Border Girl

Paulina Rubio

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 18, 2002)
• Original Release Date: 2002
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Umvd Labels
• ASIN: B000067O2T
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (133 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #39,870 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Shakira may have been the first Latina to don the contemporary crossover crown, but Mexican golden girl Paulina Rubio's first English-language effort outshines the pop competition in any language. Border Girl follows Rubio's spectacularly successful Paulina, the No. 1 Latin album of 2001. Like that collection, Border Girl blends terrific hooks, sing-along choruses, seductive rhythms, and lots of energy--essential elements for any great pop album. "Don't Say Goodbye," the hypnotic first single, is a good introduction for American audiences, and Rubio even pulls off a sly cover of the Kiss hit "I Was Made for Lovin' You." Even better are the glittering girl-power anthems translated from Spanish to English, including "Not That Kind of Girl," the pulsing club gem "Sexual Lover," and "The Last Goodbye," an innovative, I-will-survive testimonial that blends ranchera and hip-hop instrumentation. Border music has never sounded so savvy--or sensational. --Joey Guerra

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Above The Border And Beyond !!!, June 19, 2002

By	dogeneedtakeship "The Loveless Fascination" (San Jose, California USA) - See all my reviews

Paulina Rubio is the newest Latin face to set place in the United States with an English album. A plus for this album is the fact that this disc is full of hits. This CD is dance friendly just like that of Kylie Minogue's album yet still it has traditional Latin flavor tracks like that of Thalia's latest album. The down fall of this album is that Paulina didn't write any of the songs but you can't hold it against her, look at Britney Spears, and plus Paulina makes up for it with the hot dance beats and her sexy voice. This album is extremely sexy with dance, rock, R&B, and mariachi beats behind her provocative accent.

Track Highlights

1.) Don't Say Goodbye - This is the first single from Paulina Rubio and its full of phat beats that go well in any club.

2.) Casanova - This song has a great Latin dance beat to it, but the lyrics aren't that strong, I do not think this song would hold up as a single but its still pretty fun to listen to.

3.) Border Girl - Words couldn't describe how fantastic this track is. This song has a strong meaning with just the idea of a "Border Girl" but the essence of it goes even deeper as it becomes a metaphor to love.

4.) The One You Love - The chorus to this song is very catchy and the beat consists of rock, dance, and Latin flares.

5.) Not That Kind Of Girl - This track is somewhat of a mid-tempo rock ballad with a catchy chorus.

6.) Undeniable - This is a slow ballad that is UNDENIABLY beautiful and Paullina's sexy accent sounds as if it were made for this song.

7.) The Last Goodbye - This track is by far my favorite and has much potential in the US because it defies all English music. This song has a strong Mariachi beat which is unheard of in English music and this track would definitely get attention from fans. Paulina's sexy accent flows so well over the beat that it almost sounds like she is singing in Spanish.

8.) Stereo - This song is another hot track that has classic R&B/dance beats with lyrics that flow so well and smooth over this hot beat.

9.) I'll Be Right Here (Sexual Lover) - This is the English version of her first Spanish single off this Album called Y Yo Sigo Agui. Trust me this song is hot, this track has everything a hit song consists of. This track is another highlight of this album, it has a great beat, great and catchy lyrics, and it is overall a fun song.

10.) Fire (Sexy Dance) - This song is one of those fierce beat dance tracks that make you go all wild when your in a club. This track consist of everything a club track has to offer, such as the reiterated lyrics and a ferocious beat.

11.) I Was Made For Lovin' You - This is probably the most rocked out song on the album but it is still very danceable. Paulina's sexy voice sounds confident and strong in this song.

12.) Si Tu Te Vas - This is the Spanish version of "Don't Say Goodbye" which is just as hot as the English version, check it out.

13.) Baila Casanova - This is the Spanish version of "Casanova" and I personally think it sounds a lot better in Spanish than it does in English.

14.) Todo Mi Amor - Spanish version of "The One You Love" which sounds equally as good as the English version.

15.) Libre - This is the only Spanish song on the album that there is no English adaptation to but lucky to that because its an original in its own.

16.) Y Yo Sigo Agui - This track was the first Spanish single off this album which I must say is very impressive, the English version has single potential as well.

There you go, 16 tracks that you can't say goodbye to, so what are you waiting for. Check this very impressive debut English album from Paulina Rubio as soon as possible. Cross your border and give this album a try. Now "Don't Say Goodbye" say hello to an opportunity to spice up your life with this hot disc.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Border Girl sounds rushed, November 30, 2002

