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Music

Danny Ocean Is the New King of Reggaeton

His two new singles,"Dembow" and "Vuelve" show us the future of pop music.,
Meredith Balkus
translated by Meredith Balkus
Brooklyn, US

A version of this article originally appeared on Noisey en Español. Leer en Español .

In life, there are beautiful situations—phases that are unforgettable and honey-filled, and stages that we never want to forget. We want them to move slowly, to be sweet and soft as velvet; for them to touch our lives and never hit the ground with a shatter.

World Cup championships, the kisses of a partner back when they still loved you, your dream job, ideal pant size, or your mother's cooking—these are some of the sandcastles that we hope will stand forever. Unfortunately, everything ends. The sweeter phases of life always come to a close, although I'm more inclined to agree with Jorge Drexler when he sings "Nada se pierde, todo se transforma." Nothing is lost, everything is transformed.

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Danny Ocean's 2016 single "Me Rehúso" continues its reign over streets, city sidewalks, Spotify playlists, clubs, humid rooms in which people make love, and social media statuses throughout Latin America. The song's popularity will never end: It'll only be transformed over time, and that's a good thing. It'll be tattooed on our souls and will make us all into better people. But "the show must go on," as the old performance parlance goes, and so must we. Which is why it's quite fortunate that Danny Ocean just released two new songs that will probably be on his first EP, "Dembow" and "Vuelve."

Present-day pop music and the pop of the future will both move through these sonorous paths. We're experiencing a transformation of popular music rarely experienced by the Latino community. Sure, we've been relevant many a time, but in this particular moment in mainstream music, being Latino and having Latino roots is an asset. It's a source of great pride: From the murder of indigenous peoples and the suffering of our ancestors to all the times that our grandmothers and aunts forced us to learn how to dance salsa, cumbia, or guaracha—everything from the tambores that give Latin music its characteristic rhythm to the taco vendors on street corners makes up the mixture of the people we are today, and gives life to and the shared heritage that's currently dominating popular music. Globalization occupies an important place in modern music, and as we've learned from "Despacito" and "Mi Gente," the results are both beautiful and memorable.

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The Justin Biebers, Ed Sheerans, and Demi Lovatos of the world have all had to "Latinize" their music in order to reach the top of the charts and win over the hearts of all seven continents. There's no better time to be proud of our roots and leave social prejudices behind. Dancing has never been so vital and important, so let's be happy: In Latin America, the pop of the future is being made.

For proof, check out Danny Ocean's two new singles below:

Dembow:

Vuelve:

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