After blessing fans with new music for the last few months, the 34-year-old Puerto Rican singer has finally released his debut solo album Krack via Warner Music Latina.
Tavarez, who kicked off his solo career after leaving Puerto Rican duo Dylan and Lenny, calls the album his “first opportunity at life.” He’s also grateful for his new record label giving him total creative liberty with the album strategy.
“I decided to launch the album progressively, in four seasons, because I wanted fans to digest all the flavors, sounds, and lyrics that it brings,” he tells Billboard.
The album is home to 14 tracks, including “La Neta,” “A Cien” and focus track “Lo Tengo Todo.”
The set includes collaborations with Nicky Jam, Rauw Alejandro, Zion & Lennox and Natanael Cano, to name a few.
Though Tavarez has released the singles sporadically and in groups, the album has been nearly five years in the making.
“My intention is to do different music without changing the genre,” he says. “Krack was created with a lot of sacrifices and stories of perseverance.”
Lenny Tavarez is using his voice to take a stand against domestic violence.
The Puerto Rican Latin trap singer is offering listeners a taste of his sensitive side in his latest single, “La Mujer Traiciona,” which features 17-year-old upcoming artist Beéle.
“La Mujer Traiciona” narrates the story of a woman who is unfaithful as a result of physical, mental and emotional abuse from her partner.
“If a woman doesn’t feel protected and doesn’t feel loved, she will most probably betray her partner,” Tavarez tells Billboard. “This song was born with the need to give women a weapon to say ‘yes, I failed you but it was your fault.’”
Recent statistics by the National Domestic Violence Hotline show that “on average, 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States,” which is why Tavarez decided to bring up the important social issue.
“Not only do we want to raise awareness but we want to make it clear that domestic violence is a problem,” he says. “Above all, we want to empower women not to give up and to seek help if this is happening to them.”
Directed by Laura Castellanos, the music video shows the heartbreaking storyline of a woman who is a victim of abuse but in the end, leaves her toxic relationship. The closing frame shares the phone number to National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233.
“It was incredible to film this video during the pandemic,” Tavarez says, explaining that Beéle filmed his part in Bogota, the actors were filmed in Medellin, and he filmed in Miami.
For his new track, which is a tropical dancehall with Afrobeat melodies, Tavarez teamed up with Beéle because he admires his incredible voice and clarity on his sound. “I’m really happy to have him on this song. I like to vouch for the newer talents.”
As for the best advice he can offer to men and women in this situation? “It all starts with self-love,” he says. “If you give your partner an environment of love, your partner will respond with the same. Men, don’t ever lay a hand on a woman for any reason and women, be smart! Many times men give the wrong signals from the beginning.”
“La Mujer Traiciona,” which was produced by Dimelo Flow and King Swifft, forms part of Tavarez’s upcoming studio album Krack, which includes collaborations with Nicky Jam, Rauw Alejandro, Cazzu, Anitta and Natanael Cano, among others.
