Cómo Dueles en los Labios
{{Short description|Single by Maná}}
{{good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Como Dueles En Los Labios
| cover = Como dueles en los labios.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Maná
| album = Sueños Líquidos
| released = 1997
| recorded =
| studio = A&M Studios
Hollywood, California
Puerta Azul-Mobile Studio
Quinta Del Mar, Puerto Vallarta
| genre = {{flat list|
}}
| length = 4:08
| label = WEA Mexico
| writer = Fher Olvera
| producer = {{flat list|
}}
| prev_title = Hechicera
| prev_year = 1997
| next_title = En El Muelle De San Blás
| next_year = 1998
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|VS1jtpxEzWc|"Como dueles en los labios"}}
| type = single
}}}}
"Cómo Dueles en los Labios" (English: "How Your Lips Hurt") is a song from Mexican band Maná's fifth studio album Sueños Líquidos (1997). The song was written by the band's frontman Fher Olvera, who handled production alongside Alex González and Benny Faccone. It was released as the fourth single from the album in 1997. An acoustic ballad with a Cuban nueva trova influence, its lyrics deal with the singer who feels empty and is kept happy with memories. The song received positive reactions from four music journalists although one review found it to be a copy of Silvio Rodríguez's music. Commercially, the song peaked at number two on the pop ballads chart in Mexico and Hot Latin Songs chart in the United States, while also topping the Latin Pop Airplay chart in the United States. A music video for the song was directed by Kiko Guerrero. The song was included on the set list for the promotional tour of the album.
Background and composition
In 1997, Maná released their fifth studio album Sueños Líquidos, with the band's lead vocalist Fher Olvera composing most of the tracks and co-producing the record with drummer Alex González and Benny Faccone. Recording for the took place at the A&M Studio in Hollywood, California and thePuerta Azul-Mobile Studio in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico{{cite web |last1=Carlson |first1=Dean |title=Sueños Liquidos – Maná {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/sueños-liquidos-mw0000596162 |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=8 October 2021 |archive-date=30 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190630164329/https://www.allmusic.com/album/sue%C3%B1os-liquidos-mw0000596162 |url-status=live }}{{cite magazine |last1=Lannert |first1=John |title=Reviews & Previews |magazine=Billboard |date=18 October 1997 |volume=109 |issue=42 |page=79 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nAkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA79 |access-date=8 October 2021 |publisher=Nielsen Business Media |issn=0006-2510 |archive-date=8 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008005419/https://books.google.com/books?id=nAkEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA7&pg=PA79 |url-status=live }} One of the songs Olvera wrote for Sueños Líquidos was "Cómo Dueles en los Labios". A "gentle" acoustic ballad with Cuban nueva trova influences featuring a flautist from Puerto Vallarta.{{cite news |last1=Torres |first1=Richard |title=Entertaining Latin-Rock Fusions |work=Newsday |date=7 December 1997 |page=D29}}{{cite news |last1=Camarena |first1=Ricardo |title=La liquidez de Mana: Dos de los integrantes del grupo estuvieron en Los Angeles para promover la edicion, el martes, de 'Suenos liquidos' |work=La Opinión |date=16 October 1997 |page=1D |language=es}} the song describes "the pain of emptiness where small of moments of happiness are now the only companions".{{cite news |last1=Burr |first1=Ramiro |title=Maná Crowns Itself as Rock en Español Kingpin |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/647179580/ |access-date=7 October 2021 |work=Fort Worth Star-Telegram |date=19 November 1997 |page=7 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=8 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008005421/https://www.newspapers.com/image/647179580/ |url-status=live }} Gonzalez explained: "It's a ballad, but it has these Peter Gabriel drum machines in the background. But it has melody and orchestra string music."{{cite news |last1=Mayhew |first1=Don |title=Maná: Seeking Fans of All Ethnicities |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/708212042/ |access-date=7 October 2021 |work=Fresno Bee |date=28 August 1998 |page=E6 |archive-date=8 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008005420/https://www.newspapers.com/image/708212042/ |url-status=live }}
Promotion and reception
