Historias de un Capricornio

“I was happier when I was poor than when I started getting money,” Arcángel tells Apple Music about the motivations behind “Mi Testimonio,” the first cut off his sixth studio album. “When I recorded that song, I was very depressed,” he says of the intensely personal and confessional opener, which features phone recordings with his son, his mother, and one of his closest friends. “This is the most important track on the whole album.” After his prior full-length *Ares* showcased the Latin trap sound he helped to pioneer, *Historias de un Capricornio* finds the New York-born Puerto Rican examining his place in the world as well as in the música urbana genre that brought him fame and fortune. On the revelatory “Capricornio,” a veritable power ballad reminiscent of his 2008 hit “Por Amar a Ciegas,” he attempts to reconcile the larger-than-life artist with the man behind that public image. “The public only knows the persona,” he says. “On this song, it’s not even Arcángel! It’s Austin Santos!” As he pushes himself to be more open with an audience that has stuck by him for well over a decade, Arcángel brings other younger talents on board, many of whom undoubtedly found inspiration in his prior work. He reteams with “Original” partner Bad Bunny for the moody reggaetón of “Infeliz” and links with Panamanian rising star Sech for the Dimelo Flow-produced single “Sigues Con El.” Of the latter collaboration, he speaks exuberantly about their studio chemistry and deep connection, born out of mutual respect and fandom. “I had fun, a lot of fun, for the first time in my 15-year career.”