Thalía: 1972—: Singer, Actress

Thalía's emergence was not without its stumbles. Less praiseworthy amid a string of acting triumphs was the bumbling CD Mis Mejores Momentos: Para Coleccionistas, a 1998 release that tried too hard to sell Thalia's child-like innocence and thin voice. Critics agreed that the album was not one of her better moments. The poorly executed Serie Sensacional in 2000 also left Thalía watchers puzzled as to the direction of her singing career, but the lull was short-lived.

Much of the heat generated by Thalía's vocals derived from the energetic numbers on the CD Con Banda Grandes Exitos, and from Arrasando, her most praised album. It successfully allied the Latin dance ballad "Rosalinda" with mambo, rap, rhythm & blues, and pop, reaching international audiences with its compelling dance beats and seductive sizzle. In 2000 the CD topped Billboard's Latin pop vocal charts, earning Thalía the Premio Lo Nuestro award for top female vocalist. She also signed on as spokesperson for Latino.com, a network of print, radio, television, as well as Web interviews, a venue guaranteeing her the public's continuing adoration.

Radio charts touted the singer's three top singles—"Entre el Mar y una Estrella", "Regresa a Mi", and "Menta y Canela". Thalía also cut a fourth single, "Reincarnación," which was featured on MTV, HTV and Telehit. A year later the album earned two Latin Grammy nominations—Best Female Pop Vocal Album and Best Recording Engineering for an Album—and won in the second category. Her website, Thalía.com, recorded her low-key response: "I think that it is valuable to feel that your work has been taken into consideration by so many respected people in the music industry."