Golden

Three years after his pop breakthrough, 2014’s guest-studded *Fórmula, Vol. 2*, bachata king Romeo Santos returns with a more intimate set of grooves, sounding as if he’d rediscovered the sensual pulse of that singularly Dominican rhythm. *Golden* once again oscillates between delicate and danceable, with the most striking moments swirling like R&B slow jams built from pointillist Latin percussion (“Imitadora”). Whatever the tempo, though, the main draw remains his airy-but-aching falsetto, which hits soulful new heights (“Tuyo”). And while *Golden* scales back his previous eclecticism, Santos still sprinkles in a few surprises, including a mischievous tribute to Motown ballads (“Un Vuelo A La”).

The Bronx-born pop star expands his musical empire on Golden. But for the all the album’s myriad sounds, its roots are firmly planted in bachata, the sounds of the campo.

Success has been phenomenal for Romeo Santos, but it does not seem to have rushed his career.