Personnel: Carlos Paucar, Johnta Austin (vocals); Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen (various instruments); Kristian Lundin (keyboard); Anna Nordell (background vocals).
Throughout the early 2000s Enrique Iglesias steadily gained a firm foothold as the biggest-selling Latin pop star on the market. That his father is an international superstar didn't hurt matters, of course, nor did his smoldering good looks, but Iglesias's albums also showed an increasing command of the pop medium with their blend of romantic balladry, radio-ready pop, and adult contemporary fare. INSOMNIAC (2007) pushes the singer's profile even further into the commercial stratosphere with its slick, glossy sound and the newfound presence of urban contemporary grooves designed for the club.
Everything about INSOMNIAC is designed for crossover appeal. The album is almost entirely in English, and the inclusion of club-oriented tracks--such as "Push," which features a cameo by rapper Lil Wayne, and "Do You Know? (The Ping Pong Song)"--are a clear appeal to young, hip audiences. Yet Iglesias still plays the sexy crooner without missing a beat ("On Top of You"), and also sings a couple songs in Spanish to keep his Latin listeners in the loop ("Alguien Soy Yo"). In short, Iglesias covers all the bases on this sharp, stylish release, adding even more fuel to his reign as the king of contemporary Latin pop.
