A year after its original release, Thalia's solid El Sexto Sentido disc gets a facelift. Funny thing is, this Re+Loaded version actually improves upon its mostly successful predecessor. The nips and tucks have made it a sm... more »oother, more unified effort. Gone is Thalia's playful take on Tejano icon Selena's "Amor Prohibido." Any trace of English-language material--three songs in total--has also been removed. It's all replaced by a quartet of high-caliber Spanish-language work that makes Re+Loaded worth the double purchase. "Cantando Por un Sueno" is a self-affirming, fist-pumping anthem; and "La Super Chica" is an affecting moment of alt-girl pop power with a hint of 80's nostalgia. Best of the bunch is "No, No, No," a glittering, break-up bachata duet featuring Aventura member Anthony "Romeo" Santos. It's one of the disc's best moments, alongside the still-affecting "Seduccion," "Olvidame" and "No Puedo Vivir Sin Verte." Also included is a sweeping club remix of the ballad "Un Alma Sentenciada," courtesy of renowned DJ duo Hex Hector and Mac Quayle. --Joey Guerra« less
A year after its original release, Thalia's solid El Sexto Sentido disc gets a facelift. Funny thing is, this Re+Loaded version actually improves upon its mostly successful predecessor. The nips and tucks have made it a smoother, more unified effort. Gone is Thalia's playful take on Tejano icon Selena's "Amor Prohibido." Any trace of English-language material--three songs in total--has also been removed. It's all replaced by a quartet of high-caliber Spanish-language work that makes Re+Loaded worth the double purchase. "Cantando Por un Sueno" is a self-affirming, fist-pumping anthem; and "La Super Chica" is an affecting moment of alt-girl pop power with a hint of 80's nostalgia. Best of the bunch is "No, No, No," a glittering, break-up bachata duet featuring Aventura member Anthony "Romeo" Santos. It's one of the disc's best moments, alongside the still-affecting "Seduccion," "Olvidame" and "No Puedo Vivir Sin Verte." Also included is a sweeping club remix of the ballad "Un Alma Sentenciada," courtesy of renowned DJ duo Hex Hector and Mac Quayle. --Joey Guerra
CD Reviews
Stick To the Original Version With the DVD...
Rudy Palma | NJ | 08/12/2006
(2 out of 5 stars)
"The day this rerelease dropped I was in the store. Being a reasonably large fan of Thalia's music and especially since I had had a love affair with the original version of this album last summer, I decided to pick it up. I wanted to try to recapture some of the magic and was interested in the new material added to the album.
Needless to say, I was not impressed. There was no reason to cut the three English songs which made the original album more complete (though were inferior to the Spanish versions), and her Selena cover of "Amor Prohibido." Also, "Cantando Por Un Sueno (Singing For a Dream)" and "La Super Chica (The Super Girl)" are nothing special and sound like they would have been better as B-sides. "No No No," while a nice little duet, should have been saved for her next Spanish album. I like the song, but it wasn't worth the price of a whole album. Neither was the HQ2 remix of "Alma Sentenciada," which is a good club mix but not outstanding. Since so many remixes of the song exist, why not put out a CD single of them or at least add a bunch of them to this CD to round it out?
Overall, I recommend buying the original release, either with the DVD or on DualDisc. Here is my review of that version which I wrote a year ago:
In 2003, Latin recording artist and actress Thalia made an unsuccessful bid for mainstream success with her debut English album, which spawned the forgettable hit "I Want You," featuring Fat Joe, that breezed its way in and out of Billboard's Top 20. The worst album released in 2003, it was a complete and utter generic pop product with insipid lyrics, light r&b beats and guest rappers a la J. Lo; an embarrassing sellout and conformity.
However, the slate has been wiped clean with her latest release, "El Sexto Sentido (The Sixth Sense)." A solid collection of irresistible melodies and powerful vocal performances, Thalia reminds listeners what made them like her so much in the first place.
The disc kicks off with the flamenco-flavored lead single "Amar Sin Ser Amada (To Love Without Being Loved)," which the singer calls "a hymn for all women who have suffered from deception and broken hearts." Riding along on an aggressive electric guitar groove, she sings the song with conviction and passion.
Meanwhile, "Seduccion (Seduction)," a fast-paced vocal performance swimming in Eurodance beats, is destined to call clubbers to many a dancefloor. Likewise, "24000 Besos (24000 Kisses)" is a feelgood affair with a rousing chorus and sing-a-long lyrics.
"Olvidame (Forget Me)" and "No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti (I Cannot Live Without You)," however, add unexpected dimension to the album. Passionate, over-the-top ballads full of passion and longing, these recordings hearken back to the tour-de-force that was her 1997 album "Amor a La Mexicana." With sparse yet sparkling production, these songs are allowed to breathe, yet are still buoyed perfectly so as to help Thalia sound her absolute best.
Furthermore, "Un Sueno Para Dos (A Dream For Two)" and "Sabe Bien (Tastes Good)," really turn up the heat. Steamy tracks that are deliciously produced with sex-kitten vocals, listening to these songs on repeat may well necessitate the listener to take a cold shower.
Elsewhere, the Latina diva delivers another pair of self-help anthems with "No Voy a Quebrar (I Am Not Going To Break)" and "Empezar De `0' (To Start at Zero)," the latter of which sports helter-skelter Middle Eastern-flavored production and was written by Thalia herself. She closes the Spanish portion of the disc covering the late Selena's "Amor Prohibido (Forbidden Love)." Singing with great zest, her performance takes the classic in a new direction while remaining a fine tribute to Selena.
The sole problem of "El Sexto Sentido," however, lies in the 3 English translations that close the disc. Although "A Dream For Two" is a decent translation, "Seduction" and "You Know He Never Loved You" are a complete waste of disc space, especially the latter, which Thalia wrote in 30 minutes on the back of a popcorn bag - and sounds like it. Still, they are better than anything on her full-length English record.
Despite that defect, "El Sexto Sentido" is on the overall a fine album that lives up to the best moments of Thalia's track record and will doubtless please dedicated fans and casual listeners alike.
A limited edition is available with a bonus DVD containing 2 performances, a short documentary and an alternate take on the "Amar Sin Ser Amada" video."
Ok as it WAS
Oscar Navarro | Los Angeles, CA | 06/08/2006
(2 out of 5 stars)
"Don't get me wrong, I think Thalia is great and that she has a great talent in her hands. But lately it seems that she's been following trends and not setting them like she used to. Shakira had a great crossover, so she decided to go ahead and do it with an Ashanti-like song called "I Want You" with Fat Joe. Now that she returned to her Spanish language singing she decides to relaunch her already great CD with some bonus tracks. I have the original album and if you have that one, that should be enough. What they don't mention is that by adding 4 tracks they have removed 4, three English song and the Selena remake of "Amor Prohibido".
Seriously the CD was Ok as it was, the only way I would see someone buying this one in addition the original is if he or she were a die-hard Thalia fan."
RE+LOADED -- Great Album Ever!!
Mr.Sodi | VA, USA | 06/12/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I Already Enjoyed the original Release of "EL SEXTO SENTIDO" But this 4 Additional Songs Just Make The RE+LOADED So much Better!!
In The Song "Cantando Por Un Sueno" Thalia's Show Her Real Talent, And The Way She Do High Notes Is Incledible....
THALIA U ROCK!!!"
Hey?
man | earth | 04/27/2007
(2 out of 5 stars)
"I wonder why amazon did not publish the first review I've had with this album. Anyway, perhaps I was too harsh on her. Again, as I said before, the songs are good, but they are not for Thalia. Thalia sings great when she sings low because she can make her voice stronger and fuller, as in her previous albums like "Amor a la Mexicana," and "Arrasando." She is a mezzo soprano, she's no Maria Carey so it seems that she is forcing herself when she sings high notes (Olvidame, Amar sin ser Amada), which as a previous reviewer mentioned, can be quite annoying. Besides, this and the previous album "Thalia" (spanish one, not the crossover), marked her transition from latin pop-infected grooves to more universal American pop-rock music, which in my opinion, does not truly reflect her abilities as a singer and an entertainer. I've always considered her as an ambassador of latin american (mexican) language and culture to countries located as far as in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, so it's regretful that she would shift her music towards generic pop-rock."
Track Listings (14) - Disc #1