Review: ‘Y.’ album by Bebe

It’s been five years since Bebe blessed us with her stellar debut, Pafuera Telaranas. At one point I was starting to wonder whether or not the Spanish superstar would put out another album or dive full time into her acting career. I mean, she won a Latin Grammy in 2005 for “Best New Artist”. One just shouldn’t stop there.  After a long wait, Bebe truly out did herself with her latest release Y.

Y. is a somewhat depressing and dark album, while still a beautiful listen from beginning to end. The diverse sounds of flamenco, gypsy, jazz, and accessible contemporary pop all come together beautifully to give you an idea of who Bebe is. Her voice is raspy, powerful but yet soft when needed. Her thick Spanish accent is heard even when she sings, which makes Y. sound even more appealing and authentically Spanish.

“Me Fui” is a passionate poem about abandonment, set to a soft Spanish guitar. Her theme of loneliness and abandonment are prevalent in “Me Fui” as well in some of the other tracks on Y. “Where were you when I called for you?” is the chorus if that tells you anything. It is sad but musically a beautiful song.

The very emotional, sultry gem on Y. is “Busco-Me”. The Spanish acoustic guitar is accompanied by a low bass line and eventually piano as the song builds. Bebe sings the song’s story as if it were a movie with an unhappy ending. Despite its melancholy theme and dark feel, “Busco-Me” is Y.’s best song. One doesn’t need to understand Spanish to hear or feel the beauty and sadness of it. The same can be said for the entire album. Y. is going to get Bebe another Latin Grammy. Listen for yourself and you’ll see.

Here’s a teaser for a great track called “Pa Mi Casa” off Y.