Enrique Iglesias

Escape

Rebuttal to July 16th 2002 Review

Review Score:

(10/10)
I think Enrique Iglesias has come a long way since he appeared on the charts with No Llores Por Mi. He's shy, he's sexy, he's honest (No Llores Por Mi says the most honest things I've ever heard a man say when ending a relationship- hats off to Enrique for that).

The July 16th reviewer said there are only a few songs on the album - what cd do you have? There are 10 songs on this cd, of which 9 are original material and one "Sad Eyes" is a Bruce Springsteen cover - included as a tribute to the Boss since he was an early influece on Enrique. Spanish language recordings are also included for three songs; for me these recordings are a bonus, not a drawback. In any case, I think anyone reading these reviews should skip the July 16th review because the reviewer doesn't seem to know what s/he is talking about. I don't think that the reviewer has listened to the disc let alone purchased it.

Enrique has stepped away from the Latin American pop music which shot him to the top of the charts. Other than singing in Spanish and some distinct Latin rhythms, there isn't much trace of his roots on this album. Some songs, such as "If The World Crashes Down," seems influenced by an ultra dance pop sound i.e. Erasure or Pet Shop Boys. The sound works well for Enrique. I think some of his vocals are sometimes (not always, not often) slightly weaker in English than they are in his native Spanish but the album isn't, by any means, weaker because of this.

This album is less evidence that Enrique has sold out (though it is a sure bet to thrust him to the top of the charts along side other contemporary singers such as Celine Dion, Whitney Houston and sure to knock out any competition from the likes of Boy Bands. I would really like to hear Enrique do a duet with Melissa Etheridge, K.D. Lang, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Tina Turner, George Michael (this would be a great pairing of styles - George Michael has demonstrated his own diversity (musical- that is) over the course of two decades of chart topping dance numbers and moving ballads. A collaborative effort with Robbie Williams or Pet Shop Boys would also be a great creative coupling.

For anyone who has been a long time fan of Enrique, this cd will not be disappointing. For English only speaking people who have just "discovered" Enrique, this album and his first English album "Enrique" are must haves. But I would say, go out on a limb and get his debut cd "Enrique Iglesias" (Spanish) and his third release "Cosas Del Amor" (Spanish). Those two albums are filled with wonderful pop music, some of the best of the 90s.

!!! Vive Enrique Iglesias!!! - and tour in Chicago soon and often!

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