I can't believe it's been a year since someone did a review of this album, so I figured i'd update it and write a review myself.
Being a big fan of "Escape" and a massive fan of "Enrique" I was naturally very excited when I heard news of a third english album by Enrique Iglesias.
"Seven" may not be as theatrical as "Escape", but it's a good listen none the less.
Having said this it did take a short while to grow on me, and like some of his other songs "Escape" and "Love To See You Cry" some of the songs on this album did not catch me instantly, but the more I listened to it I found I liked it.
There is not as much Latin influence on this album as there was on "Enrique", apart from a little tingle of Latin base on "Not In Love", but there are some great Pop and Rock songs on this album. It is more similar to "Escape" then anything else he has done. Enrique seemed to be trying to move away from Latino sounding music on this album, and concentrate souly on Pop and Rock music. The type of music on this album really shows the type of singers he looks up to i.e. Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, The Police... ect. The album does have an 80's feel to it somewhat, especially on tracks such as "Be Yourself" and "Break Me, Shake Me". All the tracks are easy and enjoyable to listen to.
The fast moving, base sounding "Not In Love" is definetly one of the funnest songs on the album to listen to. The album version is exactly the same as the single except it does not feature Kelis. If "Not In Love" is the type of song you like then there are even better sounding songs on the album, so don't settle for the single. Buy this album, because you'll love it. This has also been the edgiest pop song Enrique had done before and sounds great.
"The Way You Touch Me" is a great pop song and sounds even a little country in places. This one should definitly get you up and dancing, and is a great second track for the album. It is also fast paced like the previous track. A good smooth Enrique song, similar to any track on Escape. It could have easily been a single.
"Say It" is one of the albums ballads and is very sweet. It is a slow song and Enrique's vocals sound good on it. It is fairly similar to Escape's "Hero" in ways. It is about a girl that Enrique upset, but wants to know if she still wants him. This song is a classic Enrique Iglesias song, and really starts to get good somewhere in the middle. Overall this is a pretty good song and easy to listen to, because it has a nice melody and vocals to it.
"California Callin'" is one of the albums good tracks, and has a good guitar rhythm in it. Enrique explains that he is on the road and is driving past the woman he loves and wonders if he should pass her or turn around and head towards her. This is a really smooth rock track by Enrique and you will find "Seven" is the album that showcases some of Iglesias's best Rock songs.
"Addicted" was the albums first single and provided it with a #1. I did not find this song one of the best on the album, and enjoyed others more, but it is a good track by Enrique. Many people would call this one of Enrique's classic songs, but it sounded pretty ordinary to me. Not a bad track though. Worth a listen.
"Break Me, Shake Me" was a cool track on the album and turned out to be one of my favourites. It is a really fun song and even though the title sounds a bit funny it sounds great. I think this is a classic song by Enrique and one of his best. It is extremely catchy and makes you imagine you are on a beach in California watching the sun set. It is a fast paced pop song and it is a safe bet that many people would enjoy it. The guitars in this track sound great. This could have been one of the albums singles.
"Free" is a pretty good song and fits in well with the album. This song is just a fun song to listen to. I was surprised how many of these songs seemed like they could have been from Escape.
There is a good guitar bit in the song, and as a result it is one of the albums catchiest songs.
"Be Yourself" is another favourite off the album, and is an amazing pop/rock track. It is definetley one of the albums highlights. It has a very true message to it, but at the same time is not about being taken seriously at all. Great chorus to this song and the verses are good to. One of Enrique's best songs. It is a shame "Seven" wasnt promoted more, because it could have had plenty of singles and this song could have easily been one. The song basically talks about Enrique trying to persue his dreams of stardom, and his parents attitudes towards that, especially his father Julio, but the main message of the song is that he stuck to his dreams and made them a reality.
"Wish You Were Here ( With Me )" is another ballad from the album and is a good track. It talks about a lost love, and Enrique realising his mistakes, but finds it is sometimes to late to get these people that you love back. This track is a little bit upsetting, but a solid track for the album. I notice how Enrique does quite a few songs about love lost i.e. "Be With You", "Maybe" and some of the other tracks on Seven. This song does have a nice latin sounding instrumantal part in it.
