Paraíso Express

Paraíso Express
Studio album by Alejandro Sanz
Released November 10, 2009 (Worldwide)
Recorded 2008—2009
Barcelona, Spain
New York City
Genre Latin music, Latin rock
Language Spanish and English
Label WEA Latina
Producer Tommy Torres
Alejandro Sanz chronology
El Tren de los Momentos: En Vivo Desde Buenos Aires
(2007)		 Paraíso Express
(2009)		 Canciones Para Un Paraíso En Vivo
(2010)
Singles from Paraíso Express
  1. "Looking for Paradise"
    Released: September 22, 2009
  2. "Desde Cuándo"
    Released: February 2, 2010
  3. "Nuestro Amor Será Leyenda"
    Released: May 18, 2010
  4. "Lola Soledad"
    Released: October 15, 2010

Paraíso Express is the ninth studio album recorded by Spanish singer-songwriter Alejandro Sanz. It was produced by Tommy Torres, mixed by Bob Clearmountain, mastered by Ted Jensen, and was released worldwide in late November 2009. This album is the follow-up to the Grammy Award winning album El Tren de los Momentos. All the tracks included were written by Sanz, along with several writers, a first for the singer, and also the first album without help by Emmanuele Rufinengo and Lulo Pérez, his longtime producing team. Paraíso Express received a nomination for an Album of the Year and won Best Male Pop Vocal Album at the Latin Grammy Awards of 2010. It is also won a Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album in 2011.

Background information

In July 2009, Alejandro Sanz confirmed through his official website that he was finalizing the details of his long-awaited new album, the first since 2006, El Tren de los Momentos, which was awarded with the Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album and sold 120,000 units in United States.[1] In one of his posts, the singer broadcast a video that showed Sanz and American singer Alicia Keys recording a music video in New York. Keys also made public the fact that she was featured on both a video and a song with Sanz, through her Twitter account.[2] The remaining details of the album recording were a mystery.[2] The only fact revealed was that Tommy Torres would be producing the album.[2] Furthermore, Sanz was focused during this time on the preparation of a live performance along Colombian singer-songwriter Juanes on July 26 in Honduras.[2] Before the release of the first single, Sanz asked to his fans and friends to send him to his website their ideas about paradise. "I was surprised that everyone was talking nearby havens that have to do with family, friends", stressed the composer during the press conference held for the album presentation.[3] The album title was made public on September 4, 2009.[4] The song "Looking for Paradise" was premiered on a fan club members-only section of Sanz's official site on September 18, 2009. In the track both singers performs lyrics in English and Spanish.[1]

Singles

The first single yielded from the album, "Looking for Paradise", was preceded by a viral campaign in which fans and friends of the artist were asked to send him ideas of paradise. The song, a collaboration with American singer Alicia Keys, became another number-one hit for Sanz in the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart, and the first for Keys in this chart. The album debuted at the top of the charts in Spain and the Latin charts in United States, and eventually peaked at number-one in México. "Desde Cuándo" was released as the second single of the album in 2010.

Style

It is more of a rock album than my past releases, with more elegant and positive lyrics and a happier and more rhythmic spirit.

Alejandro Sanz, Billboard Magazine[1]

This album marks Sanz' return to the light-hearted and melancholy song styles he had in his 2000 album El Alma Al Aire, after going through more experimental or alternative stages in his two previous albums. According to Sanz, the songs included on Paraíso Express are the happiest of his career as a songwriter, but they are not "autobiographical" or "have a lot of his life", they are "common themes and attitudes of people."[3] "Mi Peter Punk", deals with the issue of "those people who does not enjoy the stages of life"; "Hice Llorar Hasta los Angeles", refers to the author religious beliefs; "Lola Soledad" is a tribute to a very special woman in his life; and "Looking for Paradise" is about the search for a paradise for everyone of us.[3] With Paraíso Express traded his trademark flamenco arrangements and Latin percussion beats, in order to get closer to a pop and British rock style. Sanz said that this was something different, "it could be a step forward or backward."[3] On his work relationship with Torres, Sanz told: "Tommy did a perfect interpretation in that sense. Everything flowed in a very natural way."[1]

The songs were recorded in Barcelona, Spain, and "Looking for Paradise" in New York City on Alicia Keys recording places and studio. When Sanz revealed the track listing and the official cover for the album, he said that the album was almost soft rock, and the music is more happy and calmed that the past albums.

Track listing

No. TitleWriter(s)Producer(s) Length
1. "Mi Peter Punk"  Sanz, TorresTorres 3:45
2. "Desde Cuándo" (feat. string arrangements by David Campbell)Sanz, TorresTorres 3:55
3. "Looking for Paradise" (featuring Alicia Keys)Sanz, Torres, KeysTorres 4:33
4. "Yo Hice Llorar Hasta los Ángeles" (feat. string arrangements by David Campbell)Sanz, TorresTorres 4:09
5. "Sin Que Se Note"  Sanz, TorresTorres 4:26
6. "Lola Soledad"  Sanz, TorresTorres 3:33
7. "Pero Esta Tarde No Te Vas"  Sanz, TorresTorres 4:22
8. "Mala"  Sanz, Torres, WarnerTorres 4:16
9. "Tú No Tienes la Culpa" (feat. string arrangements by David Campbell)SanzTommy Torres 4:39
10. "Nuestro Amor Será Leyenda"  Sanz, TorresTorres 4:40

Charts and sales

Charts

Chart (2009) Peak
position
Mexican Albums Chart[5] 1
Spanish Albums Chart[6] 1
U.S. Billboard Top Latin Albums[7] 1
U.S. Billboard Latin Pop Albums[7] 1
U.S. Billboard 200[7] 84

Sales and certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Argentina (CAPIF)[8] Platinum 40,000x
Mexico (AMPROFON)[9] Platinum 60,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[10] 3× Platinum 180,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Preceded by
She Wolf by Shakira		 Mexican Albums Chart number-one album
November 9, 2009 - November 30, 2009 		Succeeded by
Primera Fila by Thalía
Preceded by
Duermévela by El Barrio		 Spanish Albums Chart number-one album
November 15, 2009 		Succeeded by
Vinagre y Rosas by Joaquín Sabina
Preceded by
Soy by Ednita Nazario		 U.S. Billboard Latin Albums chart number-one album
November 28, 2009 		Succeeded by
The Last by Aventura

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Herrera, Monica (2009-09-22). "Alejandro Sanz recruits Alicia Keys, Sets Date for 'Paradise'". billboard.com. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "El adelanto del nuevo disco de Alejandro Sanz será un dueto con Alicia Keys" (in Spanish). los40.com. 2009-07-22. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Alejandro Sanz: del flamenco al pop anglosajón con 'Paraíso Express'" (in Spanish). lavozlibre.com. 2009-11-12. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
  4. ↑ "El nuevo disco de Alejandro Sanz se llamará 'Paraíso Express'" (in Spanish). popelera.net. 2009-09-04. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
  5. ↑ "Mexican Albums Chart". lescharts.com. 2009-11-28. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
  6. ↑ "Spanish Albums Chart". lescharts.com. 2009-11-15. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
  7. 1 2 3 "Latin Albums". billboard.com. 2009-11-28. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
  8. ↑ "Argentinian album certifications – Alejandro Sanz – Paraiso Express". Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers.
  9. ↑ "Certificaciones – Alejandro Sanz" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas.
  10. ↑ "Spanish album certifications – Alejandro Sanz – Paraiso Express" (PDF) (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Select the "Chart", enter ' in the field "Year". Select ' in the field "Semana". Click on "Search Charts"
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