Enrique Iglesias

This evening’s Wild Reed “Friday night music spot” features a great track from Enrique Iglesias’ 2007 album Insomniac – a title that apparently refers to Enrique’s recording process: working at night, sleeping during the day.

Truth be told, it’s a schedule that, lately, I can very much relate to!

About the album itself, Joey Guerra of the Houston Chronicle writes:

Lyrically, [“Insomniac”] samples virtually every aspect of love: exploration, ecstasy, regret. But it’s not just the words; it’s the way Iglesias delivers them. He goes from breathy boyishness to full-throttle pleas, often within the space of a single song. . . . Iglesias’ past discs have showcased retro-’80s fare. It’s apparent again in the neon synth groove of “Tired of Being Sorry.”

“Tired of Being Sorry” is actually a cover of Indie pop band Ringside’s song of the same name. Scott Thomas, Ringside’s song writer and lead vocalist, produced Iglesias’s version. Wikipedia notes that Iglesias’s version is “essentially the same though he uses stronger synth pop elements than in the original and the line ‘Chandler and Van Nuys’ has been changed to ‘Eighth and Ocean Drive,’ exchanging an intersection in Los Angeles to an intersection in Miami where Iglesias is based.”

The music video for the song is directed by Jessy Terrero and is said to have been inspired by the movie Blade. The video depicts Iglesias as a vampire perched atop a building across from the LA skyline, remembering how he was “turned.”



“Tired of Being Sorry” is probably my favorite song from Insomniac. When I first heard the song’s introduction I thought to myself, “Hey, that would make a great ring tone.” I subsequently downloaded the song to my phone, only to discover that the part of the song that’s sampled is the chorus, not the instrumental introduction.

Oh, well. I still think it’s a good ring tone. And sometimes when I’m with friends and it goes off, I breezily declare: “Enrique calling!” . . . Yeah, I wish.





Did you know that Enrique forever endeared himself to his gay fans when at a concert in London he brought a young gay man up on stage and serenaded him with his hit song “Hero.” He’s definitely one straight man totally secure in his heterosexuality while remaining open to the reality and experiences of those of us who are not heterosexual.

In doing so, Enrique Iglesias embodies that “fresh take on masculinity” explored previous at The Wild Reed (see here, here, and here). I have a lot of respect for him for this embodiment. Plus, he comes across in interviews as a very likable, down-to-earth, and funny guy.


NEXT: Ding, Dong!

Recommended Off-site Links:
Enrique Iglesias’ Official Website
A 2007 interview with Enrique Iglesias
Another interview with Enrique


Music artists previously featured at The Wild Reed: Helen Reddy, Australian Crawl, PJ and Duncan, Cass Elliot, The Church, Pet Shop Boys and Dusty Springfield, Wall of Voodoo, Stephen “Tin Tin” Duffy, Pink Floyd, Kate Ceberano, Judith Durham, Wendy Matthews, Buffy Sainte-Marie, 1927, Mavis Staples, Maxwell, Joan Baez, Tee Set, Darren Hayes, Suede, Wet, Wet, Wet, Engelbert Humperdinck, The Cruel Sea, Shirley Bassey, Loretta Lynn & Jack White, Maria Callas, Foo Fighters, Rosanne Cash, Jenny Morris, Scissor Sisters, Kate Bush, Rufus Wainwright, and Dusty Springfield.