María y José - "Club Negro"


As the anticipation for María y José's first ever (and much-deserved) appearance at Corona Capital builds, the líder juvenil just keeps teasing his devoted fan base with fresh tracks from the upcoming Rey de Reyes. "Club Negro," as Matinée as Hell also touched on, marks a significant turn in Tony’s sound in that his projects are clearly starting to influence each other. A fact that partly explains why this new single is the perfect follow-up to this summer’s “Tormento.” While “Tormento” channeled Gosling-in-Drive bravado with a wounded heart, there was also a looming threat that hung in the air. In "Club Negro," that threat finally explodes into complete chaos, leaving behind a mess of carnage on the dance floor.

Set to a ferocious tribal beat, the song finds Tony assuming two distinct voices. The first describes a wild night of dancing and grinding, further highlighted by its sweat-inducing and hedonistic arpeggios. As the tropical drums kick in, an evil presence (almost demonic) enters the club, unleashing a round of gunfire that leaves no survivors. There's even a line which declares “sus cuerpos no saldrán en tele nacional, a nadie le importa, ganamos el mundial.” Unsettling, sure. But it definitely exposes the realities (and priorities) of the Mexican press. And though it ranks among María y José's darkest work to date, there's another side to it (especially within the clean production) which hints at some mainstream/top 40 aspirations. For fans of Tony this will hardly come as a surprise. In fact, it’s about time the quality of his recordings matched the giant he really is. Even if “Club Negro” doesn’t take over the radio, we all know it’s a complete hitazo.