LA PANTERA NEGRA (DELUXE)

After the massive success of “LALA” and its follow-up hit “LA FALDA,” Myke Towers saw his career reach the sort of heights associated with pop stardom. Yet those who saw the Puerto Rican phenom’s prolonged rise through trap and, subsequently, reggaetón assuredly remember his streetwise roots. “My approach to making music remains the same regardless of my previous hits,” he tells Apple Music. “I am continuously making music and perfecting my craft.” With the full benefit of his experiences, Towers engineered this informed return to form, resulting in one of the most gratifying projects of his career. Working closely with top producers like Full Harmony and Ovy On the Drums, and collaborating with a handful of esteemed vocal talents, he reinforces his strengths as both rapper and singer while still hinting at his expanding range. “It showcases an elevated version of my previous released music and sounds,” he says, a sentiment immediately felt on the hard-hitting opener “COMPETENCIA” and the immediately following “OTRA OPORTUNIDAD.” “This album portrays the best version of me as an artist.” Building with others in Latin music has been core to Towers’ career, and some of his guests here speak to that aspect of his ascent. The slow-and-steady “AUNQUE LLEGUE OTRO” reunites him with his “La Curiosidad” cohort Jay Wheeler, while Bad Bunny’s unmistakable presence on the shape-shifting “ADIVINO” echoes their previous collabs like “Estamos Arriba.” Relative newcomers like música mexicana sensation Peso Pluma and rising Bronx rapper NTG add to the auspicious nature behind *LA PANTERA NEGRA*, the former soaring with him on “SE TE NOTA” and the latter helping him take it back to the block with swagger for “LA PRIMERA VEZ.”