Enrique Iglesias keeps focus on career, music biz

By Leila Cobo

MIAMI (Billboard) - Enrique Iglesias has just finished a two-month trek of Europe, where he was touring in support of his 2007 English-language release, "Insomniac,"

His latest disc, the all-hits Spanish-language release "95/08," debuted at No. 18 on the Billboard 200 last week. It serves as the prequel to a full-fledged Spanish-language studio set, slated for release late this year.

Iglesias recently spoke with Billboard about straddling many markets and many styles in an ever-changing business.

In person, the tall and lanky Iglesias, with his perpetual outfit of jeans and a baseball cap, acts like a buddy chatting over a beer. "What's hot on the charts?" he wants to know. "What's happening with record sales? Who bought this company? How much did it cost?" At 33 years old, he seemingly hasn't lost his fascination with a music industry he was introduced to at birth.

BILLBOARD: IN 1995 YOUR FIRST SPANISH-LANGUAGE ALBUM SOLD 600,000 COPIES, ON FONOVISA, AN INDIE LABEL. NOW, YOU FACE A DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT BUSINESS.

Iglesias: I remember the label was worried that in Mexico the local currency was devaluated and they would sell half of what they normally sold. If they only knew what would happen today. I think it's easier to stay afloat when you already have a career. Think how difficult it is now to develop artists when you have a lot less people working in a label. And the budgets are completely different.

I do think record companies were wasting too much money. I remember shooting three videos for "Bailamos," and by the time you were done, it was $1.7 million in videos, and that's crazy. Now you have to be a lot more careful and more creative and use sponsors. But a hit is still a hit. At the end of the day, I'd be scared if you told me people don't like music anymore.

YOU HAVE A REPUTATION FOR WORKING LIKE A MANIAC AND FOR BEING ON TOP OF EVERY SINGLE ASPECT OF YOUR CAREER, FROM THE SONG TO MAKING SURE CDS ARE IN THE STORES. HOW IMPORTANT IS THAT?

I think artists who've had long careers are those who have been, in a way, able to manage themselves. Great artists are great business people too.

HOW MUCH DO YOU INVEST IN YOUR CAREER?

I actually own (the rights to) my first three albums. I bought them back in 2000. It wasn't cheap. I reinvest in my career about 50% of the money I make.

In tours, for example. You can lose money in touring depending on what kind of production you want to take. Especially in Latin America, which gets expensive because you have to fly everything in (because of distances between countries), but I still want to give the same kind of show that they would see in Wembley in London.

YOU TOUR AND RELEASE ALBUMS IN VERY FAR-FLUNG PLACES. IN A COMPRESSED INDUSTRY, HOW IMPORTANT IS THAT, REALLY?

Oh, my God, so important. Especially because I see my career has gone through different stages, where maybe I've done better at one point in Europe than in Latin America, or in Asia than in Europe. So, I do think my albums should be released everywhere. And honestly, I don't think Anglos give as much importance to Spanish-language albums. But any sale is worthwhile. For example, of those 3 million people that bought one of my English-language albums, why wouldn't 50,000 or 100,000 of them buy my Spanish album?

YOUR NEW ALBUM -- ALL HITS -- INCLUDES 18 SONGS THAT HAVE MADE IT NO. 1 ON BILLBOARD'S HOT LATIN SONGS CHART, MORE THAN ANY OTHER ACT. OBVIOUSLY RADIO IS CRUCIAL FOR YOU.