Nada Es Igual... (Luis Miguel album)

Nada Es Igual...
Studio album by Luis Miguel
Released 20 August 1996 (1996-08-20)
Recorded February 1996
Studio Record Plant Studios
(Hollywood, California)
Genre
Length 41:22
Language Spanish
Label WEA Latina
Producer
  • Luis Miguel
  • Kiko Cibrian
Luis Miguel chronology
El Concierto
(1995)		 Nada Es Igual...
(1996)		 Romances
(1997)
Singles from Nada Es Igual...
  1. "Dame"
    Released: 15 July 1996
  2. "Cómo Es Posible Que a Mi Lado"
    Released: 1996
  3. "Que Tú Te Vas"
    Released: 1996

Nada Es Igual... (English: Nothing is the Same...)[1] is the eleventh studio album by Mexican recording artist Luis Miguel. It was released by WEA Latina on 20 August 1996. The album has a musical style similar to his previous pop album Aries (1993) on which Miguel performs power ballads and R&B tunes. Recording took place at the Record Plant Studios in February 1996, with production handled by Miguel and his longtime associate Kiko Cibrian. Its compositions were assisted by Cibrian, Rudy Pérez, and Alejandro Lerner. The album was promoted by three singles: "Dame", "Cómo Es Posible Que a Mi Lado", and "Que Tú Te Vas"; the former became the most successful single reaching number two and number one on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs and Latin Pop Songs charts respectively. To further promote the recording, Miguel launched the Tour America 1996 where he performed in several South American countries.

Upon its release, Nada Es Igual... received mixed reactions from music critics. While Miguel's vocals and the production of the album were praised, it was heavily criticized by music critics for being too similar to his previous pop recordings, although one reviewer gave the album a positive review. Miguel received several accolades for the record including a Grammy nomination for Best Latin Pop Performance. It peaked at number one in Argentina and on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart in the United States while receiving multi-platinum and gold certifications by the Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers (CAPIF) and Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) respectively. It also reached number two in Spain and was certified double platinum there by the Productores de Música de España (PROMUSICAE). The album has sold over 1.3 million copies worldwide as of 2002.

Background

In 1994 Miguel released his tenth studio album, Segundo Romance. It is the follow-up to his 1991 album Romance which contains a collection of classic boleros and Latin American standards.[2] Both Romance and Segundo Romance received platinum certification by the RIAA in the United States. They were also successful in countries outside of Latin America and the United States, such as Finland and Saudi Arabia,[3] selling over twelve million copies combined.[3][4][5] A year after Segundo Romance's release, Warner Music released the El Concierto live album and video, a compilation of Miguel's performances at the National Auditorium in Mexico City, and his concert at the Estadio Vélez in Buenos Aires during his Segundo Romance Tour.[6]

Nada Es Igual... is a departure from romance-themed albums.[3] It is his first pop album to be recorded since Aries in 1993,[7] which Achy Obejas of the Chicago Tribune described as "an eclectic pop mix that tried too hard to be edgy, nonetheless continued the reshaping of the Luis Miguel image."[3] The album was announced by Miguel's record label Warner Music Mexico on the same day its lead single "Dame" was revealed on 12 July 1996. The album was produced by Miguel and his longtime associate Kiko Cibrian (who also co-produced his previous three albums) and recorded at the Record Plant in Los Angeles, California.[8] Warner Music also confirmed that Cibrian, Alejandro Lerner, Manuel Alejandro, and Rudy Pérez would assist with the compositions for the record.[9] Miguel and Cibrian spent a total of over 100 hours in February 1996, recording in the studio.[10]

Composition
Luis Miguel "Dame"
A 29-second sample of Miguel's "Dame", the lead single from the album. AllMusic editor Jose F. Promis noted the song has "underlying hip-hop rhythms".[7]
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AllMusic editor Jose F. Promis noted that despite Nada Es Igual... being a pop album, in comparison to Aries, it "has a definite jazz feel to it" citing "Si Te Vas" and "Todo Por Su Amor" that utilize horn instruments. He also noted that "Dame" has "underlying hip-hop rhythms" and "Cómo Es Posible Que a Mi Lado" features "elements of house music."[7] The album incorporates uptempo "R&B-lite" music in its songs "Si Te Vas", "Dame", and "Todo Por Su Amor".[1] Los Angeles Times music critic Enrique Lopetegui wrote that the album is "basically a continuation of the singer's favorite turf - a mix of mid-tempo, jazzy, brassy, Al Jarreau-like pop songs and ... woman-melting ballads."[11] The first track on the album, "Si Te Vas", is a song about the narrator who yearns to remain with his lover: ("Every morning when I wake up, I feel anxiety in my soul, I want to listen to your voice, I want to feel your kisses").[11] Aside from the uptempo tunes, the record includes several power ballads such as "Que Tú Te Vas", "Abrázame", "Un Día Más", and the title track.[12] For arrangements on the ballads, Miguel received assistance from the Los Angeles Philharmonic.[10] The album also features the song "Sueña", the Spanish-language version of "Someday" by All-4-One from the movie The Hunchback of Notre Dame.[13] It was released as a single for the Latin American edition of The Hunchback of Notre Dame soundtrack and peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs, and number one on the Latin Pop Songs charts.[14]

