Jennifer Peña Albums (8)
'Dicen Que el Tiempo'
Release Date 1/1/2006
Tracks 15
Label Univision
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
For her third solo album, Dicen Que el Tiempo, Jennifer Peña chose to work with her boyfriend rather than return to the safe harbor of producers Rudy Pérez and Kike Santander, who helmed her previous albums, Libre (2002) and Seducción (2004), both of which were chart-toppers. Then again, Peña's boyfriend is Obie Bermúdez, a Latin pop star in his own right, one who happens to be an ace songwriter with a long list of accolades. Moreover, Bermúdez has a producer of his own, Sebastián Krys, whose track record is nearly as impressive as that of either Pérez or Santander. So thankfully Peña is in good hands on Dicen Que el Tiempo, even if she chose to sail into uncharted territory. Still, there's plenty of risk at hand. Part of the risk here for Peña -- and, by association, her label, Univision, which has a lot invested in the young Mexican-American superstar -- is the songwriting, which is almost all credited to her and Bermúdez. In fact, only one song, a cover of Juan Gabriel's "Pero Qué Necesidad," isn't credited to either Peña or Bermúdez, if not both of them in conjunction. This is risky because Peña had never written her own songs before. The songs on her past albums were written primarily by Pérez and Santander, who had plenty of experience penning hits for a wide range of established Latin pop stars. Indeed, there's a sea change in songwriting evident on Dicen Que el Tiempo, one that may not be quite as broadly appealing to listeners of all ages, yet it's one that's truer to Peña, who was only 23 years old at the time of this album's release in early 2007. Thanks in large part to Bermúdez, who no doubt brought a lot of his finesse and experience to the songwriting process, Dicen Que el Tiempo is an album that speaks to the life of an early twentysomething. Even the interlude snippets are revealing. As for the songs themselves, they resemble those found on Bermúdez's recent albums: fairly stripped-down pop/rock with undercurrents of various rhythms and instrumentation common to Latin music, all of it driven by slice-of-life lyrics and, above all, catchy hooks. There's a notable scarcity of sweeping ballads à la "El Dolor de Tu Presencia," Peña's career-making solo breakthrough hit. "Como Entender," the lead single, seems like a token attempt to recapture the spirit of the Pérez-penned ballads Peña enjoyed so much success with on her previous albums. It's a good song, no doubt, but it's not one of the most interesting on Dicen Que el Tiempo, and its late-album sequencing seems to reflect that. The opening run of songs, namely "Soy Así (The Tequila Song)," "Ladrón," "Marzo 17," and "Pero Qué Necesidad," is more outstanding -- partly because it's a shock to hear Peña sing punchy pop/rock songs like these and partly because they're simply fantastic songs, on a par with Bermúdez's best work to date. Granted, some hardcore fans of Peña's previous recordings, especially her ballads and tejano-style songs, may be shocked in a bad way, since Dicen Que el Tiempo is a huge departure from the days of Jennifer y los Jetz as well as "El Dolor de Tu Presencia." On the other hand, anyone who enjoyed recent Bermúdez recordings is sure to enjoy Dicen Que el Tiempo, since Peña is a gifted singer and the songs are well crafted, if understandably young-spirited. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
'Houston Rodeo Live'
Release Date 11/2/2004
Tracks 11
Label Univision
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What The Critics Say
Regrettably, live albums aren't nearly as plentiful as they should be in Latin pop. Latin radio stations usually prefer studio recordings, and record companies tend to give them what they want. Many Latin popsters, in fact, will go their entire careers without providing a live album. But Jennifer Peña isn't one of them; Houston Rodeo Live documents the Mexican-American singer's appearance at the Houston Reliant Stadium in Houston, TX on March 14, 2004 (when she was 20). Some of Peña's hardcore fans may wish that the 46-minute CD was longer and wonder why their favorite album track from 1998's Mariposa, 2000's Abrázame y Bésame or 2004's Seducción wasn't included; nonetheless, Peña does perform many of her more essential songs, including "El Dolor de Tu Presencia," "Entre el Delirio y la Locura," "A Fuego Lento" and "Prefiero Irme Enamorada." Peña never sounds like she is merely going through the motions; she always sounds enthusiastic, and much of that enthusiasm no doubt stems from the fact that she has generally had worthwhile material to work with. Mining the same stylistic waters as Ana Bárbara and the late Selena (two frequent comparisons), Peña is a provider of Latin pop ear candy -- but it's generally been good, memorable Latin pop ear candy. Another reason for the high level of enthusiasm on Houston Rodeo Live is the location; Peña is a native of San Antonio, and performing in her home state obviously has sentimental value for the tejana. Houston Rodeo Live is unlikely to win over anyone who isn't already a confirmed Jennifer Peña fan; however, Peña's sizable following will find a lot to admire about this enjoyable CD -- even if they wish it were about 30 minutes longer. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The production and songwriting team that helped make Jennifer Peña's 2002 Univision debut such a success returns for Seducción. The talents of Rudy Pérez, Kike Santander, and Gustavo Santander are behind the scenes here, with Emilio Estefan contributing production for one track, the pretty ballad "Como Saber." Despite the gaggle of minders, Seducción sounds remarkably cohesive, showcasing Peña's sunlit vocal style at every turn. Though "Cumba Ho" and "Si Yo Me Vuelvo a Enamorar" are nice interpretations of the tejano style, Seducción's emphasis is on big-budget Latin pop. Shimmering, vaguely adult contemporary tracks like "Para Olvidarte de Mí" or principal singles "Vivo y Muero en Tu Piel" and "Hasta el Fin del Mundo" are no different from your average Diane Warren-penned vocal scorchers; they wouldn't sound out of place on Faith Hill's next album. This shift in focus isn't a detriment to Peña -- she handles the richer emotional/romantic material with ease -- but also allows her youthful exuberance to color the material as her own. The arching high notes at the end of "Para Olvidarte de Mí" bear this out, as does the dancefloor-bound "Fuera de Mi Vida," which enjoys an easy sensuality that's impossible for mawkish imposters like Christina Aguilera to access. Even a somewhat obvious, too-slick cover of "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" -- sung in Spanish like the rest of Seducción -- is buoyed by the easy sway of Peña's beguiling delivery. [In addition to its hit pop version, Seducción includes cumbia norteña and salsa versions of the song. There's also a cumbia norteña remix of "Hasta el Fin del Mundo", as well as a bonus DVD with behind-the-scenes footage, a photo gallery, and music videos.] ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
After signing with Univision Music Group, Jennifer Peña returned with a major makeover to change her looks and her first step into the Latin pop field. At the age of 18, La Princesa de la Música Tejana (The Princess of Tejano Music) delivers a 17-track record anticipated with the dance-pop "Vamos al Mundial," which was selected by the U.S Hispanic network Univision as one of the official songs of the 2002 World Cup Soccer tournament. Libre features the single hit "El Dolor de Tu Presencia," delivered in Latin pop/ballad and cumbia styles, and three versions of "Entre el Delirio y la Locura." Produced by Kike Santander and Rudy Pérez and simultaneously released in Mexico and the U.S., Libre became her declaration of independence in the Latin music scene. ~ Drago Bonacich, All Music Guide
'Abrázame y Bésame'
Release Date 6/27/2000
Tracks 10
Label EMI International
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Jennifer y los Jetz'
Release Date 8/12/1997
Tracks 10
Label EMI International
See Album Tracklist and Review
