Paulatina

pop

For Paulina Rubio, making music is all about combining the best and most unlikely of styles into one high-energy pop package. The fusion worked well on her last two albums: 2000's Paulina and 2002's English-language Border Girl, both of which were highlighted by the fiery ranchera hip-hop "El Ultimo Adios"/"The Last Goodbye." Pau-Latina doesn't feature anything quite as brilliant, but it still showcases Rubio's effortless blending of sounds. Flamenco guitar flourishes are sprinkled throughout the album's 13 vocal tracks, which veer from pulsing club beats ("Algo Tienes") to regetton rhythms (the cutesy "Perros") and rock guitar licks ("Te Quise Tanto"). Hitmaker Emilio Estefan contributes "Dame Otro Tequila," a rousing drinking song of sorts; and Marco Antonio Solis delivers "Ojala," a deftly fused sing-along in the vein of Rubio's aforementioned classic, "El Ultimo Adios." The songs are lushly produced, anchored by Rubio's throaty vocal delivery and impressive musical instrumentation. Save for a pair of wistful ballads, the energy rarely dwindles on Pau-Latina, and that's probably just the way she likes it.--Joey Guerra