David Bisbal Premonicion CD

Released in 2006, PREMONICION marks Spanish pop singer David Bisbal's breakthrough in the United States. Already a star in much of Latin America, the dramatic, rock-tinged single "Quien Me Iba a Decir" widened Bisbal's appeal even further. While that song is clearly one of the album's highlights, PREMONICION also features a shuffling reggaeton mix of "Torre de Babel" (with Wisin & Yandel and Vincente Amigo), ensuring that the dynamic record hits a large audience.

If his first two albums didn't put to rest any doubts about the ability of David Bisbal, who first made a name for himself as a finalist on the Pop Idol-style Spanish television show Operación Triunfo, his third album, Premonición, is further evidence that he's a truly versatile vocalist able to sing a range of musical styles impressively. His first two albums, Corazón Latino (2002) and Bulería (2004), found him excelling as a singer of dance- and flamenco-accented Latin pop, spawning a multitude of chart-topping hits in his homeland, including "Ave María," "Lloraré las Penas," and "Dígale" from his debut album as well as "Bulería," "Oye el Boom," "Camina y Ven," and "Cómo Olvidar" from his follow-up album. On Premonición, however, he fashions a new style of Latin pop for himself, one that still features aspects of dance and flamenco but is primarily rooted in rock and powered by electric guitar riffs. No song on the album is more exemplary of this new style for Bisbal than the album-opening lead single, "'Quién Me Iba a Decir?," a punchy pop/rock song with a forceful delivery and stadium-size overdubs on the chorus. It's one of Bisbal's best singles to date, no doubt about it. The half-dozen songs that follow -- from "Silencio" through the seventh-sequenced title track -- are also impressive, getting the album off to a solid start with a bunch of potential follow-up hit singles that are likewise fashioned as punchy pop/rock to varying degrees (two of them, "Como la Primera Vez" and "Amar el Lo Que Quiero," going the power ballad route, electric guitar solos and all). The one exception among this opening run of songs is "Torre de Babel," far and away the album's most interesting song. Whereas the other album-opening songs include a little Spanish guitar in the pop/rock mix, as if to remind listeners that Bisbal is indeed Spanish and not just another Latin pop star gone rock, "Torre de Babel" is a mélange of numerous styles, reggaetón above all. But "Torre de Babel" is more than simply a team-up with reggaetón superstars Wisin & Yandel on their stylistic turf, an increasingly common practice among pop star

Recording information: Barcelona, Spain (11/2005-07/2006); Barcelone (11/2005-07/2006); Colonia (11/2005-07/2006); Cordoba (11/2005-07/2006); Cove City Sound Studios, Long Island, NY (11/2005-07/2006); Espiral Recording Studios, Miami, FL (11/2005-07/2006); Estudios Arsapua, Cordoba, Spain (11/2005-07/2006); Madrid, Spain (11/2005-07/2006); Miami, FL (11/2005-07/2006); Milan, Italy (11/2005-07/2006); Nueva York (11/2005-07/2006); Palma De Mallorca (11/2005-07/2006); Puerto Rico (11/2005-07/2006); Red Door Studios, Miami, FL (11/2005-07/2006); Santander Studios, Miami, FL (11/2005-07/2006); Sonobox, Madrid, Spain (11/2005-07/2006); Supersonic Studios, Miami, FL (11/2005-07/2006); The Hit Factory-Criteria, Miami, FL (11/2005-07/2006); The Warehouse Recording Studios, Miami, FL (11/2005-07/2006).

Photographer: Jaume DeLaiguana.

Arrangers: Kike Santander; Daniel Betancourt; Xasqui Ten; Sebastián Krys; John Falcone.

Personnel: David Bisbal (vocals); Vicente Amigo (guitar); Pablo Ochando Korhonen (electric guitar); Luis Robisco, Juan Sanchez (Spanish guitar); Sal Cuevas (bajo sexto, bass guitar); John Falcone (bajo sexto, programming); Pedro Alfonso (violin); Doug Emory (keyboards); Lee Levin (drums); Xasqui Ten, Sebastián Krys (programming); Dan Warner (guitar, electric guitar); Kike Santander, Daniel Betancourt (programming).

Audio Mixers: Dan Hetzel; Javier Garza.