but I want to be ready with another one in case it doesnвЂ™t work out,'вЂќ recalls John Eddie Perez, senior manager of A&R and marketing at AlejandroвЂ™s label, Sony Latin. вЂњTodo De TiвЂќ also opens up with a sprightly synthesizer that wouldnвЂ™t be out of place at a local barвЂ™s Eighties night. While reggaeton loops served as the jet fuel that helped launch Spanish-language pop into global prominence during the 2010s, the drums in AlejandroвЂ™s new single are flat and square, landing on the second and fourth beat and ignoring the lurching syncopation that makes reggaeton lethal on dancefloors. In March, the Puerto Rican singer Rauw Alejandro played вЂњTodo De TiвЂќ for his label for the first time.

Vice versa band