Jennifer Peña

The production and songwriting team that helped make Jennifer Peña's 2002 Univision debut such a success returns for Seducción. The talents of Rudy Pérez, Kike Santander, and Gustavo Santander are behind the scenes here, with Emilio Estefan contributing production for one track, the pretty ballad "Como Saber." Despite the gaggle of minders, Seducción sounds remarkably cohesive, showcasing Peña's sunlit vocal style at every turn. Though "Cumba Ho" and "Si Yo Me Vuelvo a Enamorar" are nice interpretations of the tejano style, Seducción's emphasis is on big-budget Latin pop. Shimmering, vaguely adult contemporary tracks like "Para Olvidarte de Mí" or principal singles "Vivo y Muero en Tu Piel" and "Hasta el Fin del Mundo" are no different from your average Diane Warren-penned vocal scorchers; they wouldn't sound out of place on Faith Hill's next album. This shift in focus isn't a detriment to Peña -- she handles the richer emotional/romantic material with ease -- but also allows her youthful exuberance to color the material as her own. The arching high notes at the end of "Para Olvidarte de Mí" bear this out, as does the dancefloor-bound "Fuera de Mi Vida," which enjoys an easy sensuality that's impossible for mawkish imposters like Christina Aguilera to access. Even a somewhat obvious, too-slick cover of "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" -- sung in Spanish like the rest of Seducción -- is buoyed by the easy sway of Peña's beguiling delivery. [In addition to its hit pop version, Seducción includes cumbia norteña and salsa versions of the song. There's also a cumbia norteña remix of "Hasta el Fin del Mundo", as well as a bonus DVD with behind-the-scenes footage, a photo gallery, and music videos.] ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide