Record Rack

Unlike the field of American pop, where an artist like Madonna can make a bold artistic statement while maintaining her superstar status, the world of Latin pop is dichotomized into two distinct categories: On the one hand, you have the singers who make safe, glossy, chart-topping music (Ricky Martin, Luis Miguel, Marc Anthony). On the other, you have a few uncompromising visionaries who have achieved success but could never realize a crossover to the Anglo market (Juan Gabriel, Pablo Milanes, Milton Nascimento).

With his first English-language album, Iglesias confirms that he belongs to the first category. Seamlessly produced, brimming with catchy, mid-tempo numbers and semi-memorable hooks, this is obviously a multimillion dollar production that has the collective hopes of dozens of record executives riding on it.

It’s essentially the kind of record he made in his three-album Spanish-language career, with two steps forward--a gorgeous duet with Whitney Houston that has VH1 written all over it, and a respectable version of Bruce Springsteen’s “Sad Eyes.”

Projecting the image of the handsome and slightly somber fairy-tale prince every 13-year-old girl wants to rescue from his own melancholia, Iglesias is the most vulnerable of the pretty-boy pop-star crowd. Pleasant and expressive, his voice is the biggest asset of this album, finding true comfort in these shamelessly sentimental songs, five of which he composed himself.

When you listen to his Springsteen interpretation, you wish he could follow the Boss’ stubborn stylistic independence. If only he dared to drop the fluffy packaging, and put his considerable charisma into an edgier (and truer) musical direction.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two (fair), three (good) and four (excellent). The albums will all be released Tuesday.