On 2024’s promising En Las Nubes - Con Mis Panas EP, ELENA ROSE demonstrated that her songwriting skills for other Latin stars also extended to her own impressive artistry. For the bolder, broader Bendito Verano, the Venezuelan American singer takes to the pop spotlight with a beachfront perspective of perpetual summertime even in the coldest of months. Her almost ethereal vocal delivery suits the pulsating, polyrhythmic “AMÉN BEBÉ” as much as the somewhat tropical and rather balladic “Aleluya!” and the dancehall-infused “GANGSTA ÁNGEL.” Naturally, she hasn’t arrived here alone, and the guest list for her album debut includes some impressive Latin notables. Eladio Carrión and Young Miko lend their sturdy hip-hop bona fides to “Roulin” and “Gyoza,” respectively. She captures the protective wariness of budding romance on the evocative Justin Quiles collab “COSITA LINDA” and grapples with a deeper emotional conflict with Sistek and Mazzarri on their balmy house outing “SINTIGO.”