Chicas Malas is the fourth studio album by Spanish singer Mónica Naranjo, released on October 26, 2001 by Epic Records, serving as a follow-up to her hugely-successful third studio album 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.
The album achieved notable success in Spain, debuting at number four, and selling approximately 100,000 copies in its first week, eventually being certified Platinum; while all of its four singles ("Chicas Malas", "Sacrificio", "No Voy a Llorar" and "Ain't It Better Like This") reached the top-ten in Spain. Although its modest commercial performance, Chicas Malas includes several tracks noted for showcasing Naranjo’s vocal range and the early signs of her evolving artistic approach, 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.
Background
In December 2001,
, Mónica Naranjo was interviewed by Spanish LGBT magazine Shangay following the release of her fourth studio album, Chicas malas. The interview took place at the Hotel Palace in Madrid and was republished by the magazine in October 2025 to mark the album's 24th anniversary.
During the interview, Naranjo described Minage, her previous studio album, as an important artistic step that had given her the confidence to make Chicas malas. She explained that she preferred to experiment rather than repeat the musical approach of her earlier successful releases. According to Naranjo, she had been offered an international release through Sony Music following a meeting with its executive Tommy Mottola in New York. She agreed to record an English-language version of the album but insisted that her Spanish-language and Latin American audiences should remain part of her career plans.
Naranjo also discussed her approach to artistic control, explaining that she was closely involved in the production of her albums and preferred to present her work according to her own creative vision. She attributed her theatrical stage presence partly to her studies in dramatic arts and said that she viewed a live performance as an interpretive act in which a singer should communicate the emotional content of a song.
Among the singers she identified as influences or artists she admired were Taylor Dayne, Anastacia, and Eartha Kitt. She also expressed admiration for Rocío Jurado, welcoming comparisons with the Spanish singer, and praised Whitney Houston, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, and Barbra Streisand when discussing female performers. Naranjo said that she listened to classical music while recovering from the pressure of completing Chicas malas.
In the interview, Naranjo described herself as independent and said that the emphasis on freedom and self-sufficiency in her upbringing had influenced her outlook. She also spoke about periods of personal difficulty and explained that she preferred spending her free time at home with friends rather than maintaining a public celebrity lifestyle. She credited Shangay with giving her an important early cover feature in Spain and expressed appreciation for the magazine's continuing support and its readership.
Track listing
No.
Title
Writer(s)
English version
Length
1.
"Chicas Malas"
Mónica Naranjo, Giulia Fasolino, Bruno Zucchetti, Anna Gotti
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