No Fireworks, Just Pressure Released: Yo-Blake's "Me Vale"

Yo-Blake didn't show up with a bang; he was just another one that showed up with pressure. With Static in the Chest. With others' opinions rattling in his head like empty beer bottles hitting a concrete driveway. Me Vale is what happens when all that noise is no longer important.

The single starts with a shrug, and ends with a statement. Sure the energy of the music is Urbano-pop, but there's something more human that drives it than being trendy. Yo-Blake writes from the middle, not 'not fully there' and not giving up. Lines like "Estoy cansado que me digan que hacer" don't feel like they were written to have an impact. They feel like they were lived in, yelled out, and thrown against walls over and over until only the truth remains.

This is the Hero's Journey; in real time the call came early: "Don't Need Me!" And since then it's been a long, messy, honest journey. Roto, Un Mal Sueno, Mentiras - these releases were proof of Yo-Blake's progress; you could shake the ash out of the clothes he wore as he progressed. There have been appearances on television, lots of buzz in blogs, etc. but despite all of that, the music remains the same: it is an emotional reaction rather than a performance.

At Me Vale, Yo-Blake stands firmly in front of the audience. The production is polished yet chaotic, as if it was made to be moved, to breathe. The images presented in the production echo the chaotic nature of the piece; city images, muted colors with bright sunlight shining through dark images. You do not simply see the images. You experience the images. The images smell like wet concrete. They smell like beer on the asphalt. They give you the experience of starting anew without asking anyone.

This production has confidence behind it, and it is earned, not borrowed. When he states, "No busco ser perfecto, pero estoy en el intent", it is clear that he acknowledges the effort that goes into achieving his goal. The process of trying to achieve that goal. The decision to continue going forward in spite of having to endure the chaos that arises again.

Yo-Blake's audience does not look to him for polish; they can see themselves in his work. They are struggling with the expectations that are placed upon them, and fighting against what they are naturally drawn to, and finding a way to eliminate the vibrations around them; to find their own path and direction. Therefore, Me Vale is not a statement of rebellion; it is about knowing that you have your freedom on a daily basis; and that is the difference.