MUSIC & CULTURE — October 8, 2026
Some albums try to reinvent pop. Others remind us why we fell in love with it. Gerenta del Amor, the new album by Canadian-born, Chilean-raised artist Vesta Lugg, belongs to the second category.
Released on October 1 through Warner Music Chile, the 11-track, approximately 25-minute record explores the funny, embarrassing, tender and occasionally painful sides of romance. Its premise is strikingly simple, but the result can be unexpectedly moving—and irresistibly replayable.
A little piece of summer 2010–2011
There is something about Gerenta del Amor that brings back memories of beach days in 2010 and 2011: afternoons that seemed to go on forever, friendships that made ordinary moments unforgettable, and the playful optimism of pop songs made for summer. It does not need to recreate that period’s production styles to awaken the feeling. Its emotional atmosphere is enough.
The album is colourful and refreshingly unpretentious. Instead of treating every romantic mishap as a grand tragedy, Lugg gives those stories permission to be funny. The humour does not cancel the vulnerability; it makes it easier to recognize.
Anglo-pop instincts, unmistakably Chilean expression
Born in Ottawa and raised in Chile, Lugg occupies an interesting space between English-language pop sensibilities and the cultural intimacy of Latin American music. What stands out is how recognizably Chilean her Spanish can sound. The softened consonants, conversational phrasing and familiar rhythms of speech give her performances a character of their own.
Rather than sanding away those details for a supposedly universal pop sound, she lets them coexist with an internationally minded style. That contrast is part of her identity as an artist: a voice that can feel cosmopolitan without abandoning where she grew up.
There is still something special about “Estrellas”
For this reviewer, “Estrellas” remains Vesta Lugg’s finest song to date. “Violeta” and “Alas Desatadas” also deserve a special place in the conversation about her catalogue. They have the sort of emotional personality that stays with a listener well beyond a release cycle.
But Gerenta del Amor is not trying to replace those memories. It opens another door into her music: lighter on its feet, more mischievous, and still capable of tenderness.
Hainica’s pick: “Besito en la barra”
Among the album’s tracks, “Besito en la barra” is our clear favourite. Its charm lies in how effortlessly it captures the record’s spirit: flirtation, a sense of fun and that elusive quality that makes you want to press play again.
“Metro 90” finds comedy in a disappointing date, while “Contacto de emergencia” brings a more vulnerable dimension to the album. Together, these songs underline what makes the project engaging: it can laugh at love without dismissing how deeply people feel it.
The art of keeping pop simple
Vesta has described this record as a collection of experiences and romantic stories—some her own, some borrowed, some exaggerated—as though friends were catching up at the end of the day. That is a fitting way to hear it. The songs do not demand solemnity, and their simplicity is not a flaw. It is the point.
Gerenta del Amor is sweet, funny, occasionally touching and thoroughly enjoyable. It is a reminder that pop can be meaningful without being complicated, and that sometimes a song becomes unforgettable because it captures one very ordinary, very human moment.
And for us, that moment is a little kiss at the bar.
Release details: Apple Music. Album background: Música Chilena.
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