"You Rock Me" is similar to "Free" because it is a fun pop song and that is all. It has a tinge of rock to it, and is quite catchy. It's a pretty solid track.(None of them are un-solid) and fits in well with this album. It isn't as great as some of the other tracks on the album though, but none of the tracks are worth skipping over.
"Roamer" is a great song on the album, and is one of my favourites. This could have easily been a hit for Enrique.
This is one of the albums best points and captured me the first time I heard it. It is a love ballad and seems to shimmy and sparkle. This song is one of the best put together songs on the album and makes Seven a must own for Enrique fans.
"Live It Up Tonight" is an O.K. track, but nothing special.
It talks about forgetting all your worries and just having a good time. It is quite a catchy song and a good way to end a great album.
Album Highlights are the following tracks, and get 5/5 ratings from me.
Roamer.
Be Yourself.
Break Me, Shake Me.
Not In Love.
Say It.
The Way You Touch Me.
Callifornia Callin'.
Wish You Were Here With Me.
I am probably not giving this album a 5 star review because it did not catch my attention right away like his previous two english records, but is a MUST for any Enrique Iglesias fan and they should not be without it. I strongly urge you to buy yourself a copy, because it makes for an enlightening and joyful listen. Great album !!!
Maybe this album didn't reach the status of his 2001 hit album "Escape" but "7" is a very good album full of rhythm and good lyrics.
The first single "Addicted" is a ballad that follows the same direction of this hit single "Hero". "Not in love" is the second single and it's very good. The song has the same rhythm as "Escape". You may had listened the version with Kelis that it's very good but I don't know why it doesn't appear on this production.
One of the best songs in the album is the beated up "The way you touch me". Other good songs are "California callin'", "You rock me", "Free" and "Live it up tonight".
"Addicted" comes also in Spanish but even though Enrique's performance is very good. It doesn't equal the English version.
You won't be sorry if you buy this album, it's very good although Enrique doesn't have a nice voice but he really knows how to sing and feel the music.
Quite honestly, I wasn't ecstatic about this album when I first bought it. After a few run-throughs however, I had an abrupt change of mind and heart, and now it has become a favorite.
This album brings back memories of the rock songs of the eighties, especially the guitars. ("Break Me Shake Me" makes me think of Bananarama.) I don't think the lead off single "Addicted" is the best song on the album, although it is extremely compelling.
My pick on this album is the ballad "Say It" - I could listen to that song all day. "California Calling" and "Roamer" are also personal favorites. Enrique doesn't have a conventional singing voice, but with his unusual vocals and sexy delivery he has made Latin Pop/Rock his domain.
There are no "bad" songs on this album, and none that can be skipped over, making it an essential CD for your collection.
I am really blown away by Seven. Every album Enrique does you are never disappointed. I know fans this time were expecting something different from Enrique, although we really had no idea what to expect, it seemed details about this CD was really kept quiet, but from the first time I heard his first single Addicted, that was it I knew I was definately Addicted to Seven. Addicted was really different, a change from Enrique's previous music, and I always say Change is good, as long as the artist believes in the material being created, and once again, you can feel Enrique believes in his work. Starting with the first track on Seven "Not In Love", it totally catches you by surprise, and from the first note on "Not In Love" to the last note of "Adicto" you are hooked. Songs on this album are catchy, less popish, with an almost 80ish rock sound to them. They range from care free fun songs to songs with a deeper meaning to them. This album really has something I feel that will appeal to anyone. The whole album is really amazing, Say It and Wish You Were Here With Me are two very beautiful ballads. Be Yourself is another great song, has a lot of meaning to it. I just can't say enough Great things about Seven, once again Enrique has delivered an awesome album, with great music, and a whole new feel of songs. I would HIGHLY recommend this album to anyone. These songs from Seven are going to be amazing to see performed live. Thanks Enrique for another great album.
