Maria Jos¿¿ in Bloomington, MN

Though
Maria Jose
is a veteran of the recording industry, having logged better than a dozen years recording and touring, fans will almost certainly not recognize her. The
Kabah
veteran's previous repertoire was aimed at the young, or at least the young at heart. The Mexican pop star takes a serious step up in sophistication, intensity, and heat with her 2007 solo debut,
, released by
Warner Latina
. Hitmaker
Aureo Baqueiro
(veteran of pop success stories like
Kalimba
and
Ha*Ash
) produced the record and wrote the majority of the material. His influence is unmistakable. The disc's gutsy, urban-meets-rock sound is reminiscent of U.S. artists like
Pink
Gwen Stefani
.
's vocal performance is significantly more sophisticated than any of her previous work. That said, she definitely falls into the category of pop princess rather than dance club diva. The album's stylistic diversity hints at
Warner
's goal of cross-market domination. Dancehall, house, R&B, and rock all make their appearances in due time. The disc's lead single,
"¿Quien Eres Tu?,"
which features stateside R&B up-and-comer
Trey Songz
, steadily climbed airplay charts all the way to Mexican Pop's Top 40. Though the writing is engaging throughout, listener's ears may tire after a few listens. There's little to engage with past the surface level. Albeit unexceptional,
is a fun disc. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez