Sech Is Having More Fun Than Ever
Since breaking through with songs like “Otro Trago” and “Solita” back in 2019, Sech has been one of the Latin industry’s most reliable hitmakers. His smooth, syrupy voice has made him a streaming titan and a go-to collaborator for artists like Bad Bunny, Nicky Jam, and more.
But after back-to-back albums — his excellent debut Sue?os in 2019, his upbeat follow-up 1 of 1 in 2020, and his empowered third LP 42 in 2021 — the Panamanian star took some time to recalibrate. The child of pastors who’d honed his skills singing in a church choir, Sech rose up the industry ranks quickly, winning over fans with the sweetness of his tenor. But after delivering so many projects, he wanted to spend some time focusing on his health and getting back to basics in music. “Things happen so fast, and you don’t get a break to reflect on it all,” Sech tells Rolling Stone on a recent call from Panama City. “For me, it’s been like, ‘Why did I start doing this? To take care of my family, to take care of my mom, because of my love of music.’”
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It’s been over the last few months — after taking a break, stopping only to release a short, four-song EP called Ya Casi Vienen last year — that he’s been trying out new approaches. He holed up in the studio, accompanied by only a few of his trusted collaborators, including the bold producer Rafita. Slowly, Sech loosened up and decided he would do exactly what he wanted — streams, chart numbers, and accolades be damned. He refused to be swayed by commercial pressures and ended up with an enthralling new set of songs, part of a project called El Bloke Hills.
“I feel like I’m starting from zero,” Sech says. “The other day, I was reading something that said, ‘When you’re walking toward your goals, remember why you started.’ That’s what this project has been. It’s reminded me of everything I wanted to do from the beginning, and now I’m enjoying every part of it.”
Sech started hinting at a new era in his music just before he released “Café Malibu,” a hyped-up club banger on the EP. He teased the song on social media, leading up to a playful reveal of the secret collaborators with whom he’s teamed up on the track. Eventually, he told fans that he’d tapped the Puerto Rican artist Mora, known for electronic adventures of his own, and Spanish newcomer Saiko. “I talked to Mora and I was like, ‘Cousin,’ — I call him ‘cousin’ — ‘I have a track I want to show you.’ Then I showed it to Saiko because they’re really good friends. We spent so much time taking things out, adding things in, until it ended up in a place we all love. I think teasing it like we did was great because it added so much excitement from fans.”
Then Sech followed things up with “Piedritas En Los Dientes,” a song he says is all about “perreo and swag.” And more recently, he dropped “Tus Labios,” a slinky dembow anthem that’s been taking over TikTok lately. “Because I typically work on every part of my songs — the beat, the lyrics, the video — when it comes out, I’m like ‘Okay, I don’t feel like listening to it anymore.’ But this one I keep going back to. I have it on loop. I feel like it’s a song that traps you in,” he says.
El Bloke Hills has a few other surprise guests, including Jay Wheeler and Eladio Carrion. But Sech has also been working on collaborations for other artists that have been blasting everywhere: He joined Daddy Yankee and Feid for “La Baby” on Tainy’s album Data. Fans were shocked to see his emo turn on Tainy’s “11 Y Once,” an unexpected rock track with shrieking guitars that somehow makes perfect use of Sech’s careful vocals. “I was in Mexico, and I saw Tainy there. He played a ton of tracks for me, but ‘11 Y Once,’ was the first thing he showed me. And I was like ‘Bro, it doesn’t matter what else you play for me, that’s the one.’ We did the song right away. When we finished, I saw his face, and he’s so serious and I was like, ‘Damn, maybe he didn’t like it.’ But then afterward, we were both like, ‘We killed it.’ Everyone who writes to me is blown away by that song, and it’s something that motivated me to show everyone that there’s so much more I can do.”
Sech promises he’s just getting started — and that his momentum is only picking up. He’s working on a full-length album that he plans to release in 2024, and he’s got an eye on performing live soon. He says he’s got a few other surprises planned throughout the rest of 2023. “This year, I’m like, ‘I’m going to throw out a ton of stuff,’” he says. “There’s so much more in store.”
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