By Nelson Santana and Emmanuel Espinal
December 9, 2025
Lea en español: Las 10 mejores canciones de Batman y Robin—Romeo Santos y Prince Royce—(y por qué): las piezas fundamentales que explican Better Late Than Never
Introduction: The Album that Defied the Digital Era
In an age of leaks, TikTok snippets, and albums popping up online weeks before release—as happened to Aventura with Love and Hate (2003)—Romeo Santos and Prince Royce chose the opposite strategy: absolute silence.
For nearly seven years, the self-styled duo “Batman & Robin” meticulously built a joint project in villas, homes, and private studios between the Caribbean and New York. No demos sent by email, no leaks. In internal documents, Romeo appeared as “Batman” and Royce as “Robin,” running the project like a classified operation.
The result: Better Late Than Never, 13 tracks that fuse:
Classic bachata and traditional amargue
Urban bachata descended from Aventura
Contemporary R&B and pop
Touches of afrobeat
A Dominican smash (“Ay San Miguel”) that connects tradition to the global
The collaboration with Dalvin La Melodía on “Menor” bridges toward the new urbano-bachata generation. Four songs—“Better Late Than Never,” “Mi plan,” “Jezabel,” and “Loquita por mí”—were co-written by Romeo and Royce; the rest bear the King’s primary signature with the Prince’s surgical refinements. No filler: every track justifies seven years of waiting.
To understand why this album transcends, we have to trace the road that led here. These songs are the DNA that made Better Late Than Never possible.
Method Note: Why Aventura Is Essential
We include Aventura songs on the “Romeo side” not out of nostalgia, but because:
That is where the global-conquering urban bachata was born
It forged Romeo as a songwriter and musical architect
Without those years, there would not be an artist capable of producing a secret conceptual album with Prince Royce
Likewise, the “Royce side” includes both mega-hits and lesser-known gems that reveal his full artistic evolution.
1) “Obsesión” – Aventura (Romeo side)
Bachata conquers the planet
“Obsesión” marks the before and after: the song that catapulted Aventura from local gigs where they were paid with soda and food—literally—to European charts, topping lists in France, Italy, and beyond. It cemented the urban-bachata formula with a female guest vocal and turned Romeo into a global songwriter without sacrificing his Bronx identity.
Without “Obsesión,” there would be no blockbuster Aventura—let alone a Romeo Santos.
Connection to Better Late Than Never: The album’s anticipation as the “bachata event of 2025” rests on the precedent set by “Obsesión.” Without that cultural earthquake, the Batman & Robin encounter would not carry the same historical weight.
2) “¿Cuando Volverás?” – Aventura (Romeo side)
A foreshadowing of greatness
Before “Obsesión” and world records, there was this direct plea: “¿Cuándo volverás?”
For the Dominican community, many immigrants and their children, this was the first time bachata sounded like both the countryside and The Bronx at once—like an imported cassette and lived experience.
Aventura’s debut album, Generation Next (1999), not only includes the hit “¿Cuándo volverás?” but also bachata anthems like “Alexandra,” “Amor bonito,” “Un poeta enamorado,” and merengues such as “Mujeriego” and “Si me dejas, muero.” The bachata “No lo perdona Dios” tackles abortion from a controversial male perspective. Beyond ideological positions, it proved bachata could carry difficult conversations—a disposition that persists in Romeo’s rawer lyrics today. Without the success of “¿Cuándo volverás?” and Generation Next, there would be no Romeo Santos.
Connection to Better Late Than Never: In songs like “Estocolmo,” that same Bronx-island-nostalgia fusion resurfaces, now with two lead voices and elite global production.
3) Utopía
(full album) – Romeo Santos
The masterpiece that gathered every bachata generation
If any album merits a full slot on this list, it’s Utopía. Released April 5, 2019, Romeo’s fourth studio album is not just a collection of songs: it is a historical document, a doctoral thesis on bachata, and arguably the summit of the King’s solo career.
