Border Girl

Japanese edition of the Mexican spitfire's 2002 album includes two bonus tracks, 'Don't Say Goodbye' (Spanish Fly Radio Mix) & 'Don't Say Goodbye' (video).

Shakira may have been the first Latina to don the contemporary crossover crown, but Mexican golden girl Paulina Rubio's first English-language effort outshines the pop competition in any language. Border Girl follows Rubio's spectacularly successful Paulina, the No. 1 Latin album of 2001. Like that collection, Border Girl blends terrific hooks, sing-along choruses, seductive rhythms, and lots of energy--essential elements for any great pop album. "Don't Say Goodbye," the hypnotic first single, is a good introduction for American audiences, and Rubio even pulls off a sly cover of the Kiss hit "I Was Made for Lovin' You." Even better are the glittering girl-power anthems translated from Spanish to English, including "Not That Kind of Girl," the pulsing club gem "Sexual Lover," and "The Last Goodbye," an innovative, I-will-survive testimonial that blends ranchera and hip-hop instrumentation. Border music has never sounded so savvy--or sensational. --Joey Guerra