att. by Young Miko | Album Review

Puerto Rico’s latest superstar releases her debut studio album.

Listen to att.: Apple Music | Spotify

Young Miko’s sudden rise in popularity within the Latin music scene has been monumental. Following the release of her EP Trap Kitty in 2022, the 25-year-old artist kept herself quite busy throughout last year. Releasing catchy singles such as “Wiggy” and “ID”, and collaborating with the likes of Karol G, Feid, and Bad Bunny among others. She’s become one of the genre’s rising stars, and she’s capitalizing on her newfound fame with her debut studio album att.

att. offers up the reggaeton/Latin-trap fusion Miko has been giving listeners since her initial inception. It showcases Miko’s talents in terms of her songwriting, as well as her qualities as a singer with the way she flows throughout the album. Top it off with a handful of guest features and solid production, att. is an enjoyable listen from start to finish.

While it doesn’t do anything revolutionary for the genre, att. highlights (and builds upon) the foundation that’s made Miko’s music a pleasure to listen to: great rhythms and a sense of mood. She blends various elements of hip-hop on the album, going from the bass-heavy trap of the opener “rookie of the year” to the boom-bap eccentrics of “wiggy”. I appreciate that Miko shakes things up this way instead of sticking to just Latin trap, as evident by Bad Bunny’s last album Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana, that style can get stale if it overstays its welcome.

The more reggaeton-inspired cuts of att. are the highlights for me. I’m biased because the style does harken to my Caribbean roots, but I can’t help it. Miko sounds fun and bold on the bouncy “ID”. Whose old school production calls back to the days of Daddy Yankee or Hector El Father. Other songs like the Feid-assisted “offline” and the sensual feels of “no quiero pelear” showcase Miko’s flows over these beats well. We even get some welcome house-inspired surprises in the forms of “princess peach” and “MADRE” respectively. Their inclusion on att. was a bit of a shock, but makes me yearn for Miko to explore this style even further.

Lyrically, Miko is quite assertive and personal throughout att. Her use of Spanish and English adds to the sense of flexing on “oye ma’”. Meanwhile, her infatuation with another woman and her attempts to woo her give life to the vulnerable “curita”. This back and forth between gloating about success, riches and shedding layers on her love life and other aspects are what att. mainly deals with. I must say it is a welcome change from the more masculine/typical approach to the genre. I think “princess peach” really solidifies that even more with the queer-centric story that unfolds throughout the song.

Despite these positives, the gripes I have (while few) are apparent. Mainly with the production as I would have liked if there were more boom-bap/nostalgic rap inspired beats or even some more techno styles on att. Miko shines as an artist on the tracks that do follow the aforementioned styles, and I think the album could’ve benefitted from that just a little more.

Overall though, Young Miko’s debut album is very enjoyable. The music she showcases on att. is infectious, catchy, and just proves why she’s Latin music’s latest superstar. The blend of hip-hop and reggaeton among other sub-genres is a plus and breaks up the monotony of some cuts from the album that come off as derivative and uninspired.

I’m feeling a light 7.5/8 out of 10 for Young Miko’s att. She’s already shown off her prowess and power as an artist over the last two years, and I think with this new album she’s just going to keep climbing up. I’m curious to see what direction she takes her music in next, as noted by a few tracks on here, it seems like she won’t let genres keep her in a box. Regardless of wherever she takes her future releases next, I hope they’re just as good as the songs she’s given us on att.

Final Rating: 7.5/8 out of 10.

Favourite Tracks: rookie of the year, offline, princess peach, ID, no quiero pelear, wiggy, MADRE, curita.