Singles and promotion

"Dame" was released as the album's lead single on 15 July 1996.[15] It peaked at number two on the Hot Latin Songs chart and reached number one on the Latin Pop Songs chart, becoming his fifth number one song on the latter.[14] The music video for "Dame" was filmed in the Mojave Desert on 29 and 30 June and directed by Marcus Nispel.[9] Obejas commented on the video: "There's Luis Miguel, unshaven, looking haggard, wearing a suit in the middle of the Mojave. He's not all that toned, he's just a guy: An hombre, not a muchacho anymore."[3] "Cómo Es Posible Que a Mi Lado" was released as the second single from the album with an accompanying music video.[16] It peaked at number ten and number six on the Hot Latin Songs and Latin Pop Songs charts respectively.[14] The album's third single, "Que Tú Te Vas",[17] peaked at number six on the Hot Latin Songs chart while "Todo Por Su Amor" was released as a promotional single in Europe.[14][18]

To promote the album, Miguel launched his Tour America 1996 where he toured in South American countries including: Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Peru, Ecuador, and Brazil.[19] According to his promoter Irma Laura Lopez, Miguel would not tour in the United States as he was taking a break from his previous tour in the country.[20] His set list consisted of pop tunes and ballads from Nada Es Igual.. and his previous recordings as well as boleros from the Romance albums.[21]

Critical reception and accolades

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[7]
Contra Costa Times[22]
Los Angeles Times[11]
Orange County Register[12]
The San Diego Union-Tribune[23]

Upon its release Nada Es Igual... met with mixed reactions from music critics. AllMusic editor Jose F. Promis, who gave the album 2.5 out of five stars, felt the recording was "basically middle-of-the-road, romance-themed music, which is what his legions of fans have come to expect" and called the album's ballads "requisite".[7] A music critic for Billboard magazine called Nada Es Igual... his "weakest set ever" and said Miguel is "looking more like a conservative underachiever" due to his "uneven batch of too-familiar romantic confessionals and flaccid, uptempo R&B/pop entries" in spite of his "marvelously virile baritone" voice.[24] Fernando Gonzalez of the Contra Costa Times rated the album two out of four stars lamenting that Miguel "would stay close to his formula" and labeled the record as his "trademark mix of power ballads and R&B-lite." Gonzalez complimented the album's production, but stated that the artist "offers more cotton candy" highlighting "Abrázame" and the title tracks as examples, calling "Dame" a "Janet Jackson-lite funk".[22]

The Dallas Morning News music reviewer Mario Tarradell noted that even though the name of the article means "nothing is the same", he remarked that Miguel "hasn't strayed from the hit-making formula that clicked with 1990's 20 Años. Although Tarradell praised Miguel's production as "superbly crafted", he criticized the record's music for being "totally unadventurous" and called the ballads "complete throwaways."[1] Similarly, Ernesto Portillo Jr., who rated the record two out of four stars, wrote for The San Diego Union-Tribune that the album should have been called "Todo es Igual" (Everything is the Same) because of its "same funk-lite horns, thumping bass line and paint-by-numbers pop tunes." He lambasted Miguel for coming off as "redundant and even flat."[23]

Enrique Lopetegui of the Los Angeles Times gave the album 2.5 out of four stars and panned the album's lyrics in songs such as "Si Te Vas" as "corny, one-dimensional visions of loooooove." Lopetegui noted that despite the record's flaws, he considered it "far better than most Latin offerings in this often unlistenable genre" and "less predictable than those of, say, Cristian or Enrique Iglesias."[11] The Orange County Register music editor Anne Valdespino, giving the record four of five stars, wrote a more positive review of the album. She complimented the songs as "well-crafted, each one produced to the limit" and praised the arrangements on the uptempo songs such as "Dame" and "Si Te Vas" "polished" and "worthy of Quincy Jones." In contrast to the other reviewers, Valdespino believed that the ballads did not "wear out [their] welcome" with "no overemotive tempo stretching."[12]