Why Utopía transcends as a conceptual album
Romeo did not settle for another hit compilation. He built a monumental project that functions as:
A living museum of bachata: each collaboration is a carefully curated exhibit
A generational bridge: linking 1990s pioneers to the contemporary sound
A statement of principles: proving modern bachata respects—and needs—its roots
The album includes 13 tracks (plus an intro honoring “Dominicano Soy,” popularized by Fernandito Villalona), and every song is a duet with a different legend. No filler: from “Canalla” with El Chaval to “Inmortal” with the Aventura reunion, each track earns its place and becomes a hit in its own right.
Peak moments
“Me quedo” with Zacarías Ferreira may be the album’s brightest jewel. The chemistry creates a musical dialogue where two masters trade verses on resigned love. The arrangement respects traditional bachata while weaving in Romeo’s modern production—and for that reason it held months as the most popular song on ESENDOM’s Top 25.
“Ileso” with Teodoro Reyes showcases Romeo’s songwriting genius. The rasp of the “wise blind man” Teodoro, a veteran of a thousand bachata battles, finds the perfect vehicle for a story of emotional survival—pure bachata, distilled, without needless frills.
“La Demanda” with Raulín Rodríguez became a viral phenomenon, turning heartbreak into a metaphorical legal case. Raulín, a 90s great, brings the credibility the track needs.
“Canalla” with El Chaval is another banger. The album’s third-best song is between “La Demanda” and “Canalla.”
Cultural and commercial impact
The numbers speak:
Debuted #1 on Billboard Top Latin Albums and Top Tropical Albums (his fifth straight #1)
Reached #18 on the overall Billboard 200
Certified 11× Platinum (Latin) in the U.S. (660,000 units)
The MetLife Stadium concert set an attendance record 80,000 fans 80,000 fans, surpassing U2
Beyond figures, Utopía did something deeper: the Gira del Pueblo in the Dominican Republic—15 free concerts in towns that had never seen a show of that scale—proved the album was a love letter to the genre’s roots.
The reunion no one expected
“Inmortal” with Aventura is not just another song: it is the perfect closing track and the gift fans waited a decade for. The group’s first song in 10 years showed the magic was intact and set the stage for the Inmortal Tour, their first U.S. tour since 2009.
Why Utopía is essential to Better Late Than Never
It proved Romeo could manage massive collaborative projects without ego, sharing the spotlight with other giants. Coordinating, producing, and singing with 12 legends (plus his original group) gave him the toolkit for the secret seven-year Batman & Robin project with Prince Royce.
Utopía showed that:
Classic and modern bachata can share the same space
Respect for pioneers is compatible with innovation
A conceptual bachata album can match any genre in artistic ambition
Connection to Better Late Than Never
If Utopía was Romeo’s thesis on bachata’s history, Better Late Than Never is the next chapter: what happens when two modern architects of the genre join forces? The discipline, patience, and vision Romeo showed on Utopía—recording with each artist separately, honoring their styles, creating videos for every track—are the same qualities applied to this secret seven-year project with Prince Royce.
4) “Stand by Me” – Prince Royce
The reinvention that opened borders
Royce pulled off the improbable: turning a classic of Anglophone soul into a bilingual bachata, presenting himself as the genre’s fresh young face and proving Motown, The Bronx, and Dominican roots could coexist in perfect harmony. At the 2011 ESENDOM Awards, Prince Royce won Breakthrough of the Year and his album Prince Royce won Bachata Album of the Year.
Connection to Better Late Than Never: From his bachata take on “Stand by Me” to ETERNO, Royce has specialized in translating other musical languages into bachata. That same skill feeds into co-writing pieces like “Better Late Than Never.”
5) “Mi Corazoncito” – Aventura
Masculine vulnerability that conquered the charts
The second single from K.O.B. Live (2006), “Mi Corazoncito” revolutionized bachata’s emotional vocabulary. Romeo chose corazoncito over corazón—that diminutive disarmed macho posturing, giving Latino men cultural permission to express tenderness without shame.
