Enrique Iglesias - Insomniac

Genre pop Publisher Interscope External Links Official Enrique Iglesias Website Official Interscope Records

Insomniac introduces us to the club friendly Enrique Iglesias. Past Iglesias tracks were more romantic and sexual with that carefree backdrop. However, this album disappoints those who look for that same Iglesias. This album is full of marketing strategies to sway those who aren't familiar with the Latin genre. Plain and simply put, this album was designed to play in clubs and that's not how I'd like to remember Enrique.

"On Top of You" goes too far. Iglesias goes from romantic to creepy. The chorus has no hidden message "You're gonna love what I do when I'm on top of you". The listener is left wondering just exactly doesn't work in this song. Is it the songwriting or the vocals that don't carry us through? It seems that Enrique is thrusting his sexuality onto the listener. All you can do is push away to regain your personal space.

Another example of this is the track "Push" featuring Lil' Wayne. Just like other artists looking for a great single people can dance to, they explore collaborations with rappers. What's wrong with just being a pop singer? Enrique used to be able to hold his own, and any rap collaborations only undermine his credibility. The featured hit single "Do You Know? (The Ping Pong Song)" is the only track that shows some promise. He returns to his classic beat with the soft, come hither voice that made him popular in the 90's.

Enrique is musically not his father's son. Julio Iglesias, known for his romantic classics, crooned to an older crowd. Enrique, in contrast, chooses a more hip-hop/pop route to appeal to a younger audience and a new generation. In this case, however, it is best to sleep thorough this Insomniac mess. Hopefully Enrique will wake up and produce an album worth his fans' time.