Amarte Es Un Placer

The title for Luis Miguel's 1999 pop album Amarte Es un Placer translates to "Loving You Is a Pleasure," and by that alone one can deduce that the material consists of romantic music, mostly in the form of ballads. His previous pop album, 1996's Nada Es Igual, had elements (albeit small) of hip-hop and dance, but this one steers almost completely into adult contemporary terrain. The upbeat songs, such as the album's first single, "Sol, Arena y Mar," and "Quiero," are augmented with strong horn sections (which are typically present in Miguel's music), giving the songs a jazzy, sophisticated, adult-leaning feel. "Te Propongo," the album's only true dance number, is also one of the album's most interesting songs. Other upbeat highlights include "Tu Solo Tu" and "Dimelo En un Beso," one of the album's more soulful efforts. The rest is mostly romantic, sometimes overblown ballads, including "No Me Fio," which harks back to 1980s power anthems. Romantic ballads, however, are what the fans have come to expect from this artist, who is also responsible for the album's flawless production. As an interesting side note, this album was released at the height of the North American Latin music boom (spearheaded by Ricky Martin). Miguel, instead of gearing towards a more youth-oriented market, stayed true to the music that had made him an international superstar, and in turn the album received a Grammy. ~ Jose F. Promis