Kat DeLuna Inside Out

Despite being just 22, Kat DeLuna has a sound that sometimes seems from an earlier era; it’s easy to imagine a song like “Bailalo” or “Calling You” sandwiched between CeCe Peniston and Cathy Dennis in an early ‘90s discotheque. Inside Out, her second album and first record in three years, has the sort of assets which may or may not carry weight in the end: ex-Danity Kane member Dawn Richard is among the featured songwriters, Akon cameos, and lyrics are in both Spanish and English. It hasn’t hurt her chances for success that in the interim, she released a single (“Unstoppable”) with Lil Wayne, took part in a Spanish-language remake of "We Are the World" alongside other Latin music stars, issued various dance remixes of earlier tracks and embarked on a “Gay Club” tour. Her countdown to diva-hood – or rather, the release date of her album – is still TBA.

Abstract by Kali Holloway