Chicas Malas is the fourth studio album by Spanish singer Mónica Naranjo, released in 2001. It marked her first full Spanish-language studio album following Minage. Unlike her previous releases, which achieved significant commercial success in Spain and Mexico, Chicas Malas underperformed commercially despite extensive promotion, resulting in disappointment for both Naranjo and her record label.

Musically, the album continued the pop and dance-oriented style associated with Naranjo’s earlier work. However, its reception was affected by its position in her discography, as it followed the more experimental and personal Minage, which had altered public and critical expectations regarding her artistic direction. During the recording process, Naranjo experienced a profound personal loss with the serious illness and subsequent death of her brother, an event that reportedly impacted her emotional connection to the project.

Sony Music promoted Chicas Malas primarily in Spain and Mexico and explored limited distribution in other markets, including Greece, France, Portugal, Germany, and Romania, mainly through promotional singles and radio airplay. Despite these efforts, the album did not receive a full international release and garnered mixed responses from critics and audiences.

Although commercially modest, Chicas Malas includes several tracks noted for showcasing Naranjo’s vocal range and the early signs of her evolving artistic approach. The album sold approximately 100,000 copies, and is retrospectively regarded as a transitional release, signaling the conclusion of her early pop-focused period and foreshadowing the more experimental direction of her later work.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)English versionLength
1."Chicas Malas"Mónica Naranjo, Giulia Fasolino, Bruno Zucchetti, Anna Gotti"Bad Girls"3:54
2."No Voy a Llorar"Naranjo, John Reid, Cliff Masterson"I Ain't Gonna Cry"4:01
3."De Qué Me Sirve Ya"Naranjo, Cristóbal Sansano, Maria Eugenia Salaverri"Let The Love Begin"4:40
4."No Puedo Seguir"Naranjo, Fasolino, Zuchetti, Gotti"I Don't Wanna Take This"4:28
5."Yo Vivo en Ti"Chris Eaton, Chris Rodriguez"I Live For You"4:21
6."Libérame"Naranjo, Fasolino, Zuchetti, Salaverri"I'll Never Run"4:57
7."Hot Line"Naranjo, Reid, Sansano"Hot Line"4:45
8."Lágrimas de Escarcha"Naranjo, Fasolino, Zuchetti, Salaverri"If You Say You Love Me"4:12
9."Sacrificio"Louis Biancaniello, Sam Watters"What About Love"4:21
10."No Cambies Nunca"Diane Warren"Love Found Me"4:41
11."Ain't It Better Like This"Gregg Alexander3:53

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from AllMusic.

Mónica Naranjo – Coros, Digital Producer, Realization Chris Rodriguez – Spanish Guitar Gina Foster – Coros Diane Warren – Executive Producer Juan Gonzalez – Engineer Paul Meehan – Assistant Producer Gary Barlow – Programming, Instrumentation Silvio Pozzoli – Coros Manuel Machado – Coros, Trumpet Ian Cooper – Mastering James Loughrey – Engineer Mario Lucy – Engineer, Mastering Tracie Ackerman – Coros Carlos Martin – Graphic Design, Artwork Direction David Frazer – Mixing Juanjo Manez – Estilista Louis Biancaniello – Programming, Producer, Engineer, Keyboards, Mixing Tom Bender – Assistant Engineer David Massey – Artwork Direction Dennis Rivadeneira – Assistant Engineer Kris Kello – Programming, Producer Sam Watters – Producer, Coros, Engineer, Mixing Jamie Bridges – AssistantFausto Demetrio – Assistant Engineer Annie Roseberry – Artwork Direction Ramon Gonzalez – Congas Cristóbal Sansano – Digital Producer, Executive Producer, Mixing Ben Coombs – Assistant Engineer Bruno Zuchetti – Programming, Keyboards, Mixing, arranger Eliot Kennedy – Programming, Instrumentation Maurizio Tonelli – Engineer Manny Benito – Adaptation Emanuela Cortese – Coros Cesare Chiodo – Bajo Stefano de Maco – Coros Sheilah Cuffy – Coros Giulia Fasolino – Coros, Realization, arranger Jaume DeLaiguana – Photography Alfredo Golino – Bateria, Realization, arranger Dario Caglioni – Digital Editing, engineer Gregg Alexander – Producer, Vocal Producer Segundo Mijares – Saxophone Ali Olmo – Coros Tim Woodcock – Programming, Instrumentation Aurora Beltran – Adaptation Maurizio Fabrizio – Guitar, Orchestra Director

Certifications

RegionCertificationCertified units/sales
Spain (Promusicae)Platinum100,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

CountryDateFormatLabel
Mexico26 October 2001CD / Digital downloadSony
United States12 November 2001
Worldwide26 February 2002
Worldwide27 October 2006
Worldwide28 February 2007
Worldwide15 February 2015
Worldwide20 February 2015
Worldwide11 December 2015
Worldwide26 October 2001Música MP3Sony
Worldwide28 March 2019Disco de viniloSony
Worldwide21 April 2021Disco de viniloSony
Worldwide21 May 2021Disco de vinilo, Edición coleccionistaSony