Song You Need to Know: Feid, El Padrino

Colombian singer worked with Sky Rompiendo on highlight from Inter Shibuya – La Mafia

On Feid’s recent single “Fumeteo,” the Colombian singer demonstrated his knack for polished, radio-ready reggaeton — the track was succinct, percussive, and easily chantable.

Feid draws from this well again on “El Padrino,” a cut from his new album Inter Shibuya – La Mafia. This one is more leisurely, opening with more than 50 seconds of Feid singing accompanied only by plaintive acoustic guitar. His voice is very closely mic’d, so the sound of each gulp of oxygen surges through the track — “Teníamo’ ganas de vernos, un afán de conocernos,” sharp intake of breath — as he sings about his need to “feel eternal pleasure.”

The reggaeton drums arrive just in time to emphasize Feid’s excitement at opening the door and finding a naked woman. He stretches the word “desnuda” across several beats, sending his voice waterfalling down the scale at the same time. This tumbles the listener into a melodic hole, but then the beat drops, catapulting you skyward to dazzling effect. J Balvin is an expert at this type of hooky, cascading vocal — see his song “Azul,” among others — and Balvin’s longtime collaborator Sky Rompiendo helped produce “El Padrino.”

Inter Shibuya – La Mafia came out earlier this month. Every one of the album’s tracks debuted in Spotify’s Top 25 in Colombia.