By	Randy M. James (Hawthorne, Ca United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I remember when I first heard the lead off single 'Don't Say Goodbye.' It sounded great. It is a good dance-pop song. However, this album is a patchy collection of songs that vary in styles, from hip-hop, ranchera, dance, and guitar pop. There are some good songs on here. 'Border Girl' is an anthem-like pop/rock song for anyone in love. 'Stereo' sounds like someone tried to make Paulina Rubio sound like Vanity 6, although I could do without the lackluster rap in the middle. 'The Last Goodbye' is a great crossover song. Originally 'El Ultimo Adios' off her 'Paulina' album, the English translation recieves a edgier, hip-hop sound. 'Sexual Lover' is the best song on this album, but sounds a lot better in Spanish 'Y Yo Sigo Aqui.' Overall, this CD dissapointed me. I was expecting stellar pop hooks, but I found songs that failed to reach anything good or lasting. If she would have spent more time with writers and producers on the album, she would have a great album. But she only ends up short of the border she wants to cross.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth a Great Deal More Praise Than It Received, September 6, 2005

By	Rudy Palma "The Writing Fiend" (NJ) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Although it was only a minor hit album, Paulina Rubio's "Border Girl," which would debut and peak at #11 on Billboard's Top 200 albums chart and ultimately sell just north of 600,000 copies in the US, is a bonafide pop music dream. The disc is overstuffed from beginning to end with sing-a-long choruses that are simply unshakeable, while maintaining splendid production throughout that doesn't obscure Rubio's vocals or unique appeal, but instead helps the singer and her Latin roots shine in the sunlight.

Although the first track and lead single "Don't Say Goodbye" only peaked at #41 on the Billboard Hot 100, it is nevertheless an urgent, pulsing club jam that Rubio delivers splendidly. The sharp video for the track, which was shot at an infamous $1,000,000 budget, is also candy for the eyes. The only problems with the track are the gloom it creates - it is, after all, about broken love - and its Euro-pop styled production, which both combined to make it an unfavorable choice for a summer single.

A much better choice for the lead single would have been "I'll Be Right Here (Sexual Lover)." An English translation of 2001's major hit "Y Yo Sigo Aqui (And I Continue Here)," which happens to be recycled at the end of "Border Girl," has instantly palatable lyrics and a catchy, summer-ready groove that does not let go of the listener, and long after the song has ended. The epitome of irresistible, if it had been the lead single "Border Girl" would have had much better chances of success. "Casanova," which contains other optimal lead single ingredients; sizzling percussion, blaring Latin horns and eyebrow-raising lyrics, also would have yielded the same results.

"Dark sexy skin, my passion begins/You're the center of my obsession/Watching you dance in your leather pants/My eyes see a true perfection/And I'm hypnotized by the rhythm of your hips/It's so hard to hide and I can't resist."

Further along, there is the monumental confection that is "The Last Goodbye." A perfect, completely kick-ass track that settles into a fine mid-tempo groove, the track blends hip-hop and ranchera sounds flawlessly; something that has not been otherwise done in pop music. The track is an adaptation of her 2000 single "El Ultimo Adios," which was a worldwide hit.

Rubio truly shines on "The One You Love," which was the set's second single. A true head-scratcher that it only peaked at #97 on Billboard's Hot 100, the track has an irrepressible chorus, sparkling Spanish guitars and is the epitome of a perfect mid-tempo pop single. The funky "Stereo," featuring an excellent guest appearance by rapper Chilly Willy, already sounds dated for being only 3 years old, but is still an extremely entertaining listen with its quirky lyrics and frothy, trance-like production.

"Don't wanna be too bizarre/But you're the key to my car/You're my electric guitar/Sounds like it's ringing on the stereo/It's very clear to me, just like it's in 3D/Total telepathy/Sounds like it's ringing on the stereo/I'm bouncing off the wall/The way you turn me on/I think I like this song/Sounds like it's ringing on the stereo."

Also, "Fire" is a fast-paced club jam that pleads to be your companion on dancefloors and treadmills. With Rubio's vocals soaring high and incessant production, including intermittence of her heavy breathing, this adaptation-gone-wild of her 2001 single "Sexi Dance" is made to raise heart rates as well as entertain.

The most shining track on the disc, however, is the underrated title track. An edgy, slow-danceable ballad, the lyrics are superb, and Rubio's performance is full of passion and sincerity.

"I am a border girl/Crossing oceans in the name of love/And I have been searching for this all of my life/My heart knows when it's wrong and when it's right."

The rest of the English tracks include her sex-kitten cover of Kiss' "I Was Made For Lovin' You," "Undeniable," a quiet ballad, and "Not that Kind of Girl," a high-energy girl-power anthem in the vain of Destiny's Child that is an adaptation of her 2001 smash "Yo No Soy Esa Mujer."

The disc switches over into Spanish in its latter half. "Si Tu Te Vas," "Todo Mi Amor" and "Baila Casanova" are counterparts for "Don't Say Goodbye," "The One You Love" and "Casanova" respectively. Although the lyrics falter a bit in the translation, which is par for the course, her vocals only pick up momentum. Last but not least is "Libre (Free)," another well-executed Latin pride anthem tailor made for dancefloors.

Overall, "Border Girl" is the essence of what pop music should be, especially with Latin flourishes. Although she was robbed of the success that she deserved with this album, Rubio still greatly outsold her arch rival Thalia's English-language debut, and most appropriately.

Those who have passed over this album should give it another chance.