Enrique Iglesias

Light rock tunes and soft pop ballads marked Enrique Iglesias's 1995 debut, but what obviously propelled him to the top of the charts was his young good looks and his pedigree, son of perhaps the most famous troubadour in the music world--Julio Iglesias. "Trapecista" and "Experiencia Religiosa" were solid tunes with catchy hooks. And even on the simple tune "Por Amarte," one can detect Iglesias exploring wailful tones and learning the power of melodic phrasing. In "Si Tu Te Vas," he examines idealistic love, while "Inalcansable" captures youthful dreams. Those songs are the bright spots in an otherwise pedestrian pop-ballad CD. The fact that Iglesias scored five consecutive number one singles on Billboard from this CD may attest more to the power of the elder Iglesias's worldwide fans. --Ramiro Burr