Kat DeLuna's 9 Lives is one of the year's sweetest surprises--a beguiling, bilingual pop debut that should make her a huge star (fingers crossed). The disc is a dazzling showcase for her unique talents, most notably her opera-trained voice, which bends and snaps with ease amid shiny club beats and tropical rhythms. Breakout single "Whine Up" soars on a thundering, round-the-way groove that's impossible to shake after just one listen. But that's just the first of the disc's flirty, feline offerings. "Animal" roars to camp-club perfection, blending anthem-like choruses with dance-diva attitude, and "Run the Show" is a confident party-starter. DeLuna proves equally adept at emotive balladry. The Selena-esque shimmer of "Am I Dreaming" is buoyed by a lilting, beach-kissed groove. And "Love Me, Leave Me" mines the same goth-pop territory as Rihanna's "Unfaithful." Teen pop-heads, Latin soulsters, anyone with a weakness for hooky melodies: DeLuna's 9 Lives will have them all purring with delight. --Joey Guerra