Remember when Madrid-born, Miami-raised pop star Enrique Iglesias broke onto the American music scene in the early 2000s?
He had those sensitively angled brows, tastefully pumped-up muscles, and beautiful skin tanned to perfection by the South Florida sun. And that mole ... Oh, the mole! He was a handsome young buck, ready to be loved, and admired by the world.
Of course, Iglesias comes from Spanish crooner crossover royalty. And he has always seemed to channel his father Julio's continental mix of chivalry and class with an added dose of Miami mischievousness. However, in recent years, it seems Enrique has put his crotch before that lovely muscle beating in his chest.
He used to melt hearts. But now he's on a mission to melt panties.
With new hypersexy songs and lustful onstage ramblings, Iglesias is letting it all hang out. Here are three examples of this Miami boy's transformation from Latin heartthrob to sex-crazed horndog.
Wait, He's Doing What Later?
The most major indicator of a shift in Iglesias' stylistic focus is the charmingly titled single "Tonight (I'm Fucking You)" off his 2010 album Euphoria, which features both English and Spanish jams.
The hottie collaborated with big names such as Juan Luis Guerra, Usher, and Lionel Richie on the album to create a series of star-studded odes to humping. He also teamed with filthy rapper Ludacris to compose the song whose prom-friendly alterna-title is "Tonight (I'm Loving You)."
Enrique's older videos show him getting saucy with only one lady at a time. But in this newer endeavor, he's celebrating the orgiastic affections of multiple ladies willing to lead a life of polyamory.
At 36, Iglesias is no longer the fresh-faced boy we fell in love with when he died in Jennifer Love Hewitt's arms. He's a grown-ass, supermanicured man who feels compelled to flaunt his virility by singing about sex. What's the deal? Was a transformation from romance to raunch necessary to stoke sales?
Discussing What's Down Under
Even though Iglesias' 2001 tour was suggestively dubbed the One Night Stand World Tour, the singer didn't make a habit of talking about explicit sex stuff in front of a live audience. At a recent gig in Australia, though, he brought a few dudes onstage for a casual chat about stuff like sticking it and penis size.
According to The Sun, Enrique told the audience, "'Let me be honest, I was 17-and-a-half, I was so nervous. It lasted ten seconds.' One of his companions then claimed he lasted ten minutes the first time. Iglesias replied: 'Really? I don't even last eight minutes now.'"
When someone suggested that his Latin looks might help him out with the girls, Iglesias responded, "What does Spanish good looks have to do with the size of your penis... They're completely different things. Maybe I have the Spanish looks but I have the smallest penis in the world. I'm serious."
Why is Enrique Iglesias pulling these kinds of stunts at this stage in his career? Perhaps he's overeager to connect with fans. Just consider the crotch shot incident.
Private Snapshots
Just last year, our hero was caught offering a fan something a little more intimate than an autograph. With the crazy, big-money scenes in Enrique's "Tonight" video, you might assume it was a naked weekend on a yacht. But no, the sexy Spaniard gave the gift of crotch shots.
As proven by TMZ's photo evidence, he took a snapshot with the fan's camera of what was going on down his drawers. Of course, Iglesias returned the device to the owner, who's now in possession of either a dark, blurry photograph of our boy's undies or his overactive jock.
A decade ago, Enrique Iglesias hit the American music market like a storm. Back then, he was a lovelorn, baby-faced guy. But today, he's cornering the market on pop perviness. What happened to the sincerity, Enrique? We sure miss those heartthrob days. You're still cute. So keep up the "Heartbeat" stuff. But please, leave the demands to fuck us, the tiny penis talk, and your private snapshots at home!
Enrique Iglesias with Pitbull and Prince Royce. Saturday, October 22. American Airlines Arena, 601 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. The show starts at 7 p.m. and tickets cost $16.50 to $126.50 plus fees via ticketmaster.com. Call 305-960-8500 or visit aaarena.com.
Follow Crossfade on Facebook and Twitter @Crossfade_SFL.
