Guapa

Guapa is the fourth studio album released on April 25, 2006, by Spanish Pop rock band La Oreja de Van Gogh. On December 5, 2006, Más Guapa was released exclusively in Spain and Mexico. Two months later, on February 13, 2007, the album was also released in Chile. Más Guapa includes a second disc of previously unreleased material from the Guapa sessions, as well as from recording sessions of previous albums. The album won a Latin Grammy Award for Best Pop Album By a Duo or Group. Guapa is the band's last album with Amaia Montero as lead singer.

The album's composition began in February 2005. By November of that year, there were already 18 tracks that would probably be in the final album. It was recorded in London, England in Abbey Road Studios from December second through 23rd, 2005. In January, 2006, they began re recording in Madrid and reporters from TV channel Cuatro were present throughout to later publish a report regarding the album. In spite of the group's desire that a report not be made, a DVD was included in certain versions of Guapa. The album was produced with Nigel Walker. Its publication coincides with the 10th anniversary of the group's existence. Guapa contains thirteen songs that mix the band's typical pop with reggae, ranchera, a bit of bossa nova, some sounds from the 60's and 70's, a few techno arrangements and recollections of American music. In this CD the artistic maturity of the group becomes apparent in their lyrics as well as their melodies with songs like Noche (Night), Muñeca de trapo, (Rag Doll), and Perdida (Lost).

Guapa was the most anticipated album of 2006 in Spain. Originally, the release was set for March 28, 2006; however, technical problems with a machine in Du Manoir made the premiere be on April 25, 2006. When "Muñeca de Trapo" was released as the lead single in Spanish radio station Los 40, it was quite a success. Two days before its official release, telephone company Movistar offered a Sony Ericson phone with the full album and the "Muñeca de Trapo" video preloaded in the device, causing the album to leak before its official release. By December 2006, the album already had already been certified seven times seven Platinum. Guapa won the Latin Grammy of 2006 as best pop album by a group or duo. As soon as the album was out in the market, the band began its promotion in North and South America, appearing in almost every Spanish speaking country. This tour through the Americas made the album sell about a million copies there, making themselves enter countries they had not entered before. This great success in America, along with the sales in Spain which went beyond 560,000 made Guapa the third most sold album in the history of the band, with about 1,500,000 copies sold. By the end of the tour, the band had over 6,000,000 copies sold in total all around the world. The album remained for over 30 weeks in the Top 10 CD's sold in Spain, 10 of which, although not consecutive, made it #1. A new edition of Guapa was released, under the title Más Guapa, which included a bonus CD faturing unreleased recordings from the album sessions. "En mi lado del sofá" was released as its single. In 2007, "Dulce Locura" and "Muñeca de Trapo" were recorded in Italian, and released in a new edition exclusive for that country, but all promotion was halted due to Amaia Montero's unexpected departure.

Chart (2006)Peak position Spain Top 100 Albums1U. S. Billboard 200114U. S. Billboard Top Latin Albums5Canada Billboard 200200Mexico1