At the 39th Annual Grammy Awards in 1997, Nada Es Igual... received a Grammy nomination for Best Latin Pop Performance,[25] which went to Enrique Iglesias's self-titled album.[26] At the 9th Annual Lo Nuestro Awards in the same year, the record was nominated in the category of Pop Album of the Year,[27] but lost to Vivir by Iglesias.[28] At the 1997 Eres awards, the record was awarded Best Disc of the Year, which was shared with Tierna La Noche by Fey.[29]

Commercial performance

On its launch date, Warner Music Group shipped over 400,000 copies of Nada Es Igual... in Mexico and the United States (US).[30] In the US, it debuted at number 28 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart on week of 31 August 1996, and peaked on top of the chart the following week replacing Macarena Mix.[31][32] It spent two weeks on top of the charts before being succeeded by Macarena Non Stop by Los del Río.[33] It was certified gold in the US by the RIAA for shipments of 500,000 copies and ended 1996 as the eighth bestselling Latin album of the year.[34][35] In Argentina, the record reached number one on its national chart and was certified 7× platinum by CAPIF for sales of 420,000 copies.[36][37] In Spain, the album peaked at number two on the country's national chart with the number one position being held by Lunas Rotas by Rosana and was certified double platinum by PROMUSICAE for shipments of 200,000 copies.[38][39] Nada Es Igual... has sold over 1.3 million copies worldwide as of 2002.[40]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Si Te Vas"  
  • Ignacio "Kiko" Cibrian
  • Orlando Castro
  • Salvador Tercero
3:32
2."Abrázame"  
3:37
3."Dame"  
4:54
4."Nada es Igual"  
  • Cibrian
  • Lerner
4:25
5."Todo Por Su Amor"  
  • Pérez
  • Manuel Lopez
3:57
6."Que Tú Te Vas"  Francisco Fabián Céspedes4:10
7."Sintiéndote Lejos"  
  • Cibrián
  • Gerardo Flores
  • Salo Loyo
4:12
8."Cómo Es Posible Que a Mi Lado"  
  • Cibrián
  • Alejandro Asensi
  • Luis Miguel
4:14
9."Un Día Mas"  Miguel4:05
10."Sueña"  
4:16

Personnel

The following credits are from AllMusic and the Nada Es Igual... liner notes:[41][42]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1996) Peak
position
Argentina (CAPIF)[36] 1
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[38] 2
rowheader=true US Billboard 200[43] 43
rowheader=true US Top Latin Albums (Billboard)[44] 1
rowheader=true US Latin Pop Albums (Billboard)[45] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (1996) Peak
position
US Top Latin Albums (Billboard)[35] 8
US Latin Pop Albums (Billboard)[35] 6
Chart (1997) Peak
position
US Top Latin Albums (Billboard)[46] 12
US Latin Pop Albums (Billboard)[46] 10

