I was speaking with a friend recently about the complexities of reggaeton, a genre they claimed to not enjoy not because of the beats, but the often misogynistic and sexist approach to the lyrics and subject matter of mainstream hits. It’s a valid point, one that illustrates how these themes have become the genre’s most distinguishing feature when in fact, it has always been about the beat. That dembow bounce is irresistible, and at its core quite subversive, almost feminine, next to the rigidity of the West’s 4-4 preferences. Artists like Arca, DJ Python, and Rosalia have recognised this potential in the style, creating work that has been pivotal in reclaiming reggaeton from the widespread opinions of the genre. Producer Manuka Honey uses reggaeton to stunning effect on her latest release, in an exploration of feminine rage and power. Inspired by the emotions surrounding a breakup, the two track EP takes the fiery energy of reggaeton and uses it as a language to communicate the complexities of rage and a desire for revenge.
The two tracks on the release, Machete and 777, are both driven by these passions, evoking a sense of threat and danger. But it’s a different sort of danger to what we’ve come to expect from Manuka Honey, whose Industrial Princess was equally on edge but in a far more sensual, serpentine fashion. These tracks are ravenous. “It’s a reflection on revenge and protection,” Honey says of the EP. “The ways they go hand in hand, and how catharsis can manifest sonically. Rage is the haunting yet clear emotion that ties these tracks together.” Machete, co-produced by Florentino, is a menacing beast of a track, with Honey’s mechanised voice calling for her ex-lover to run out her front door. The dembow is decorated with chimes and plucks that create a sense of urgency, but it’s the track’s familiar ballroom elements that really take it to the next level. The whirring synths of The Ha Dance and the familiar dip crashes extend Machete’s exploration of fierce femininity to the queer runway, making for something as unhinged as it is liberating. 777 doesn’t go straight for the jugular, instead unfurling as a intense slowburn that casts La Favi as a femme fatale, her syrupy vocals juxtaposed with the decaying drumbeat and abysmal sub bass of the track.
Download and stream Machete / 777 here
Beyond the music itself, the release is also a reflection on the ways in which women are often vilified and sexualised, particularly Latinas. Manuka Honey reclaims these tropes and uses them to express her own rage and desire for protection. The result is a cathartic expression of emotions that are all too often suppressed, and the reclamation of a voice that is as violent as it seductive.
Listen to Machete below.
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