Growing up in Santa Marta, a port city in the Caribbean region of Colombia, Maisak was naturally exposed to the home-grown sounds of vallenato—quite literally at home thanks to his musically inclined father. That origin story helps illustrate the singer-songwriter’s position in modern Latin music, one that benefits from the influence of that traditional genre form. Released via his frequent collaborator Maluma’s Royalty Records, Vallenatico pa la Disco doesn’t strictly adhere to any one style. That said, the presence of vallenato in Maisak’s creative lexicon certainly comes through on a number of its tracks, “Casi Te Llamo” and the broadly balladic “Así Como Yo” in particular. So too do his pop-informed sensibilities and dembow predilections on such noteworthy tracks as “3 Minutos” and the Jay Wheeler team-up “Casi Algo”. With the help of his Afro-Latino countryman Hamilton, he cultivates a tropical vibe on “Pretty Gyal”, one that also comes through on the rootsy reggae-informed “Amuleto Azul”. Thematically in line with the latter part of its title, the album indulges precisely the sort of romantic themes that populate dance floors worldwide. On “Dejarte Ir”, Maisak gradually comes to terms with the complexities of heartache over a sinuous rhythm courtesy of his frequent collaborator Fenix The Producer. Characterised by confidence, “Mejor que Yo” plays into the idea of winning the breakup, while “2 Copas de Vino” attempts to read the room in the hopes of giving love another chance. Our Favorite Track: It’s hard to deny the irresistibility of the “Te Entiendo” remix, which brings superstars Feid and Maluma into its reggaetón mix.