9 Lives

Performer: Kat DeLuna
Artist: Busta Rhymes; Akon; Elephant Man; Don Omar
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: A former member of the Latina girl-group Coquette, New York City's Kat Deluna is an R&B singer with remarkable technical skills grounded in an earthy, knowing delivery. This 2007 debut album sizzles with a set of upbeat dance numbers co-written and produced by Deluna. The album immediately placed high on the dance charts, powered by the hit song "Whine Up" (which was also the theme for WWE's Saturday NIGHT'S MAIN EVENT), presented here in both English and Spanish. With four years of opera training behind her, it's clear that 19-year-old pop singer Kat DeLuna -- who was born in the Bronx, spent several years in Santo Domingo, and eventually returned to the U.S. -- wasn't signed merely on the basis of her looks and passable ability to carry a tune. Her debut, 9 Lives, features credible streaks of dancehall, Latin pop, Euro-pop, modern R&B, freestyle, and yes, (albeit to a much lesser extent) opera as well. To DeLuna (who co-wrote everything) and her producer RedOne's credit, the album never quite sounds calculated or unnatural. While appealing multicultural/genre-crossing pop is nothing new, and a few tracks here are boilerplate and lack bite, DeLuna's controlled exuberance, ability to adapt to numerous styles, and considerable vocal ability keep it all afloat. The week the album was released, "Whine Up," the dancehall-flavored lead single featuring Elephant Man, had already been on the Hot 100 chart for two months, and it's the album's definite center, though a handful of potential singles could break the mainstream pop singles chart while approaching the tops of the dance, R&B, and Latin charts. On the surface, it might seem like she's an exceptionally talented singer who happened to strike at the right time with the right sound, but the majority of 9 Lives makes it known that she should be around for some time. ~ Andy Kellman

Entertainment Weekly (p.133) - "[A] surprisingly solid debut....[The] album singles out DeLuna as a more vocally gifted descendant of the Latin freestyle divas of the late '80s." -- Grade: B

Kat DeLuna was born November 17, 1987, in the Bronx, and began singing professionally in her early teens, after merengue star Milly Quezada invited the youngster onstage with her. After an unfruitful stint with a manufactured all-Latin female hip-hop group in the early 2000s, DeLuna began her solo career at the age of 15. After signing with Epic Records, she released her debut album, NINE LIVES, in 2007, scoring the Top 20 pop hit "Whine Up." DeLuna prepared her second album, INSIDE OUT, following a move to Akon's Konvict Muzik imprint.

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