Suave

The cover photo of Calle 13's first album is no coincidence: it features the grandmother of Residente, Flor Amelia de Gracia Barreiro, and that already sets the tone for an album that refuses to follow rules. But where the band truly broke the mold was with Suave, a track that sounds like a street party but with a rhythm that twists in on itself, as if each measure wanted to take you somewhere else without warning. The detail that stands out the most when playing it is that loop repeating in a seven-beat measure, something uncommon in reggaeton at the time and giving it that playful yet calculated vibe that makes the song feel different with every listen.

They recorded it in 2005 with borrowed equipment and without thinking about awards, though they ended up winning a Latin Grammy the following year. In the United States, they sold 250,000 copies according to Nielsen, and Suave climbed into the Top Latin Albums chart on Billboard without much fanfare, as if it knew its strength lay in not needing a push. The lyrics, which are more than just rhythm, play with double entendres that sound fresher than ever today, and that technical detail—the seven-beat measure—is what makes you feel, when listening, like you're solving a riddle while you dance.