Hasta la Raíz

In 2010 Natalia Lafourcade joined Mexican orchestra conductor Alondra de la Parra on the musical project Travieso Carmesí, an album created as part of the Bicentennial of Mexico celebration. While conducting research to find songs for that album, Lafourcade studied Mexican singer-songwriter Agustín Lara catalog and decided to record a tribute album with his songs. Released in 2012, Mujer Divina earned her accolades for Best Alternative Music Album and Best Long Form Music Video at the 14th Latin Grammy Awards. Two years later, Lafourcade traveled to Veracruz (Mexico), Colombia, and Cuba in a search for musical inspiration and a balance between heart, mind and body. ==Writing and recording==

After completing Hu Hu Hu, Lafourcade experienced writer's block, and felt that the songs she was writing were too similar to those in her previous albums. For her new work, she sought inspiration from Agustín Lara's repertoire and her native country, Mexico. Lafourcade forced herself to write "without judgement", recording voice memos on her phone as part of the writing process. The title track, "Hasta la Raíz", was written by Lafourcade and Mexican singer-songwriter Leonel García, with whom she had previously collaborated on her album Mujer Divina and on García's album Todas Mías (2012). García had an idea about the song; they then wrote the music together. Laforcade referred to this collaboration as "magical", saying the song was an anthem to human strength, and about not forgetting one's roots. "Vámonos Negrito" is a tribute to her Latin American roots that she started writing after a show in Colombia and finished in Cuba; in this song, one of her favorites, she tried to create a musical landscape with instruments, textures, and harmonies. The bolero "Antes de Huir", is a "sad and hopeful" song. It is about not letting go of the things we love. (pictured in 2011), co-wrote the album title track and co-produced the song "No Más Llorar". "Para Qué Sufrir" is a song about being all right and trusting someone. Lafourcade wrote the song in a short time but had problems with the chorus, so she asked Torreblanca's lead singer Jose Manuel Torreblanca for help; López made the arrangements. "Nunca Es Suficiente" deals with emotions about a dysfunctional relationship and wanting something more. It was composed by Lafourcade and Daniela Azpiazu and was intended to be performed by Mexican artist Paulina Rubio, since both Lafourcade and Azpiazu wanted to write songs for other artists. However, upon finishing it, they decided to keep the song to themselves and use it either for Aziapizu's project María Daniela y su Sonido Lasser or Lafourcade's album. It is a love story filled with metaphors about her love for Mexico, connection with the universe, and self-preservation. The song had the most modified arrangement, being made with few chords. The lyrics for the jazz song "Lo Que Construimos", deals with the decision to leave someone and going separate ways. "Estoy Lista" is a ballad about being ready to be well, and Lafourcade worked on the track in her spare time, taking a year to finish it. The last track, "No Más Llorar", was written during a family reunion with her father and sister in Chile. Lafourcade wrote it about a love that could not be, her mourning and search for stability, forgiveness, and healing. Regarding the musical arrangements, Lafourcade explained, "I felt that the arrangements had to function as the perfect embrace to the songs ... since each song had its own distinct personality. So it was like creating the ideal musical surroundings. I'm very visual with music, so I always try to create atmospheres, panoramas, and images. Kind of like creating photographs through music". Lissette Corsa of MTV Iggy said that the songs are "crafted as expansive, cinematic soundscapes that lend themselves to the mood of each song". ==Critical reception==

Upon its release, Hasta la Raíz received universal acclaim from music critics. Beverly Bryan of The Village Voice stated that the album "casts a spell with deep feeling, and melodies and lyrics that linger in the mind. Elegantly adorned with subtle strings and velvety production, it has the kind of warmth people are always saying they can hear on old vinyl records". AllMusic's Mariano Prunes gave the album 4.5 out of 5 stars ranking, and on his review stated that "these are extremely well-written songs in the spirit of the great Latin America romantic tradition of which Lara was a founding father, but infused with a contemporary perspective". An editor from Televisa Espectáculos wrote a mixed review, commenting that the album has to be listened to twice to "fall in love with at least one song", comparing positively the title track with Lafourcade's work on her previous album (Mujer Divina) and the songs "Mi Lugar Favorito" and "Te Quiero Ver" with her album Hu Hu Hu, creating a "mix of sounds" on which Lafourcade shows all the things she learned after working with Agustín Lara's catalog. Lissette Corsa, of MTV Iggy, stated that "despite moments of darkness and heartfelt sadness, Hasta la Raiz bristles with a sense of adventure and optimism", and noted the influence of Chilean songwriter Violeta Parra in the track "Vámonos Negrito", as part of Lafourcade's "eclectic artistry". About the nominations, Lafourcade said to the newspaper Al Día, "I am very grateful to the people because this album has allowed me to reach them in a closer way, create a complicity ... I feel very happy and with high expectations, regardless of whether we get the Latin Grammy or not". Hasta la Raíz won a Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album. The album ranked at number-one in the list for the "10 Best Albums of 2015 in Mexico" by newspaper El País; according to the reviewer Luis Pablo Beauregard, it is an album "naked and raw, where the lyrics and fragility of her voice draw the footprint of heartbreak". The American edition of Rolling Stone magazine placed Hasta la Raíz at number 3 in the list for the "10 Best Latin Albums of the Year", arguing that "the loftiness of the album's ambitions are tempered by Lafourcade's masterful songwriting, which remains as deft as a Mesut Özil cross pass". The editors of Billboard magazine ranked the album at number 2 in the list for the "10 Best Latin Albums of 2015", stating that the singer "manages to be retro and futuristic at the same time ... the sound is so unexpected, that coupled with Lafourcade's sweet vocals, it's arresting". Website AllMusic included the album on their list for the "Best of 2015: Favorite Latin and World Albums", explaining that Lafourcade "delivers an intimate, poignant, quietly powerful collection of heartbreak songs on this gem of an album". In the list Los 600 de Latinoamérica, an acclaimed ranking created by several Latin American music journalists, it was ranked the 14th best album on the list, which covers the years 1920 to 2022. ==Singles==

