Mis Favoritas

Kicking off with the Puerto Rican salsa singer's signature song, "Amores Como el Nuestro," the Jerry Rivera edition of Mis Favoritas is an odd one for the series. Here, the concept of showing an "alternative view" of an artist's career is executed, but first, it's the hits and fan favorites with tracks like "Cuenta Conmigo" and "¿Qué Hay de Malo?" representing how "El Bebé de la Salsa" grew into one of the genre's biggest stars. His pop work outside the genre is shoved toward the back of the disc with the "Cool Dance Remix" of "Quiero" sounding quite "cool" if that means "mainstream" and "club," while "Vuela Muy Alto" flirts with trance in its "Hakkos Radio Edit Remix." Other editions of Mis Favoritas would have scattered these remixes and extras amongst the standards, but since Rivera's shift in style was more drastic than most, this one plays it safe, and sensible. ~ David Jeffries