OPUS

Few artists balance the rigorous standards of salsa with the forward-thinking thrills of pop quite like Marc Anthony. The numbers prove that out, and some two and a half decades since *Otra Nota* signaled his arrival as a salsero, he remains one of the genre’s most enduring superstars. Joined once again by longtime producer Sergio George, he stays true to the form that has served him so well time and time again. From the vibrant movements of “Parecen Viernes” to the emphatic exhortations of “Reconozco,” *OPUS* keeps the bar high in terms of both musicianship and lyricism. A master of dramatic moods and modes, Anthony proves he can charm when being somewhat self-deprecating, as depicted on the clever “Lo Peor de Mí.” Throughout, he revels and wallows in the complexities of romance, pouring out passionate pleas on “Tu Vida en la Mía” and “Un Amor Eterno” over taut tropical rhythms and warm bursts of brass.

Salsa-centric 'Opus,' Marc Anthony's first album in six years, ignores trends in the Latin mainstream.

Marc Anthony, one of the truly great salseros, waited six years to release another album after 2013's 3.0, a burning salsa date, peaked at number one and remained on the Top Latin Albums chart for 251 weeks.