Sophia Michaels
There’s nothing like two early aughts legends linking up for a hit. On Thursday, Don Omar premiered “Good Girl,” a dancefloor-ready, merengue-meets-reggae track featuring Akon.
The song opens with Akon’s unmistakable voice over reggae-inspired production before a throbbing bass welcomes Don Omar. The two artists fuse their styles as the song breaks into an electric merengue melody.
“She said she’s a good girl/Turned into a bad girl/Caught up in a bad world,” sings Akon in the chorus, before Don Omar admits in Spanish, “I don’t know what it is about her, but she wakes something up in me… Her body is temptation and my curse.”
The video follows a female dancer — the “Good Girl” — as she gets ready for her shift as a pole dancer at a strip club. Both Omar and Akon sing to her as they throw cash at the club. The video flashes images of the dancer imagining herself opting for ballet instead of dancing on the pole. The video ends with the dancer pensively sitting in a ballet studio surrounded by cash.
“I am more than grateful to have collaborated with Akon,” Don Omar tells Rolling Stone. “I have always been a fan of his music and style. Although we come from very different cultures, music can break those barriers.”
Akon has long collaborated with artists in the Spanish-language industry. He was featured on Enrique Iglesias’reggae-tinged “One Day at a Time” in 2010. He’s also been tapped by Pitbull for songs like “Shut It Down,” “Mr. Right Now,” and 2019’s “Te Quiero Amar,” which was featuerd on Akon’s Latin album El Negreeto, where he sings in Spanish. The album also included “Como No” with Becky G and “Solo Tu” with Farruko.
“Akon integrates very well with the rhythm of the urban merengue that we work on and I trust this will be to the liking of our fans,” Don Omar ads.
“Good Girl” follows a parade of releases from Don Omar, among them the singles “Sincero,” “Soy Yo” with Wisin and Gente de Zona, and “Let’s Get Crazy!” with Lil Jon earlier this year.
“I’m living through one of the most creative and productive eras of my career,” Don Omar said in a press release. “After taking a pause, I’m making music that I want to to make with people I’ve always wanted to collaborate with. For that and much more, I’m blessed.”
