Album Reviews

Heavenly Place (1996)

Driven by the hit single "If This World," Jaci Velasquez's Heavenly Place is an impressive debut album from the 16-year old singer. Though the album lacks a consistently strong set of songs, the production by Mark Heimermann is professional and attractive, giving Velasquez's voice a chance to shine. She can navigate her way between CCM, pop and country with equal skill, making Heavenly Place a place worth visiting. -All Music Guide 4 stars

Jaci Velasquez (1998)

With her second album, Jaci Velasquez firmly establishes herself as a very gifted CCM vocalist. Like her previous record, the album suffers a bit from uneven material, but her warm, appealing voice and the lush production makes Jaci Velasquez an easy album to enjoy. -All Music Guide 4 stars

Llegar A Ti (1999)

Having won Dove Awards for top new artist and female vocalist while still in her teens, Velasquez has already become one of the brightest stars in Christian music. Llegar a Ti seeks to expand her audience internationally...Much of Llegar a Ti showcases Velasquez's remarkable voice with gentle ballads tinged with Latin rhythms. But two tracks, "Con Tu Amor" ("With Your Love") and "Manantial de Caricias" ("Fountain of Caresses"), pull out the horns for irresistible salsa grooves. Llegar a Ti proves what the Christian music community learned with this young singer's first two albums: The world deserved to hear Jaci Velasquez. -CDNOW

Crystal Clear (2000)

After two English albums, a Latin record and two decades on earth, Jaci Velasquez is one of Christian music's brightest stars, and there's no visible ceiling for how high her rocket ship will travel...God-focused and full of emotion, this effort also showcases more of Velasquez' Latin roots than on previous English recordings, with many of its 11 songs colored by south-of-the-border rhythms and George Cocchini's excellent Spanish-style guitar...A great example is the leadoff track, "Escuchame" ("Listen to Me"), a celebratory-sounding tune Velasquez co-wrote with producer Mark Heimermann, that mixes Santana sensibilities with subtle R&B vocal elements. But its most interesting characteristic is the juxtaposition of the rousing instrumentation against Velasquez' sobering message to a younger woman, warning her to slow down and trust in God...And while Velasquez, not surprisingly, is all over the bevy of ballads on Crystal Clear, the best track for my moola is an offbeat Velasquez/Heimermann collaboration, "You're Not There." With it's introspective lyrics on God's presence, minor-key melody, majestic chorus, orchestral elements and guitars that recall the Cure (yup, the Cure), this is a brave step off the sidewalk. Velasquez should fill her future records with more of this risky stuff. -excerpts from CCM magazine review, September 2000

Mi Corazon (2001)

Musically, the production on Mi Corazon is top-notch...I'm not familiar with all the Latin pop artists in the music market, but this album sounds as good as anything Selena ever released, as well as anything else in this genre I've caught on the radio. It's no wonder Jaci has found a mainstream audience with her Spanish-language projects. I'd even go so far as to say that they're better productions than her Christian pop albums, which is saying a lot since they also sound great...Jaci's Christian market fans likely will embrace Mi Corazon, even if they don't speak Spanish...Mi Corazon is a very well made Latin pop album that will please both fans of the genre and of Jaci Velasquez. Between this album, last year's Crystal Clear album, and her soon-to-be-released Christmas album, Jaci Velasquez is one busy young lady! -ChristianityToday.com

Christmas (2001)

CCM and Latin artist Jaci Velasquez released her first holiday album, aptly titled Jaci Velasquez Christmas, in September of 2001. Beautifully orchestrated, with touches of traditional Christmas-style jazz and contemporary pop, the project resembles previous holiday releases from fellow Word artist Amy Grant. Produced by Christopher Harris, the project contains classic Christmas songs such as "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" and "White Christmas." In addition, three original tracks, including "The Angel Song," are offered. While most of the songs, even old favorites, distinctively bear the fingerprints of Velasquez, "It Wouldn't Be Christmas" is reminiscent of Mariah Carey's "Miss You Most (At Christmas Time)." Notable songs include "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow," which both feature musical stylings from the 1940s era. Velasquez' strong yet tender and at times vulnerable vocals complement the musical arrangements, transforming well-loved classics such as "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" into newfound treasures. -All Music Guide 3 stars