💽 GRASA by Nathy Peluso

Grease: It’s slick, but it implies grit. So flows Nathy Peluso’s Latin rap record named for the stuff, Grasa. In a genre fluid sweep of reggaeton, salsa, and hip hop, Peluso delivers knockout combos of all-out bangers and tender ballads that land the final devastating blow. Peluso’s voice carries the record, wringing emotion out of every expertly expelled breath. As often as  my C+ level Spanish fails me in keeping up with the lyrics, her delivery on the mic sets each song in its own distinct mood.  Take opener “CORLEONE,” a  lamenco melodrama that Peluso names for The Godfather, to reflect on her fame and ambition. Over brooding strings, she recounts an airport facetime, luxuriating in each syllable, and wailing her bestie’s name like a trombone: “a mi amigaaa Ta-ti-aaaanaaaaa”.

Peluso’s voice has more character than delicacy. It’s  smoky and muscular with the least bit of rasp. Her vibrato rings in both gut and mask.  It serves her well when rapping at breakneck speed, like track two “APRENDER A AMAR,” where she details the hustle and grind, with the chorus:“Tienes que aprender a amarte (Perra),” meaning : “You have to learn to love yourself, bitch”

The album is packed with these back-to-back switch ups of the stately and the stomping. The glitchy pump-up “MANHATTAN” spares no hype in depicting New York’s frantic thrust, but ends with a hilarious operatic swell,  complete with drawn out harmonies and strings. It eases the transition into the Blood Orange assisted “EL DÍA QUE PERDÍA MI JUVENTUD”—a touching reflection on lost youth led by an  achingly gorgeous fingerpicked guitar.

Such twists supply  the record’s energy. The  limber, shapeshifting production seals  the variety of sounds and instruments within a smooth emulsion, a grasa if you will. In its free-wheeling, experimental approach to Latin music the record is a strong, pop-streamlined successor to Rosalia’s Motomami.

 Whether spitting furious bars, crooning a swanky lounge tune, or belting her heart out, Nathy Peluso is always  the suave and determined  driver in the chaos of her own ascendancy. She has a grasa all her own.

What I’m into:

It’s brat summer, but you knew that already. Charli XCX’s record of emotional bangers is perfect for crying on the way to the club and letting it all out on the dance floor.

What im excited for:

This week, I’m opening an art show titled “Both Sides Now” at Bushwick’s Living Skin gallery, thinking of it as a mix of my greatest hits and B-sides. In addition to the opening reception, we’re hosting a poetry night featuring a few of my favorite poets: Ameya Lee Calvocoressi, Izzy Casey, and Rousz DeLuca