The song dominated commercially: #2 on Hot Latin Songs, #1 on Tropical Airplay, and crowned Latin Song of the Year (2007). It won “Latin Song of the Year” at the 2008 Latin Billboards and “Tropical Song of the Year” at Premio Lo Nuestro. Its influence endures: it was included in GTA Online: The Contract (2021), bringing vulnerable bachata to new generations.
The video reinforces the theme: Romeo imagines being loved back while in reality he’s rejected—until fantasy and reality converge in mutual love, a perfect metaphor for how vulnerability eventually wins.
Connection to Better Late Than Never: The emotional intensity and unrequited longing of “Mi Corazoncito” reappear in darker form in “Mi plan.” If the narrator once begged to “let me dream,” now he admits he’s “in too deep” in a Machiavellian plan. In the Batman and Robin universe, modern bachata does not idealize love; it also shows its jealousy, obsessions, and contradictions.
6) “Propuesta indecente” – Romeo Santos
A declaration of supremacy
“Propuesta indecente” defines Romeo’s power: a bachata-tango fusion, audacious seduction narrative, and chart dominance that proved historic, not fleeting. In January 2017 it was certified double diamond in the Latin market by the RIAA (1.2 million units in the U.S. alone). It became the first song to remain over 100 weeks on the U.S. Hot Latin Songs chart and, by 2021, ranked as the second most important Latin song of all time on that list, behind “Despacito.”
Connection to Better Late Than Never: This mega-hit is not just a success; it is the artistic capital that gave Romeo the freedom to do what few can: record for seven years without pressure, tease with calculated mystery, and drop a surprise album with no leaks. “Propuesta indecente” is the calling card that lets him take risks with Better Late Than Never while still playing in his own league.
7) “You” – Romeo Santos
Trial by fire—passed
“You” answered the crucial question: can Romeo shine without Aventura? Released in 2011 as the first single from Fórmula, Vol. 1, the bachata with R&B DNA debuted directly at #1 on Hot Latin Songs, spent seven weeks there, landed as a top-10 year-end hit, led Tropical Airplay, crossed into the Hot 100, and earned Platinum+Gold in Mexico and 5× Platinum (Latin) in the U.S. It was not just a good start; it made him one of the rare artists to launch a solo career through the Latin charts’ front door.
Connection to Better Late Than Never: The confidence Romeo brings to a shared project now stems in part from having aced the “You” exam: a debut proving that while Aventura was massive, the star—capable of sustaining albums, tours, and bold bets—was always him.
8) “Corazón sin cara” – Prince Royce
Vulnerability turned bachata
Here Royce transcends performer status to become a generational voice, addressing body image and beauty standards and defending authenticity over filters—an anthem of self-esteem for Latino youth.
Connection to Better Late Than Never: In “Dardos,” where the narrator emotionally disarms and admits he’s “besotted” by a toxic love, you feel the same inheritance from “Corazón sin cara”: speaking about pain and fragility with disarming honesty in modern bachata.
9) “Las cosas pequeñas” – Prince Royce
The poetics of the everyday gesture
In “Corazón sin cara,” Royce stops being just a romantic crooner to become a voice for a generation that grew up fighting the mirror. He talks about body issues, weight, makeup, and the idea of “being ugly”; he dismantles the notion of a single beauty standard and turns bachata into a self-esteem manifesto aimed especially at teens and young Latinos. It was not just a nice message: the song hit #1 on Tropical Airplay and Hot Latin Songs, led charts in Venezuela, closed 2011 as the #1 Latin song of the year, ranked among the 15 most important Latin songs of the 2010s, and sits within the 40 most successful in the chart’s history.
Connection to Better Late Than Never: In “Dardos,” where the narrator lays bare his insecurities and fragilities without posing—over modern bachata that feels more like an intimate confession than star posture—the lineage is palpable.
