After his major pivot by way of a multiyear partnership with Saban Music Group, reggaeton hitmaker Don Omar joins forces with fellow Puerto Rican icon El Residente on their latest single, “Flow HP.”
The track, which was released alongside a visual, can be best described as an ode to Puerto Rico. Its production and lyricism feel both current and nostalgic, capturing elements of Puerto Rican daily life and the roots that brought reggaeton into fruition. El Residente’s unapologetic verse opens the song, paying tribute to alcapurrias, perreo and limoncillo. The 27-time Latin Grammy award winner let off powerful rhymes, reminding listeners that “there’s no formula here/ this is organic.”
Halfway through the four minute track, Omar returns with a humanizing verse of his own, dedicating the song to those often forgotten and misinterpreted. On the chorus, he repeats “hasta abajo,” a clear reminder of his genre-shaping legacy.
What’s equally as engaging as the track itself is its black-and-white visual, which shatters preconceived notions of what a reggaeton video looks like. Women are shown physically dominating men, with an array of body types and races are represented, while the pair rap explosive verses in a warehouse. Cultural signifiers like Vejigante masks and “Limber” icees are also weaved throughout, in accordance with the very Puerto Rican picture Omar and El Residente are painting.
“Flow HP” does away with traditional song structure, something that El Residente says was deliberate. “The idea was to do the opposite of what is being done with commercial reggaeton,” he explains. “Letting go of 64 bars of rhymes each and forgetting the easy hooks that the music industry looks for on a daily basis.”
The track is the pair’s first collaboration, something Omar says is a major achievement for him. The single also follows Omar’s August EP, Guayar Pegao and comes ahead of his long-awaited eighth studio album. He has 41 entries on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart, including five No. 1s. He’s also notched 10 projects on the Top Latin Albums chart, five of which have hit No. 1.
This December, Omar will be headlining the Vibra Fest in Miami.