ALTER EGO

“The concept is the two sides of romance,” Prince Royce tells Apple Music about his double album ALTER EGO. In a creative attempt to convey that duality, the Dominican-American singer divides the project into sonic halves. He stacks the first disc, dubbed “Genesis,” with the kind of Bronx-indebted bachata fare that made him one of the genre’s most beloved contemporary figures. On the second one, “Enigma,” he shows off the R&B-tinged urbano skills that have so endeared him to reggaetón lovers. Having written and recorded much of the material in the Dominican Republic, as well as in Miami and New York, Royce explains the inspirations and ideas behind some of the record’s signature tracks.

Morir Solo
“I'm not going to sit here and say every song is reflected from my personal life. I just love telling stories. I always try to really find that hunger that I had since the beginning. When I first started, I didn't know if someone was going to hear my song. It was all about just writing poetic lyrics, great music with feeling. I put myself back in the position that I was in when I was in the Bronx, like what type of stories are the people going through there.”

Carita de Inocente
“It’s a traditional bachata, but at the same time the format is very different. It reminds me of the original Prince Royce, with a twist.”

Adicto / Adicto (Salsa Version)
“The salsa artist [Marc Anthony] isn’t on the salsa version! The bachata version has the salsa artist on it. We come with this conception that if it’s a salsa, then the salsa guys should be on it; I mess with those inversions. I thought it was something cool to do. I have a trap version of ‘Adicto’ that never came out. I wanted to showcase how you can write music and just put another jacket on it, another outfit.”

Cita
“When I think of the Ginuwine song ‘Pony,’ I think of being in high school and dedicating a song to a girl—it was like the go-to song to kick it to a girl. That’s the vibe I wanted to introduce the second album with. There’s sexy, there’s romanticism, there’s one-night stands, there’s falling in love at first sight. I also wanted to bring in that New York Spanglish flavor that I've grown up with.”

Fill Me In
“I'm such a huge Craig David fan, since back in the day. One thing I enjoyed about Craig was that he would kind of rap in like a singing voice. He was always doing fast-paced melodies. So taking that song and flipping it into a 2020 version, into an uptempo club/house type of vibe, was just showing more colors, more vibes that I’m a fan of. I hope to do a covers album one day with a bunch of old songs that I love.”

Really Real
“I think that’s the one that represents the most ALTER EGO side of Prince Royce. I’m singing in a low octave; I sound different than what people normally hear me in. I have a choir on there also.”

Una Aventura
“My first time on TV was on Sábado Gigante with Don Francisco, imitating Wisin & Yandel. Having this song and doing a video with them, it’s full circle for me. I think it’s really true to myself and my fans, that you can really make it in life if you work hard.”