8

Even if success didn't come easy to Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi, it has hung around him like a best friend for a couple multi-platinum albums, so 8 changes the blueprint in the spirit of inspiration, just a bit. The first bit of new is the hiring of Swedish producer Martin Terefe, who worked in the past with English-language pop names like Jason Mraz and James Morrison; plus, the backing band — whose members were mostly unaware of Fonsi's stardom — was often placed right in the studio with the singer, resulting in an album with a much more "live" feel. It's palpable on the opening "Anónimos," a bright and up rocker that feels like Fonsi opening a show, but it is most beneficial on "Corazón en la Maleta," a loose and swinging number that sounds like little else in the singer's catalog. On the other hand, "Llegaste Tú," a duet ballad with Juan Luis Guerra, is warm and familiar, meaning 8 is a winning mix of old and new. Consider this a crowd-pleaser with some surprises, and another entry in a discography that rarely dips.