Estefan’s Pop Retains Strong Tropical Flavor

One might expect that after two Spanish-language albums and a collection of her versions of some rather moldy oldies, Estefan would tailor her first traditional pop record in five years solidly toward the American mainstream. Wisely, she has instead infused her otherwise populist songs with even more Latin influences than usual, zigzagging from the “Conga”-like “Higher” to the Colombian sway of “Steal Your Heart.”

The result is a genuinely rare achievement, a chart topper (inevitably) that doesn’t sound like any of its competition. Occasionally, the tropical feel that sets “Destiny” apart is too heavy-handed. For instance, the relentless calypso of “You’ll Be Mine (Party Time)” smacks of gimmickry.

But the overall vitality of Estefan’s Latin roots is driven home by the insipidity of her music when it lacks any south-of-the-border or Antillean flavor. “Reach,” co-written with Diane Warren, one of the most successful paint-by-numbers songwriters of our times, is so utterly milquetoast that it has been chosen by the Olympics to serve as the official song of the Summer Games. Give me the serpentine pan-Latin percussion of “Path of the Right Love” any time.

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