Real by Ivy Queen

Real is the fourth studio album by Puerto Rican reggaetón recording artist Ivy Queen, released on November 21, 2004, by Universal Music Latino. Initially to be Queen's debut full-length English-language studio album, it featured collaborations with hip hop and fellow reggaetón artists Hector El Father, Fat Joe, Getto & Gastam, La India, Gran Omar and Mickey Perfecto. The album was primarily produced by Rafi Mercenario, and included guest production by American producer Swizz Beatz, Puerto Rican producers Ecko, Noriega, Monserrate and DJ Nelson. The executive producers were Goguito "Willy" Guadalupe, Gran Omar and Queen. Real is Queen's only record with a Parental Advisory label. The album departs from the lyrical content characterizing Queen's musical style, detailing hood life in Puerto Rico and love. It alternates musically between reggaetón and hip hop, experimenting with electronica, funk, dancehall, pop, R&B, and acoustic ballads. The wide range of styles and musical exploration earned Real mainly positive reviews from critics. Many praised Queen's raspy vocals and production quality, whilst others criticized the lack of instrumentation. Spawning four singles ("Chika Ideal", "Rociarlos", "Dile", and "Angel Caído"), Real peaked at number twenty-five on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart, number four on the Billboard Top Reggae Albums chart and number six on the Billboard Tropical Albums chart. "Chika Ideal" and "Rociarlos" failed to attain chart success, although the former reached the top ten of Terra Networks' music-video countdown. "Dile" peaked at number eight on the Billboard Tropical Songs chart, earning Queen three Billboard Latin Music Award nominations (including one for Tropical Airplay Track of the Year, Female). Several other tracks, including "Tócame" and "Baila Así", received airplay on Anglophone and Hispanophone radio stations in the United States. Real is regarded as a factor in 2004's reggaetón exposure to mainstream English-speaking markets, along with Queen's previous album (her 2003 studio recording, Diva) and albums by Daddy Yankee and Tego Calderón. It became one of the best-selling albums of 2005 (along with her fifth studio album, Flashback), with sales of both going "through the roof". Queen then embarked on concert tours of Latin America and the United States; she also promoted the album with a network television-news segment detailing her career and struggle for respect in reggaetón, performing "Chika Ideal" on Don Francisco Presenta. The album was re-released on September 25, 2007 by Machete Music, but failed to impact the charts.