Throughout his career, Enrique Iglesias' appeal as a sex symbol and tabloid fodder—including whether he is or isn't married to tennis star Anna Kournikova—has eclipsed the fact that he actually makes music. His latest release is a soundtrack for late-night hours of clubbing and loving with a set of slow-boogie grooves and just the right amount of come-hither suggestiveness.
Born in Madrid and raised in Miami, Enrique inherited his penchant for charming women and selling millions of albums worldwide from father, the legendary Julio Iglesias. Yet "Insomniac" finds Iglesias singing, primarily in English, with a youthful glow and credibility that his dad never achieved in America, despite his staggering success.
Single "Do You Know? (The Ping Pong Song)" still manages to be a bit dreamy with its almost Euro-pop instrumentation, even though it has a fairly tragic refrain ("Do you know what it feels like loving someone that's in a rush to throw you away?/Do you know what it feels like to be the last one to know the lock on the door has changed?").
"Push," a lively pairing with the edgy and witty New Orleans rapper Lil Wayne that celebrates the female backside over robotic strings, gritty bass and an insistent beat, emerges as an unlikely highlight. What could have been a disastrous attempt at "stretching" instead comes off as a fun momentary diversion that doesn't clash with the rest of the album. Another standout, from the opposite end of the spectrum, is "Don't You Forget About Me," a tender ballad equipped with only a lone guitar for comfort.
"Insomniac" should wake people up to Enrique Iglesias, the artist.
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