Thalia (English)

pop ballad

Light R&B hooks, breathy vocals, guest rappers--it sounds like a recipe for the latest effort from J-Lo or Ashanti, but those elements make up the mix on Mexican diva Thalia's self-titled, English-language debut album. It's a slickly produced smorgasbord, but there's little of the personality, energy and growth here that Thalia has exhibited on her last three Spanish-language studio albums. Instead, the singer opts for maximum mainstream appeal which, in this case, includes collaborating with a bevy of hip-pop producers and songwriters, including Rick Wake (Celine Dion, Anastacia), Cory Rooney (J-Lo, Destiny's Child) and Cathy Dennis (Kylie Minogue, Kelly Clarkson). The first single, "I Want You," featuring Fat Joe, breezes in and out of memory almost instantly. The album's six remaining original tunes are equally anonymous. Only the yearning ballad "Closer To You" and a remix of "The Mexican," both repeats from Thalia's 2002 album, generate any real heat. It's not an altogether disastrous effort, but that so much of Thalia's own flavor was lost in the translation is ultimately disappointing. --Joey Guerra