"Cómo Dueles en los Labios" was released as the fourth single from the album in 1997 by WEA Mexico.{{cite news |title=Maná no le teme a la censura |url=http://h.elsiglodetorreon.com.mx/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib:LowLevelEntityToSaveGifMSIE_ELSIGLO&Type=text/html&Locale=spanish-skin-custom&Path=EDT/1998/06/28&ChunkNum=-1&ID=Ar06702&PageLabel=67 |access-date=7 October 2021 |work=El Siglo de Torreón |date=28 June 1998 |page=67 |language=es |archive-date=8 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008005421/http://h.elsiglodetorreon.com.mx/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib%3ALowLevelEntityToSaveGifMSIE_ELSIGLO&Type=text%2Fhtml&Locale=spanish-skin-custom&Path=EDT%2F1998%2F06%2F28&ChunkNum=-1&ID=Ar06702&PageLabel=67 |url-status=live }}{{cite AV media notes |title=Cómo Dueles en los Labios|others=Maná |date=1997 |type=CD single liner notes |publisher=WEA Mexico| location=Mexico| id=CPCD 1144}} Its music video was directed by Kiko Guerrero. The video features black-and-white scenes of Olvera and a woman separately on a couch in a white sheet.{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VS1jtpxEzWc |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/VS1jtpxEzWc |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Maná – Como dueles en los labios|publisher=YouTube|access-date=31 October 2021}}{{cbignore}} The song was later included on their compilation album Esenciales: Luna (2003).{{cite web |last1=Birchmeier |first1=Jason |title=Esencials: Luna – Maná {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/esencials-luna-mw0000329234 |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=8 October 2021 |archive-date=23 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170323015140/http://www.allmusic.com/album/esencials-luna-mw0000329234 |url-status=live }} It was on the set list for the promotional tour of the album.{{cite news |title=Maná arranca gira |url=http://h.elsiglodetorreon.com.mx/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib:LowLevelEntityToSaveGifMSIE_ELSIGLO&Type=text/html&Locale=spanish-skin-custom&Path=EDT/1998/03/29&ChunkNum=-1&ID=Ar06904&PageLabel=69 |access-date=8 October 2021 |work=El Siglo de Torreón |date=29 March 1998 |page=69 |language=es |archive-date=8 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008005420/http://h.elsiglodetorreon.com.mx/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib%3ALowLevelEntityToSaveGifMSIE_ELSIGLO&Type=text%2Fhtml&Locale=spanish-skin-custom&Path=EDT%2F1998%2F03%2F29&ChunkNum=-1&ID=Ar06904&PageLabel=69 |url-status=live }} The video was listed on "Maná's Music Video Evolution" by Billboard which an editor commented: "Who said rock was just about having fun? Mana showed that other feelings – like spite – are also important."{{cite magazine |title=Hispanic Heritage Month: Maná's Music Video Evolution |url=https://www.billboard.com/photos/7942296/mana-music-video-evolution |magazine=Billboard |access-date=8 October 2021 |date=26 September 2019 |archive-date=25 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225120419/https://www.billboard.com/photos/7942296/mana-music-video-evolution |url-status=live }} Achy Obejas of the Chicago Tribune praised it as "simply beautiful".{{cite news |last1=Obejas |first1=Achy |author1-link=Achy Obejas |title=Mana – Suenos Liquidos (WEA/Latina) |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1997-11-28-9711280074-story.html |access-date=7 October 2021 |work=Chicago Tribune |date=28 November 1997 |archive-date=8 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008005422/https://www.chicagotribune.com/ |url-status=live }} Mischa Field wrote for the Brattleboro Reformer that the track when combined flute, "the sweet stuff is positively on fire".{{cite news |last1=Field |first1=Mischa |title=Hot Latin Beats Boost the Summer Heat |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/548262700/ |access-date=20 September 2021 |work=Brattleboro Reformer |date=30 July 1998 |page=8 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=21 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921011938/http://www.newspapers.com/image/548262700/ |url-status=live }} The Miami Herald critic Leila Cobo called it a "gem of a song set to a simple, rising guitar accompaniment",{{cite news |last1=Cobo |first1=Leila |title=Mexican Band's Crossover Success is No Mystery |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/641272453/ |access-date=7 October 2021 |work=Miami Herald |date=18 September 1998 |page=23G |url-access=subscription |archive-date=8 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008005422/https://www.newspapers.com/image/641272453/ |url-status=live }} while Ramilo Burr of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram referred to it as a "lovely, acoustic song". El Norte editor Deborah Davis was less impressed as she felt the record lacked inspirations and claimed that Maná was copying Silvio Rodríguez's music on "Cómo Dueles en los Labios".{{cite news |last1=Davis |first1=Deborah |title=Mana: Seca inspiracion |work=El Norte |date=26 October 1997 |page=28 |language=es}}
Commercially, the track reached number two on the pop ballads chart in Mexico and on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart in the US. It topped the Latin Pop Airplay chart in the US where it spent a single week on this position.{{cite magazine|title=Latin Pop Songs – 1998 Archive|url=http://www.billboard.com/archive/charts/1998/latin-pop-songs|magazine=Billboard|publisher=Prometheus Global Media|access-date=27 January 2017|archive-date=2 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202100608/http://www.billboard.com/archive/charts/1998/latin-pop-songs|url-status=live}}