Lo Mejor de Lo Mejor 2013 / Various

Lo Mejor de lo Mejor is an annual hits compilation issued by Sony Latino, summarizing many, though certainly not all, of their chart hits. Judging by the sounds in this lineup, 2013 was a banner year. While this is an album of highlights, some of these tunes are standouts even among "the best of the best." One of the things that Sony reveals here is that veteran artists could hang with the younger generation of stars. Robi Draco Rosa's "Mￃﾃￂﾡs y Mￃﾃￂﾡs" is a smoking duet with Ricky Martin from Vida, his first new studio album in six years. Marc Anthony made a hard salsa comeback with 3.0 in 2013 and "Vivir Mi Vida" offers stellar proof. Latin pop had some fine rock ballads this year as Kany Garcia's "Cuando Se Va el Amor," with its ringing guitars, attests. (Interestingly, she is the only woman represented here.) Another high point is Prince Royce's "Darte un Beso," a hit single that showcases what his album Soy el Mismo demonstrated beautifully: that this young bachatero could cross over to Latin pop. Closing out the set is Pitbull's mighty tropical rap in "Echa Pa'lla (Manos Pa'rriba)." Other artists included here are Samo, Victor Manuelle, Ricardo Montaner, Franco De Vita, and Carlos Vives. Taken together, these artists balance a quality presentation of styles if not genders. This year's Lo Mejor de lo Mejor is all-killer, no-filler, all the way through. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi