ALBUM REVIEW: Amor Hardcore
Isabella Lovestory - Amor Hardcore
Isabella Lovestory knows how to make an entrance. On 2020’s “Kitten Heel,” she walked into the party with a click click click. But on her debut album Amor Hardcore, released Oct. 5, Lovestory arrived with a bang.
“Extremo, esto es extremo / Yo no le temo al amor hardcore” — Extreme, this is extreme / I’m not afraid of hardcore love, she sings on track 7, “Sexo Amor Dinero.” Unabashedly dirty and perpetually cocky, Lovestory’s music lives in sweaty clubs and on sex playlists. The title says it all: this is some hardcore shit. She tried to warn you.
Much like its creator, Amor Hardcore is provocative, playful, and full of personality. Sonically, the record resides at the intersection of hyperpop and reggaeton. The Honduras-born, Montreal-based singer jumps between Spanish and English, often within the same sentence, but never loses her signature attitude.
Whereas Lovestory’s last project, 2020’s Mariposa - EP, served as a brief introduction to her rowdy sound, Lovestory really lets loose on Amor Hardcore. On the bite-sized “Amor Intro,” which mixes together samples from throughout the record, Lovestory helps listeners mount her mechanical bull. Then she starts bucking.
Track 2, lead single “Cherry Bomb,” proves as explosive as its title. “Bitchy, juicy como cherry bomb / Cunty, nasty como cherry bomb,” Lovestory repeats on the chorus. It’s the kind of absurd swagger that could read cheesy if it wasn’t backed by Lovestory’s bratty delivery. Her boasting isn’t blunt for lack of imagination — her star power simply needs no explanation.
Two of the record’s most memorable tracks follow. First, Lovestory, whose personal brand has always been linked to her wacky taste in clothing, hits the catwalk on “Fashion Freak.” “Ups, me miro mejor que tú / desde el maquillaje hasta los shoes” — I look better than you from my makeup to my shoes, she declares. Lovestory’s brand of confidence isn’t meant to lift you up, so bow down.
The second, “Exibisionista,” is a hedonistic ode to public sex. “Papi, ¿tú quieres que nos vean por la ventana? (Sí, soy exhibicionista) / ¿Tú quieres que nos vean en el parque?,” she sings, asking her partner if he wants people to see them getting down and dirty, and admitting that she does. On the song’s bridge, her voice reduces to a sensual whisper, luring you close before dropping you right back into a slinking beat. “Exibisionista” is equal parts outrageous and deadly serious — it’s Lovestory at her best.
While Amor Hardcore’s first leg raises the stakes with each track (the growling track 5 “Gateo” included) a spotty second half fails to keep up the record’s momentum. Lower-energy cuts like “Única” and the overcrowded “Tacón” feel tepid in comparison to the record’s dynamic highs.
The music video for “Exibisionista” — which she announced on her Instagram story was shot on an iPhone — shows Lovestory writhing on a rooftop wearing nothing but a cupless corset, a wig of silver streamers, and head-to-toe glitter. It’s low-concept, low-budget, and wholly entrancing. With under 250,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, Lovestory is still relatively unknown. But in lieu of a massive following and big-label funding, Lovestory has charisma and commitment, and Amor Hardcore lets it all hang out.
- Fitz Cain
RIYL: ROSALÍA, Bad Bunny, La Goony Chonga, Bad Gyal
Recommended Tracks: “Cherry Bomb,” “Fashion Freak,” “Exibisionista,” “Gateo (feat. Ms Nina)”
FCC: Explicit—Track 2 Cherry Bomb,” Track 3 “Fashion Freak,” Track 4 “Exibisionista,” Track 7 “Sexo Amor Dinero,” Track 8 “Tacón (feat. Six Sex, OH!DULCEARi & Methmath),” Track 9 “Hit (feat. Chucky73),” Track 10 “Colocho,” Track 11 “Keratina”