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
Argentina (CAPIF)[37] 7× Platinum 420,000*
Chile 125,000[47]
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[39] 2× Platinum 200,000^
United States (RIAA)[34] Gold 500,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Tarradell, Mario (25 August 1996). "Treacle-down effect still applies for Miguel". The Dallas Morning News. A. H. Belo Corporation. (subscription required (help)).
  2. ↑ Promis, Jose. "Segundo Romance—Luis Miguel: Overview". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on 26 October 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Obejas, Achy (30 August 1996). "Luis Miguel Grows Up And Moves On With His Latest Albums". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  4. ↑ "American certifications – Luis Miguel". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  5. ↑ La Franco, Robert (1997). "Forbes". 160 (5–9): 155.
  6. ↑ ""El Concierto", la nueva producción de Luis Miguel". El Siglo de Torreón (in Spanish). Editora de la Laguna. 15 October 1995. p. 50.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Promis, Jose F. "Nada Es Igual - Luis Miguel". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  8. ↑ "Luis Miguel lanzará su nuevo álbum en agosto". El Siglo del Torreón (in Spanish). 12 July 1996. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  9. 1 2 "Luis Miguel se vuelve a escuchar con "Dame"". El Siglo del Torreon (in Spanish). 16 July 1996. p. 27. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  10. 1 2 Rombouts, Javier (13 August 1996). "Luis Miguel: no es lo mismo pero es igual". Clarín (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Lopetegui, Enrique (31 August 1996). "Luis Miguel Serves Up More of the Same". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Publishing. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  12. 1 2 3 Valdespino, Anne (11 October 1996). "Sound Check – Carpenter release stuck in the '70s". Orange County Register. Digital First Media. (subscription required (help)).
  13. ↑ "Luis Miguel interpretará el tema "Sueña" en una película de Disney". El Siglo del Torreón (in Spanish). 18 May 1996. p. 33. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  14. 1 2 3 4 "Luis Miguel – Chart history". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  15. ↑ "Disco de Luis Miguel levanta polémica". El Siglo del Torreón (in Spanish). 14 July 1996. p. 71. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  16. ↑ Calzada, Gloria (27 January 1997). "Comentarios...". El Informador (in Spanish). p. 12-D.
  17. ↑ Luis Miguel (1996). Que Tú Te Vas (Promo single CD). United States: WEA Latina, a division of Warner Music Group. PROM #1270.
  18. ↑ Luis Miguel (1997). Todo Por Su Amor (Promo single CD). Germany: WEA International, a division of Warner Music Group. PRCD 600.
  19. ↑ "Biografía de Luis Miguel". Terra Networks (in Spanish). Telefonica. 5 October 2010. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  20. ↑ Burr, Ramiro (6 October 1996). "Emmanuel, Vikki Carr disappoints with latest releases". San Antonio Express-News. Hearst Corporation.
  21. ↑ Cuevas, Héctor (9 December 1996). "El amor tiene cara de varón". La Nación (in Spanish). Mitre Family.
  22. 1 2 Gonzalez, Fernando (6 September 1996). "Tina Turns The Heat Down For Her "Wildest Dreams"". Contra Costa Times. Digital First Media. (subscription required (help)).
  23. 1 2 Portillo Jr., Ernesto (5 September 1996). "Album Reviews – Latin". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Tribune Publishing. (subscription required (help)).
  24. ↑ Vera, Paula (31 August 1996). "Reviews & Previews". Billboard. 108 (35): 115. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  25. ↑ "The Complete List of Nominees". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Publishing. 8 January 1997. p. 3. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  26. ↑ "Winners of the 1997 Grammy Awards". The New York Times. 28 February 1997. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  27. ↑ "Univision Announces The Nominees For The Most Distinguished Awards In Spanish-Language Music: 'Premio Lo Nuestro A La Musica Latina'". Univision. 2 April 1997. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  28. ↑ "Lo Nuestro – Historia". Univision (in Spanish). Univision Communications. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  29. ↑ Calzada, Gloria (17 March 1997). "Comentarios...". El Informador (in Spanish). p. 8-D.
  30. ↑ "Lanzó Luis Miguel su álbum "Nada es igual"". El Siglo del Torreón (in Spanish). 25 August 1996. p. 66. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  31. ↑ "The Billboard Latin 50". Billboard. 108 (35): 89. 31 August 1996. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  32. ↑ "Top Latin Albums: The Week of September 7, 1996". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 7 September 1996. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  33. ↑ "Top Latin Albums: The Week of September 21, 1996". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 21 September 1996. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  34. 1 2 "American album certifications – Luis Miguel – Nada Es Igual". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 3 October 2016. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
  35. 1 2 3 "1996: The Year in Music". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 106 (52): YE-63, 78. 28 December 1996. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  36. 1 2 "Latin Notas". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 108 (47): 56. 23 November 1996. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  37. 1 2 "Discos de oro y platino" (in Spanish). Cámara Argentina de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  38. 1 2 "Hits of the World". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 108 (37): 62. 14 September 1996. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  39. 1 2 Salaverri, Fernando (1996). Sólo éxitos. Año a año. 1959-2002 [Only Hits. Year by year. 1959-2002] (in Spanish). Madrid, Spain: Iberautor Promociones Culturales. p. 961. ISBN 9788480486392.
  40. ↑ "Biografía de Luis Miguel". Los 40 Principales (in Spanish). 27 June 2002. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
  41. ↑ "Nada Es Igual — Credits". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  42. ↑ Nada Es Igual... (Booklet). WEA Latina, a division of Warner Music Group. 1996.
  43. ↑ "Luis Miguel – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Luis Miguel. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  44. ↑ "Luis Miguel – Chart history" Billboard Top Latin Albums for Luis Miguel. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  45. ↑ "Luis Miguel – Chart history" Billboard Latin Pop Albums for Luis Miguel. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  46. 1 2 "1997: The Year in Music". Billboard. 109 (52): YE-57. 27 December 1997. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  47. ↑ Márquez, Pablo (1 February 1997). "Chilean Market Improves Slowly But Surely". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. 109 (5): LMQ-14. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
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