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 Enrique Iglesias |
 Pitbull |
 Enrique Iglesias |
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Story and photos by Andy Argyrakis Calling Enrique Iglesias' recent run of chart success a comeback would be unfair considering he's never really left the pop world, though with a duel focus on the Latin market, American audiences were best left with memories of his late Ô90s/early 2000s emergence. But then "I Like It" became one of this summer's hottest hits, thanks to a little help from today's top collaborator Pitbull, and the 36-year-old heartthrob was back to selling out arenas.On the Chicagoland stop of his *Euphoria* tour, the singer showed how much he's improved from his initial period of fame and captured the attention of an entire new generation. It didn't hurt that he had a solid live band, laser spectacle, catwalk and confetti cannons to make sure even the least interested were entertained. Opening with "Tonight (I'm Lovin' You)" was the perfect choice thanks to its call and response hooks over throbbing beats, which coupled with the fellow new cut "Dirty Dancer," got the celebration revved up from the get go. The mostly English set did benefit early from the oldie "Bailamos," which allowed Iglesias to show off his bilingual skills across some slick salsa steps. A cover of Ben E. King's "Stand By Me" found a couple being invited on stage and sharing a story of a family member being stricken by cancer. Iglesias seemed genuinely moved and surprisingly confided in the crowd that his aunt died earlier in the very day of the same disease. After wiping away some tears, he promised she'd want him to maintain a positive spirit and the upbeat atmosphere continued, which also scored the star a point for true professionalism. "Be with You" and "Escape" helped the headliner and everyone else forget their problems in favor of more dancing, while "Hero" took Iglesias to a b-stage where he plucked a lucky lady out of the crowd for a friendly, albeit schmaltzy, slow dance. The show reached an apex with the recent smash "I Like It," enhanced all the more from opening act/duet partner Pitbull rapping with show stopping gusto. In fact, his presence was equally powerful to the main attraction, if only for the fact that he's tag teamed with Usher, T-Pain, Ne-Yo, Akon, Jennifer Lopez and pretty much every other major player in the game these days. No matter who the crowd came to see, the night was pretty much a party from start to finish and suggested one should never assume an artist is down for the count just because it's been awhile since they've made a major splash. |
 Enrique Iglesias |
 Enrique Iglesias |
 Pitbull |
 Pitbull |
 Pitbull |