10) TIE
“Su veneno” – Aventura
Epic drama, pre-solo era
On “Su veneno,” Aventura operates in fully established legend mode: dramatic bachata about toxic relationships with world-class production. Not just a fan favorite, it hit #1 in Honduras and on Billboard’s Latin Tropical Airplay, reached #4 on Hot Latin Tracks, #9 in Colombia, and even slipped onto U.S. Heatseekers—signs of a group overflowing traditional bachata boundaries. It is the sound of a band at its apex, refining the language each member would later carry into solo careers.
Connection to Better Late Than Never: “Estocolmo” and other album cuts inherit this dramatic DNA: complex love stories told like mini-series condensed into minutes.
“Darte un beso” – Prince Royce
The hit that defined an era
“Darte un beso” transcends genre: instantly recognizable bachata with global-pop ambitions. Released in 2013, it became an international hit dominating radio and platforms: #1 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs, Latin Airplay, Latin Pop Airplay, and Tropical Airplay; #1 in the Dominican Republic, Colombia, and Mexico; presence on the U.S. Hot 100 and Spain’s lists. It became one of Royce’s signature songs: Song of the Year at Premios Tu Mundo, three Latin Grammy nominations (Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Tropical Song), top-3 and top-6 in year-end Hot Latin Songs, #12 of the 2010–2019 decade, and top-30 historically. Add a flood of certifications (including 31× Latin Platinum RIAA and Diamond/Multi-Platinum in Mexico and Europe) and 1.5+ billion YouTube views.
The expansion was so big that in 2014 “Te Dar um Beijo,” a Portuguese sertanejo version with Michel Teló, hit the top 5 of Billboard Brasil Hot 100—a Dominican bachata reborn as a Brazilian romantic anthem without losing its essence.
Connection to Better Late Than Never: The knack for unforgettable hooks Royce perfected in “Darte un beso” forms the backbone of the album’s most commercial moments. He learned to craft choruses that work in bachata, pop, streaming algorithms, and even other languages—something you feel on Better Late Than Never: when the record aims for the masses, you hear the schooling of an artist who already proved a love song can conquer the barrio, tropical radio, Latin pop, and the global market at once.
Honorable Mentions
Romeo Santos: Many songs could occupy Romeo’s special-mention slot, including “Por un segundo,” “Eres mía,” “Promise” with Usher, and “Odio” with Drake.
However, “Debate de 4” earns the honor. “Debate de 4” with Antony Santos, Luis Vargas, and Raulín Rodríguez is not necessarily Romeo’s best or most commercially successful track (#23 Hot Latin Songs), but what it accomplished in 2011 transcends metrics: it brought together, for the first and only time in the studio, the three indisputable titans of 1990s bachata. In December 2012, Romeo featured all three at two sold-out nights at Santo Domingo’s Félix Sánchez Olympic Stadium to perform the song live—the last time they appeared together on stage.
When fans press play on Better Late Than Never, they are hearing the fruit of an artist who had already proved—via “Debate de 4”—that he can make bachata’s impossible dreams come true. If he could unite El Rey Supremo, El Cacique, and El Mayimbe after years apart, creating a secret album with Prince Royce was just a matter of patience and vision.
Prince Royce:
“Incondicional” fuses bachata with bolero ranchero and mariachi, a direct bridge between Dominican and Mexican traditions, working equally well on tropical stations and regional-Mexican parties.
Connection to Better Late Than Never: That fearless genre-mixing clearly shows up in the album’s sonic explorations.
Likewise, “Morir solo” presents a torn Royce, owning mistakes and fears with modern production and classic amargue—possibly his most underrated song. Both reveal a catalog emotionally more complex than chart rankings suggest.
Conclusion: A Circle Closes—and Opens
These songs trace an arc from small Bronx apartments with bachata cassettes to a packed Madison Square Garden where two superstars unveil their secret musical mission.
Romeo crowned himself King by taking bachata from the corner store to the world stage
Royce became the Prince by translating classics and emotions into the language of the requinto
Better Late Than Never closes a cycle and opens another: bachata as a global language that never abandons its essence as the Dominican sentimental pulse
Batman and Robin had their origin story.
These songs are the foundational chapters.
The joint album is, finally, the crossover bachata deserved.
________
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