The title track, "Hasta la Raíz", was released as the lead single on January 6, 2015. It peaked at number 5 in Mexico's Monitor Latino Pop Chart and number 17 in the U.S. Billboard Latin Pop Songs chart, and won Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Alternative Song at the Latin Grammy Awards of 2015. The music video was directed by Alonso Ruizpalacios, at the Estudios Churubusco in Mexico City, gathering 300 fans who responded to an ad published in social networks. "Nunca Es Suficiente" was released as a promo single on January 21, 2015. The music video was released on March 23, 2015, and was directed by Martín Bautista, and features actors Diana Lein, Gustavo Sánchez Parra and Tenoch Huerta. The video presents two couples during different stages of a love relationship. "Nunca Es Suficiente" peaked at number 4 in the Monitor Latino Pop Chart in Mexico. The track "Lo Que Construimos" was selected as the third single, with its music video also directed by Ruizpalacios and premiering on September 13, 2015. On December 10, 2015, was announced that the track "Mi Lugar Favorito" was the fourth single from the album. ==Commercial reception==

In the United States, the album was available on March 17, 2015, as a digital download only and debuted at number 12 in the Billboard Latin Albums chart, selling 1,000 digital units. On April 14, the album was available on Amazon on Demand, and on September 25, 2015, a physical CD was released. Following Lafourcade's performance at the Latin Grammy Awards of 2015, sales of the album increased 176% and re-entered the Billboard Latin Pop Albums chart at number 7, almost matching its initial peak (number 6). The album re-entered the Latin Albums chart in the week of January 23, 2016, to achieve its highest peak at number 8 and also reached a highest position in the Latin Pop Album chart, at number 5. In the week of April 16, 2016, reached a peak of number 4 at the Latin Pop Album Chart. In Mexico, Hasta la Raíz peaked at number one in the Top 100 Mexico chart and was certified platinum by the Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas for the shipment of 60,000 copies. Hasta la Raíz peaked at number 73 in the Spanish Album Chart and 82 in the Italian Album Charts, spending one week on both record charts. ==Tour==

Lafourcade launched a promotional tour throughout Mexico and only performed at theaters that were at least 100 years old. The Village Voice, reporting on an interview with Lafourcade, noted, "There are enough such grand old structures in her country to make this possible", although according to Lafourcade, "some of them are better maintained than others." In Hollywood, Lafourcade participated on the Latin Grammy Acoustic Sessions at the Fonda Theatre. In September, Lafourcade performed at "Festival DCODE 2015" in Madrid, Spain. The singer also visited Colombia on October 1, 2015, performing at Bogotá's Royal Center. On November 4, 2015, Lafourcade fulfilled a long-held dream of performing for the first time at the Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City. "I've been here with Julieta Venegas, and someone reminded me that I opened for Juanes a few years ago. When I was 13 years old, I ran away from home with my best friend to come to the Auditorio Nacional to see Christina Aguilera, and I wanted to be on stage, longing to have this opportunity. After many years of work, this became a reality." To further promote the album, Lafourcade became the first Mexican female singer-songwriter to record an acoustic session for the music streaming service Spotify. Titled Spotify Sessions, the live EP includes six tracks from Hasta la Raíz ("Para Qué Sufrir", the title track, "Nunca Es Suficiente", "Ya No Te Puedo Querer", "Palomas Blancas", and "No Más Llorar") and a cover version of Rafael Hernández's "Silencio". Lafourcade performed "Hasta la Raíz" at the Latin Grammy Awards of 2015. Lafourcade also presented the tour in a sold-out show held at the Teatro Cariola in Santiago de Chile, Chile on November 25, 2015. ==Track listing==

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Hasta la Raíz. Performance credits by song Performance credits Technical credits ==Charts==

Weekly charts Year-end charts ==Certifications==