User:Razr Nation/sandbox/Arjona3

Background

In 2010, Arjona wanted to drastically change his musical style, and after experimenting on making music using as few instruments as possible, he obtained a production similar to a capella performances, simplifying his sound, and introducing what he called a "stripped-down acoustic effort" of his music. This turned out to be his twelfth studio album, entitled Poquita Ropa. This time, the singer produced the album with the assistance of Dan Warner, who has worked with Shakira, Celine Dion and Christina Aguilera. While promoting the album, Arjona stated that "[songs] are like women; they get things up and are so concerned about this that they forget that the less clothes, more beauty. The songs are often overwhelmed by ourselves, because we saturate them with arrangements looking to exalt their qualities and we end up hiding them." He finally adressed that both "music and women look better with little clothes." Poquita Ropa became the first album since Adentro that Arjona worked without the aid of Torres. With the return of the latter in the production of Independiente, Arjona returned to his classic and trademark sound, and which Torres helped crafting since 2005.

Weeks before the release of Independiente, Arjona issued a letter in which he talked about his past relations with recording companies. The singer revealed that he signed his first record deal through exchange, elaborating that "a producer, friend of mine, told them [the record label] that if they didin't sign me in, they won't sign two artists he had [at that time]." He further explained that he received the "minimum royalty percentage" out from his most successful albums. Independiente is the first album Arjona released as an independent artist, and through his own record label, Metamorfosis, a company he created to refocus his career. The company is presided by the singer as well as some friends, including photographer and director Ricardo Calderón, Universal Music México's executive Humberto Calderon and BMG's Miriam Sommerz; and is based in Miami and Mexico City. Arjona commented that he considered the way he decided to go independent raised more compromise than freedom, stating that "Inside the word 'Independent', even when it sounds like extreme freedom, there's a big amount of compromise and the responsibility of being able to administrate, in the best way possible, such independence." Billboard notes that although other groups have decided to launch independently their works after having a contract with major record labels, Arjona is by far the most important artist in the Latin pop to follow this trend. Although the album is marketed within the new label, distribution was handled by Warner Music.