“Making this album wasn’t easy. It took almost two years to finish,” Ozuna tells Apple Music about OzuTochi, his highly anticipated fifth studio LP. “Because I’m always recording songs, day and night, it’s almost impossible to select 18 tracks when I have almost 100. I’m very demanding and strive for the album to have the unified sonic vision of a single engineer, even though I collaborate with many different producers.” OzuTochi is, above all, a love letter to the reggaetón beat that effectively changed the face of global pop. From the sumptuous joy of “Favorita” to the nimble rhythms of “4:22” to the Afro Caribbean pop rock of “La Copa”, these carefully curated new songs confirm Ozuna’s apparently sunny outlook on life. The album is laden with luminous melodies that can conceivably serve as the backdrop for both a day at the beach and a sweaty evening in the club. “The tracklisting is very important to me,” he explains. “I spend hours listening to my songs on regular headphones and studio speakers, on the tour bus and on my cell phone. The more music we make, the more we learn new things.” Here, Ozuna dissects the songs of OzuTochi, one by one. “Kotodama” “For a long time, I felt that we needed an explosive track of back-to-basics reggaetón. When we got to the studio, I told [producer] Jowny that we need to change the beat, like a fusion of vallenato and reggaetón. I started to sound out the rhythm with my mouth, and the lyrics flowed out of me like that. It’s about a single woman who’s out of control. She’s independent, lives alone and answers to no one. It’s a high-energy track, jumping right into the reggaetón groove.” “Mañana” “This song has a vibe that goes straight for the heart. It was magical from the moment the producers showed me the demo. There’s no need for the song to carry any deep meaning in the lyrics because it has the kind of captivating melody that makes history. It’s like an improved version of what I did on [Klasico’s] ‘Corazón de Seda’.” “Favorita” “Classic Puerto Rican reggaetón, the kind of reggaetón that lies right in the middle—not the sound that remained in the underground, nor the one that became an international phenomenon. I think when people listen to it, they’ll say, ‘This is classic Ozuna.’ It goes for the heart.” “Mar Chiquita” (feat. Pedro Capó) “I love it when the different rhythms become intertwined. There’s vallenato, cumbia, all fused with old-school reggaetón. The drums fade, it turns into something deeply romantic, then they return, and it’s party time. We were considering singers for this one, and we thought of Pedro Capó right away. He returned the completed track in less than 24 hours, and when I heard it, I thought, ‘What an amazing guy.’ I like his vocal line better than mine.” “Te Pienso” “The specific tone is very important in a song. This one arrived to me with the intro and chorus already in place. I added the verses and thought, ‘Wow, this is the kind of romantic vibe that Ozuna fans like’—a story that you can relate to.” “Días y Meses” “Every record has its own unique vibe. At this point, the album was in a melancholy, romantic mood, so it was time to pump up the energy again. ‘Días y Meses’ jumps straight to the chorus, and because my voice keeps shifting, it seems like there are two singers, like a duet, so that boredom never sets in, and you find a new set of colours.” “Un Lio” (feat. Omega) “Omega is a good friend, like a brother. He sent me the track and said, ‘Check this out. You would be amazing in it.’ I got really into it, with its references to the music of Fulanito, the old merengue, merengue-house. I was ruminating about my contribution during two long weeks, until I decided to leave my fears behind. I sent it to him and said, ‘Now you finish it. Just send it back when it’s done.’” “Perreo y Dembow” (feat. El Cherry Scom) “Dembow is taking over the world, and it’s also one of my favourite genres. I wanted to have dembow on this album and also work with El Cherry. There are a number of highly creative artists in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, and we continue to grow. El Cherry, like Omega, is one of them.” “Hey Mor” (feat. Feid) “People from different countries add new elements to reggaetón. Panama added its thing, and also Colombia, Chile and Argentina contribute something different to reggaetón, which happens to be Puerto Rican simply because Puerto Rico elevated it to international status. I love Feid’s music. I feel he represents the history of reggaetón, the essence of the rhythm. I was genuinely moved when he sent me his vocal part. I love his style, which is why I believe in him, and we worked on this track together.” “Vida” “My favourite track of the album. I think it was key to combine reggaetón with a real instrument—in this case, the guitar. As artists, we tend to question everything and ponder about life. I’m talking to myself on this song, but also telling the story of a woman who left. ‘Vida’ was recorded at the same time as ‘Baila Baila Baila’. It’s almost three years old, which shows how long I spent developing this music.” “4:22” (feat. Danny Ocean) “I wrote this entirely by myself. I was drinking some wine on my boat and thought of making a song that would say, ‘It’s 4:22 right now, but this year, I don’t even know where I am.’ We called a session guy who plays the sax; I sang the melody for him, and he played the exact same line. I was totally surprised. I was recording him and saying, ‘This guy is out of control.’ He played exactly what I sang to him. It’s similar to ‘Del Mar’ in tempo and the feeling.” “Te Marchaste” “I wrote this with Genio, one of those composers who will make history. The lyrics kill me because they’re so relatable: the girlfriend who leaves you, just when you thought you were going to share the rest of your life with her. Like when you’re a kid, and you think, ‘We’re gonna do everything together.’ But you’re a kid, and it’s just a fantasy. That exact feeling, in the shape of a song.” “Un Reel” (feat. TINI) “TINI is very special. She’s a good friend. Her music connects with the younger generation. This is one of the songs that demanded a video because the musical connection deserved some visuals so that people know that it didn’t just stay in the recording studio. One day, I’d love to sing this track onstage with TINI in Argentina.” “La Suzi” (feat. Nessi) “One of three songs that came up at the very end. I really connected with the old-school reggaetón sound that’s so unique and has female vocals. But it’s also innovative because we go down the techno path. It’s more than just a reggaetón.” “Somos Iguales” (feat. Louchie Lou, Michie One & Tokischa) “This track had already two guest stars, but when Tokischa arrived, it was like, wait, this is getting real now. I think people may misunderstand Toki. She speaks three languages and knows a lot about many different things. I love working with her. The lyrics say that there are no limits when it comes to love—not your skin colour, that doesn’t matter anymore. We’re all equal because we came here to love one another just the way we are.” “La Copa” “I identify with the music coming out from Mexico and Spain, places where rock vibes reign supreme, and artists like to do things differently. Real artists are versatile, like Romeo Santos, Enrique Iglesias or Shakira. They can sing reggaetón, a ballad or merengue. ‘La Copa’ is like rock pop. It has nothing to do with the soccer World Cup; it’s a cup of wine. The cup fell over—now I’m going into party mode. I thought people would like to hear something different.” “El Cel” (feat. J Balvin, Chencho Corleone, Arcangel & Randy) “The lyrics speak to me because sometimes you don’t want your cell phone to ring anymore. You’re at home, and you’re like, I don’t want any more distractions. Our relationship with cell phones is special because it’s one of the most widely used objects in the world. I wanted to gather together all the greats: Arcangel, Chencho, J Balvin, Randy. It’s like getting all the Pokémons together. A reggaetón classic, I’d say.” “Cielos Rosado” “I sang the riff to Ovy on the Drums and told him, ‘This is what I want to do.’ There are magical songs that land with the rhythm and lyrics in place; you’re dying to go to the studio and express all of it right away. It’s the kind of fusion where the different rhythms sort of play off each other. I wanted to finish the album on a different vibe. People came for the party, but we have other musical surprises in store.”