Album We Broke the Rules (AVENTURA). Songs and videos online

We Broke the Rules is the second studio album by the Dominican-American Aventura, released on June 1, 2002, by Premium Latin music. In We Broke the Rules, Aventura pioneered the incorporation of elements of urban music like Pop, Hip-hop, and R&B, giving Bachata a new flavor and extending its appeal to those who preferred urban music styles. This new recipe used in We Broke the Rules gave birth to a new style of Bachata, “The NewYork School” or “Urban Bachata,” which is characterized by the inclusion of electric guitars instead of acoustic, and lyrics in Spanish and English instead of just Spanish. In addition, the singing style takes after R&B melodies. Part of this album’s success was because Aventura’s new style sounded smoother and more modern than previous Bachata groups’. We Broke the Rules was the beginning of Aventura’s success and the final step in solidifying Bachata as a relevant music genre, internationally speaking. The biggest hit of the album was a song called "Obsesión" featuring Judy Santos. According to the article called, Aventura’s Adventure, “Obsesion, was the very first bachata act to land a No. 1 single, in Spanish, in virtually every European territory.” The song did more than just attract a Dominican or Spanish-speaking audience. Proof of its success is that the album sold around 1.5 million units internationally and remained in the number one position in the European charts in countries like Italy, France, Germany, and Norway for several weeks. For example, Obsession remained in the number one position in the French top 100 singles charts for seven weeks. Due to its sales, the song Obsession became the 442nd best selling in France’s music history. It was number one in the Italian top 50 singles for 16 weeks. The album’s themes mainly included heartbreak and melancholy, although it also included social themes like in “Amor de Madre,” or “Mother’s Love,” which is a song describing the lifelong struggle of a prostitute and her son. With its innovation and unique sound, We Broke the Rules opened the gates for a new era of Bachata, an era in which bachateros would not be considered third class musicians, but instead would be socially accepted, acclaimed, and respected.