Happy One Year of ya no somos los mismos to all those who celebrate.
It’s been one year since Spotify put one of the songs off this album in my Release Radar playlist. One year since I listened to the entirety of the album by Elsa y Elmar for the first time. One year of listening to these songs every single week (just ask my Spotify Wrapped). One year of pouring over these songs and finding new meaning with every listen.
The art of the album experience is getting lost in this new age of streaming music. So often are artists trying to create the next biggest single that the album as a whole is constantly not thought of enough. Sometimes you stumble upon some gems though and this album is one of them. Much like Misterwives’s Superbloom, ya no somos los mismos walks you through a relationship that is ending.
The first track, “amantes y amigos”, grieves over the end of a relationship. It reminisces over the good times and aches for the moments that were unfulfilled. Elsa y Elmar’s vocals sound desperate at times, the ache of what could have been ringing through the chorus. Each song tries to make sense of the heartache that she’s feeling. With every new track you find a version of her pain that she’s discovering; it’s all extremely relatable in the best way possible.
Though the sound of the album is eclectic, the vulnerability is a common theme that she doesn’t deviate from. There’s two tracks, “hasta dónde se enamora” and “rompers” which are a pop lover’s dream. The only feature on the album is on “tal para cual”, where Joe Arroyo comes in for the perfect duet (a Colombian salsa and tropical music singer), enforcing her pride in her Colombian culture. Then there’s the sensual, “atravesao”, which will make your hips move to the perfect bachata.
The beauty of this album is that there’s a song for every layer that you go through in a heartbreak. This album is nuanced, nostalgic and helps you grow. I discovered it when I was in a music slump, I was listening to the same 5 albums over and over again, with the joy of the listening slowly dwindling. In came Elsa y Elmar, with her heart on display and I was immediately hooked. I have always craved music that feels intimate and ya no somos los mismos feels like a diary entry I shouldn’t have read.
I have listened to this album every single day since the April 28, 2022 and I’m still discovering lyrics and moments from it that I absolutely love. If you listen to anything I ever tell you, let it be this: listen to this album, read the lyrics, sway to the music and let it heal you.
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