Karol G Feels It All on the Vulnerable ‘No Me Arrepiento de Sentir Tanto — Rolling Stone

RESOLVING THE LEDGER

Karol G Feels It All on the Vulnerable ‘No Me Arrepiento de Sentir Tanto — Rolling Stone | AIPROPX

It's been a little over a year since Karol G invited us into the glitzy, ambitious world of Tropicoqueta where she took on the role of a showgirl to thread together the varied sounds of Latin pop and enticed the world to dance along. But what happens when the showgirl goes home, wipes off her makeup, and is left to sit with her dark blue feelings? Welcome to No Me Arrepiento de Sentir Tanto , which translates to I Don't Regret Feeling So Much .

On her sixth studio album, the Colombian superstar steps away from the globe-trotting adventure of Tropicoqueta and peels back the curtain to reveal a more intimate space: the moody one inside her bedroom. Here, the singer gets more vulnerable than ever as she details the past year, and all of its challenges, chief among them a highly break-up from fellow Colombian musician Feid, plus career criticism, family issues, and more.

Written partly during a solo trip to Hawaii, No Me Arrepiento de Sentir Tanto is a sharply focused album that's as transparent as its title suggests, never shying away from the tumultuous emotions that follow the end of a relationship. We've seen Karol here before on Mañana Será Bonito , the historic, life-altering LP that brought her stadium-level success . But where that album centered on coming out of a break-up unscathed, No Me Arrepiento de Sentir Tanto is about choosing to wallow in the sadness — and uncovering a whole new power in that choice.

True to the messy nature of a break-up, the 14-song track list mirrors all of the tug and pull phases of heartbreak. There's that first burst of rage on the ferocious hyperpop album opener "Te Llevas To," where Karol declares, "Eres un cabrón … te importa zero." A few tracks later, she's written love off forever on the alt-perreo "Bebiendo Lágrimas." By the time Drake hops on the sultry late-summer stunner "Ahí," the Colombian singer just wants to forget about the past and have a good time. With Champagne Papi doing his best Spanish-language vocals, she does just that. It doesn't last long. Editor’s picks The 250 Greatest Albums of the 21st Century So Far The 100 Best TV Episodes of All Time The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century

On the contemplative album highlight "Final Feliz," Karol is back in her feelings, unable to shake the pain of her loss. "Si no vas a estar / No hay final feliz," she sings, her delicate falsetto almost cracking over Oklou's syncopated beats. That overwhelming sadness reigns across No Me Arrepiento de Sentir Tanto as Karol grapples with the grief of losing not just her relationship, but the illusion of forever and the future she saw for herself.

Even in the middle of her solitude, Karol made sure to invite collaborators into the studio to piece together the varied sounds that ripple and sway throughout No Me Arrepiento de Sentir Tanto . Of course, her trusty producers Edgar Barrera, Ovy On The Drums, and Sky Rompiendo make an appearance but the LP also features a ton of exciting first-time collaborators from Bruno Mars, Drake, Oklou, Judeline, and the Spanish artist/producer Rusowsky. Karol even tapped Tainy once more, after finally working with him on last fall's "Única," his expert percussion forceful enough to get anyone to dance through their heartbreak.