REVIEWS| ENRIQUE IGLESIAS : EUPHORIA
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The release of Enrique Iglesias’s latest album Euphoria comes at a milestone in the artist’s career. Around this same time 10 years ago, the artist was topping the charts with his first English language album, Enrique. Since then, Enrique has been going back and forth between English and Spanish language recordings. This time around, Iglesias has created a somewhat bilingual album with six tracks in Spanish and the remaining four in English. Traditionally, Latin artists release Spanish and English versions of the same songs. “But I always wanted to combine completely different songs, rather than translate them,” Enrique explains. “I’d write one I liked in Spanish, but then I’d write one I liked even more in English, so then there’d be this internal competition to write an even better one in Spanish, and vice versa. 
It doesn’t quite work as well as Enrique Iglesias would’ve hoped. The flow of the album is is somewhat jarring, as the 4 English tracks are oddly placed mid-way through the set, as if it were an after thought. Dispersing them throughout the set would’ve made the album feel a bit more cohesive. I know. You’re thinking, is he really complaining about sequencing? Yeah. In the iTunes age, things like sequencing almost seem like a relic of the past. What some artists use to spend hours rattling on now seems like a thought process of the past.Nonetheless, lets get on to the music.
The album opens up with ‘Cuando Me Enamoro’, featuring Latin superstar Juan Luis Guerra, a mid-tempo recording that blends rock guitar and drums with standard Latin percussion. Other standouts include “Ayer”, which sounds like a milder, slower version of Beyonce’s “Halo” with lazily strummed guitars and heavy drums and “Tú y Yo”, which features a disco esque drum pattern and guitar riff. Sounds like a great summer single.
The English language tracks jumps on the current Euro-Pop synth based sound that is currently taking pop radio by storm. The lead single “I Like It” sets the tone for the rest of the tracks. The synth heavy, Lionel Ritchie “All Night long” sample assisted single is already in the top 20 of the BB Hot 100 charts. Red One’s (known for his work with Lady Gaga) nearly impeccable production values and his trademark industrial pop sound take center stage on the catchy song. The one drop reggae tinged-Akon assisted “One Day At A Time”, which sounds just a bit similar to Gaga’s “Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)” coasts along coolly with staccato irie guitar stabs. The album also features duets from PCD’s Nicole Scherzinger, who assists on the pulsating dance pop ballad “Heartbeat”, and Usher who joins Iglesias on the future dance chart hit “Dirty Dancer.”
In the end, none of the ballads come close to Enrique’s previous hits like “Somebody’s Me” or “Hero”. The up tempos fare a bit better but aren’t as catchy as classic Enrique hits like “Escape”. Euphoria? Perhaps not. But a good listen none the less.
*The version given to us by the label is the 10 track U.S edition*
DOWNLOAD THIS: “Tú y Yo” , ” No Me Digas Que No”
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July 6th, 2010 at 6:13 pm
[...] Enrique Iglesias returns to the scene with his first bilingual album, Euphoria, which inlcudes his latest hit “I Like It.” Check out our full review here! [...]
May 2nd, 2011 at 9:11 pm
Euphoria is a great album but I think deserves 3.5 to 4 stars. Not as good as some of Enrique’s earlier albums though it is still up there as a classic cd.
May 2nd, 2011 at 9:12 pm
I agree above, Euphoria is a top album
May 2nd, 2011 at 9:13 pm
Thank you for the great review, Enrique is currently touring around the world!
August 10th, 2011 at 5:09 am
wow…it’s the best