Though Mar¡a Jos‚ 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, Mar¡a Jos‚, 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 and Gwen Stefani. Mar¡a Jos‚'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, "¨Qui‚n Eres T£?," 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, Mar¡a Jos‚ is a fun disc. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez
