From a business perspective, Ozuna and Anuel AA represent the vanguard of the 21st century artist-driven model. Each artist has their own label—and owns their master recordings—and has marketing and distribution deals with major-label reach. They frequently work with peers, and carefully choose English-language collaborators to expand their audiences. Growing up at the same time in different parts of San Juan, they entered the music industry from different angles but remained friends, their paths occasionally crossing as they racked up views on YouTube and dominated the charts.
So their first collaborative LP Los Dioses makes a lot of sense on paper. Combining star power in service of world domination is a tried-and-true recipe for success (Watch the Throne, Oasis), and their goals seem to dovetail quite nicely. Anuel has spent the past two years since his release from prison staking out mainstream territory with the Shaggy riddim-riding “China” and his duet “Secreto” with the Colombian singer (and current novia) Karol G; a collaborative LP with one of Latin music’s biggest stars is the next logical step to commercial success. And while Ozuna has been one of the most bankable artists of the last few years, his last album Nibiru was disappointingly saccharine, making the prospect of rubbing up against Anuel’s grit even more appealing, even if the latter rapper has been forced to apologize for bigotry in his lyrics.
And it works, with some caveats. The title track’s beat is a fresh reminder of the flavor and syncopation that Latin artists and producers can bring to trap. “RD” captures this feeling too, even if the lyrics are disappointingly focused on sex tourism. And the drill beat on “Maria” knocks, but it feels a bit like cosplay when contrasted with actual drill rappers like Sie7etr3. It might not break any new ground, but the A-level production is consistently excellent.
Across Los Dioses’ 12 tracks, Anuel and Ozuna dabble in several branches of the musica urbana family tree, with a well-sequenced mix of trap, drill (“Maria”), R&B ballads (“Perfecto”), and reggaetón. “Perreo” is a relatively straightforward but undeniably propulsive dancefloor anthem. They even dabble in the increasingly popular Mexican folk revival on “Municiones”—yet more evidence of the rising influence of Natanael Cano’s Trap Tumbado movement. It’s slickly produced, with a familiar roster of beatmakers (Tainy, DJ Luian, Subelo Neo, Mambo Kingz) responsible for some of Bad Bunny’s biggest hits.
But Los Dioses’ lyrical concepts are somewhat tired, packed with mostly boring tropes about disposable women, expensive cars and jewelry, and smoking weed. And Ozuna’s pitch on “Perfecto”—that he’s kind of a bastard, but he won’t apologize so don’t hate him—is at once baffling and impressively brazen. In spite of this, the songs are somewhat redeemed by the vocal performances. These are two artists that understand the unique timbre of their voices—the sweet softness of Ozuna’s croon, the gruff rumble of Anuel’s growl—and how they play off of each other. It’s especially prevalent when they harmonize on hooks (“100”), each occupying their own register, with a combined impact neither could deliver on their own.
Los Dioses is a perfectly serviceable—enjoyable, even—LP. But in a space defined by artists riffing on established genres, the ones that distinguish themselves add new flavor and personality with each release. And after Bad Bunny’s monumental 2020 obliterated the boundaries of both what urbano sounds like and how its stars engage with their audience, making an impact requires more than doubling down on big-name collaborations. While Ozuna and Anuel remain some of Spanish-language music’s biggest stars, Los Dioses will do nothing to prevent them from being eclipsed.
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