How great is it that two Latino superstars created this collaboration pa’ nosotros (for us)? From the actors of the upcoming movie Marry Me, Jennifer Lopez and Maluma created two new Spanglish (Spanish + English) songs: Pa’ Ti and Lonely. If you follow me on Instagram, you would know that I am a HUGE J.Lo fan. Like, it’s not even funny. I absolutely love her. She is my queen and my ultimate idol, but let me not get too carried away.
The focus of this article is on the songs, and I should not veer away from that. However, beware of the fangirling I am about to do.
Pre-Thoughts: When I saw the teasers for “Lonely” and “Pa’Ti” on J.Lo’s Instagram Stories, I was like “OMG.” She looked so hot, and I could not wait to hear the songs in full. The visuals for the music video, from the mansion to the Edge building in NYC, were great, and J.Lo has honestly been serving some of the best music videos of her entire career over the past couple of years (only ruined by “Dinero” being black and white the whole time). That part where she wore a bath towel over her head and flaunted her beauty gave me heart eyes, and my jaw absolutely dropped when I saw her in a white outfit. With the red lipstick she wore, oh my god! I could go on and on, but let me give Maluma his props by saying that the chemistry he had with her was awesome! I couldn’t imagine any other man taking his place and playing the role as well.
Pa’Ti
The Good: You can say that I already stated a lot of the good in my pre-thoughts, though that was on the music video content. For the song itself, I enjoyed the beat! The chorus made me move along the most (obviously), but the intro was a very good lead-in. The Spanish lyrics were really mesmerizing, especially with the flow and the rhythm. While the flow was very rapid, it worked for the tempo of the song. By the way, Pa’Ti means “for you” in English. Pa’ is an abbreviation for the word “para”, which is used in Puerto Rican Spanish. I remember first seeing it in years ago in the title of Ricky Martin’s song “Vente Pa’Ca” (English = Come Over Here), and I didn’t understand it until I was on my Spanish-learning journey. Pa’Ca is actually a contraction of the Spanish words “para” and “acá”. Off topic, but that’s my Spanish lecture. Also, that song is a bop. Go check it out when you have the chance (and yes, it also features Maluma).
Back on topic, a standout part for me was when J.Lo sang, “Tantos autos y diamantes, avión con mi nombre adelante.” (English: So many cars and diamonds, an airplane with my name near the front.) At that part, my ears were so enticed. Uncoincidentally, that occurred during two of my favorite parts. The first time was while she was wearing a bath towel over her head, and the second time was while she was wearing a white outfit.
The Bad: It’s hard to come up with bad things to say about “Pa’Ti”. Honestly, Maluma made a very good addition to the song, which is not something I can say for every rapper on every song. I could try to say something bad, but do I have to say something bad for everything I review? It is my responsibility to be honest, but part of being honest is sharing my honest thoughts. That does not necessarily mean that I will give a perfect score, but for me, my thoughts have to add substance to my review. And if they don’t, then they are omitted from the written document.
The Ugly: Except that I wish the music video had more views, nothing ugly to report.
Final Verdict: “Pa’Ti” ended up being a bop. I love it! It’s been in my head for weeks, and I keep coming back to it due to how good it is. I don’t do that with every new song, not even with J.Lo songs. Though of course, her being eye candy as per usual grants it bonus points! Maluma also made a strong presence in this song! I may give this a high rating due to clearly being biased, but due to how much I have played it, I have no choice but to do so.
Rating: 9/10
Lonely
The Good: The transition from “Pa’Ti” to “Lonely” was very smooth. The vibe was more sleek, yet sexy and interesting. The visuals add to the tone of the song. English was incorporated a lot more in “Lonely” than in “Pa’Ti”, but the line “just kill your ego before it kills you” is iconic. Well, for me anyways.
Though the pre-chorus before the last chorus is really memorable for me (beginning with “Admito que pensé en llamarte”). The way J.Lo sings that part and communicates with Maluma makes for a sexy scene that I will not forget. And then the part where she is dancing with several other girls inside a jail. Oh my lord, she still has IT at 51 years old! How is she thrice my age yet still has more athleticism than me? Let me go cry in a corner.
The Bad: Now that my tears have dried up, I’m going to be absolutely honest here. The song did get better as it went on, but it was a slow burner. Because it is less catchy than “Pa’Ti” overall, I didn’t feel much excitement in the beginning. I was thinking that it might end up being forgettable in the end. That turned out to not be the case, but it was a potential skip at first.
The Ugly: Overall, I have not played this song as much as “Pa’Ti”. “Lonely” is a good song, but I love “Pa’Ti” more. Bonus points for the visuals, but this will be ranked a bit lower due to less staying power.
Final Verdict: I can understand why some people may not care for “Lonely”. I thought it was vapid at first, but then it got better for me. The last part where J.Lo says, “Don’t come over here with that [expletive]” is literally a mood. Especially when it comes to drama you were tagged into, the last thing you want to do is get involved.
Though on a whole note, both songs complimented each other and the music video was a whole experience. I love how it seemed like a concept type of video! I cannot wait until the full movie is released!
Marry Me is set to be released on February 12.
Rating: 7/10
Appendix: Though one thing I want to address is the controversy that came surrounding one of her lyrics, “Yo siempre seré tu negrita del Bronx.” It literally translates to “I will always be your Black girl from the Bronx.” However, the term “negrita/negrito” is a colloquial term of endearment used in Puerto Rican Spanish (and other hispanophone countries). It can actually be used towards someone who is not dark-skinned. Therefore, she is saying something along the lines of “I will always be your love/girl from the Bronx,” not “I will always be your Black girl from the Bronx.”
The latter doesn’t even make sense, because she has never claimed to be a Black girl. J.Lo has always claimed to be Puerto Rican, and all she is doing is repping her roots. As a Black girl myself, I don’t see the problem. Then again, I am learning Spanish, so I know that not all translations are literal. Misinformation is rampant nowadays, and people need to know better than to take everything at face value.
