Arrasando

Background and recording

In 1997, Thalia released her fifth studio album, "Amor a la Mexicana", which was certified 2x Platinum in Argentina, Chile, Spain and United States, later she starred the Mexican telenovela Rosalinda, in 1999. During the time, the singer started recording her sixth album, claiming that, "she wanted to prepare a quality product, so it took almost a year to make it." "It's true that it took a while but it worth the wait, because it comes as the album title says, 'triumphing' (Spanish: Arrasando) strongly internationally." For the album, Thalia wrote nine tracks, with the help of other songwriters, such as Kike Santander and Roberto Blades, while Emilio Estefan Jr. produced the album. EMI Latin's press manager Rosario Valeriano claimed that, "All we know is that Mr. Stefan trusted Thalia, when it comes to writing her own music, and this shows that aside from singing very well, she can also show how good she is on the writing part."

Composition and songs

In "Arrasando", Thalia experiments with different musical genres, besides the traditional latin pop, the album also takes large influence on dance music and rap. Lyrically, it is an album that deals with her own life experiences. EMI's press manager claimed that, "This album, which has 12 tracks, will supply everyone's needs, because it has Latin tracks, such as the Brazilian batucada, and others that they will enjoy." He further added, "Something that people will like is a song in the vein of Cher, where Thalia does an excellent job. Actually, this song and the other ones have different styles." Thalia herself commented about the album's multiple styles, saying, "My music has always been Latin pop, but in this record it has a dance vibe, a little bit of rap and R&B, in a way that they blend perfectly."

The album opens with the slow "Entre el mar y una estrella" ("Between the Sea and a Star"), which was praised by critics, who called it a "majestic" song. "Regresa a mí" ("Come Back to Me") follows, with its dance style and Thalia's autotuned vocals, while the third track "Reencarnación" ("Reincarnation"), co-written by Draco Rosa, is a heavily dance-inspired track about reincarnation. The fourth and title track, the techno-infused "Arrasando" ("Triumphing"), was considered "tailor-made for peak-hour club play". The fifth track is the soothing "No Hay Que Llorar" ("There's no Need to Cry"), while "Tumba la Casa" follows the high-energy style of previous songs. The album also recorded a version of Miriam Makeba's hit "Pata Pata", while the closing track, "Rosalinda", the theme song of Thalía's telenovela of the same name, being the most traditionally Mexican song on the set.

Critical reception

The album received mainly positive reviews from music critics. Jason Birchmeier of Allmusic gave the album a rating of 3.5. out of 5 stars, claiming that Arrasando, "firmly established her as a full-fledged superstar in 2000," calling the album "a trendy one, very much of its time – that is, right at the turn of the millennium, when high-intensity, trancy dance music was all the rage in fashionable circles." Birchemeier also noted the "abundance of synthesizers and dance beats, as well as its ecstatic choruses, which seem to reach for the stars song after song." He also noted that "it certainly differs from its predecessor (Amor a la Mexicana) and successor (Thalia). All are among her best efforts, with Arrasando being probably the most contrived. It's more adventurous than the streamlined Thalia, yet it's not as free-flowing as Amor a la Mexicana. Of the three, it surely sounds the most dated, and for all these reasons, it's a strangely curious album, very evocative of its time."

Joey Guerra wrote for Amazon.com that the album is "the singer¹s most focused collection to date," where "Thalia and Estefan blend salsa, rap, reggae, cumbia, and aggressive club beats into one irresistible mix." Guerra called the songs "Regresa a Mi," "Pata Pata," and "Siempre Hay Carino," "infectious", claiming that "Thalia proves equally adept at ballads, particularly on the majestic first single, 'Entre el Mar y una Estrella'." "Arrasando" was nominated for two Latin Grammy Awards of 2001, one in Best Female Pop Vocal Album (losing to Christina Aguilera's debut Spanish album "Mi Reflejo") and "Best Engineered Album" (which led her to win). It was also nominated for Pop Album of the Year at the Lo Nuestro Awards of 2001, losing to Paulina by fellow Mexican singer Paulina Rubio.

Commercial performance

"Arrasando" was a success on the charts, debuting at number-one on the Latin Pop Albums chart and number 4 on the Top Latin Albums chart; both component of Billboard Magazine charts. It fared even better on the Argentina, Mexico and Spain charts, peaking at number-one. The album was also certified 2x Platinum by RIAA, for selling over 200,000 copies solely in the United States. Worldwide, the album has sold over 1,5 million copies.

Singles

The album's lead-single "Entre el mar y una estrella" was released on 28 March 2000. The ballad became a success on the chart, peaking at number-one on the Hot Latin Tracks, Latin Pop Airplay and Latin Tropical/Salsa Airplay charts. The album's second single "Regresa a mí" peaked moderately on the charts, where on the Hot Latin Tracks, it peaked at number 19, on the Latin Pop Airplay, it peaked at number 12. The third single, the title track "Arrasando", only went to peak at number 25 on the Latin Pop Airplay chart. A version in English, called "It's My Party", was also released.

The album's fourth single "Reencarnación" fared a little better, peaking at number 30 on the Hot Latin Tracks and number 17 on the Latin Pop Airplay. The fifth single, "Rosalinda", charted on the Hot Latin Tracks at number 46, on the Latin Pop Airplay at number 23 and on the Latin Tropical/Salsa Airplay at number 37. "Menta y Canela" was released as a promotional single in Mexico, during 2000.

Standard edition