In 2010, determined to finally demolish redundant language barriers, Iglesias issued his first bilingual project, Euphoria, with a near-even mix of tracks recorded in English and Spanish. For his famous father (the recording legend Julio), who allegedly had concerns about his son following him into the music business, it must have been quite a moment. No wonder that, in 2008, Enrique was named the World’s Best Selling Latin Performer and Best Selling Spanish Artist. Whether it be Kelis (“Not In Love”), Ciara (“Takin’ Back My Love”) or Lil Wayne (“Push”), the partnership always seemed to fit effortlessly with the track, and it has proved a smart tactic to drive radio support in tough-to-crack markets. It was around this time that he also developed another of his career consistencies: the clever collaboration.
On 2002’s Quizas, the singer started to break down those barriers: some of the collection’s singles got airplay on US-based Top 40 stations. The strategy worked, and Iglesias slowly established himself as a reliable hit-maker in both markets, which, back then were still stubbornly segregated. After that, things really became interesting and the singer-songwriter started to experiment, jumping between English-language projects and Spanish recordings. On Escape, released in 2000, sales outstripped expectation still further and the mega-hit “Hero” became Iglesias’ first signature song, topping charts around the world. His earlier success on an indie label in the Latin markets had hinted little of this sort of impact: crossover acts just hadn’t managed to do this before. Across his debut English-language album, Enrique, the show-stoppers kept on coming, with “Be With You,” “Rhythm Divine” and “Sad Eyes” maintaining the momentum.
“Bailamos” emerged from the production team behind Cher’s mega-hit “Believe” and was one of 1999’s biggest tracks. Like her early releases, Iglesias’ early English-language recordings were out-and-out pop-dance cuts, delivering massive hits but hinting little of the longevity to come. It would perhaps be wrong to measure him against that mistress of reinvention, Madonna, but the pair share an ability to keep one step ahead of the times. ADVERTISEMENT One step ahead of the times
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