A song called 'Don't Turn Off the Lights' began as nothing more than a title. Enrique Iglesias, the Spanish-born singer already famous in Latin pop, had been building his fifth studio album Escape from exactly that kind of scrap: a plain phrase that suggested a mood, a hook, a whole track waiting to happen. By the time the record was finished, that song was strong enough that Iglesias considered making it both the album's name and its first single. The album that appeared on October 30, 2001 told a different story.
Writing across London, Los Angeles and Miami
The release of Escape on Interscope Records marked Iglesias's second album sung in English, and it pushed him back toward a direct pop sound with the crunchy guitars of 1980s rock. For months he had been writing in studios across London, Los Angeles and Miami, turning simple title ideas into full songs. 'Don't Turn Off the Lights' was the first one born that way, and it nearly got top billing. But in August 2001, Iglesias made a decision that looked risky: he led the record with 'Hero', a slow, earnest ballad.
Why was that a gamble? Because Escape was built to be a pop album, not a ballad collection. Critics later picked up on exactly that tension. Some praised the record for avoiding weepy, slow songs, while others dismissed it as shallow. One review gave it a D, and another accused it of lacking artistic depth. Yet 'Hero', released on August 6, 2001, became one of the biggest hits of Iglesias's career. The risk paid off before the album even reached stores.
Chart numbers and UK chart history
The commercial response made the critical shrugs look beside the point. Escape entered the Billboard 200 at number two, selling 267,000 copies in its first week, beaten only by Michael Jackson's Invincible. In the United Kingdom it did something no Latin American artist had ever done: the album and the single 'Hero' both sat at number one at the same time. No artist of any nationality had pulled that off in five years. By the end of 2002, Escape was the third best-selling album of the year in Britain.
Iglesias had spent years being introduced as the son of Julio Iglesias, the Spanish crooner. With Escape, the conversation shifted. The record's five singles, from 'Hero' through 'Escape', 'Don't Turn Off the Lights', 'Love to See You Cry' and 'Maybe', kept the album alive on radio for more than a year. The music industry noticed that Iglesias was now being discussed on his own terms, not as an heir to his father's fame.
Second editions and regional versions
The album itself kept growing after its first pressing. A second edition arrived with new tracks, including a duet with Lionel Richie. Different territories got different versions: Spanish-language takes on three songs for North America, remixes for Japan and Europe, and a French version of 'Love to See You Cry'. The record was no longer a single statement but a franchise, reshaped for every market where Iglesias had fans.
Certifications piled up. Escape went triple platinum in the United States and quadruple platinum in the United Kingdom. Worldwide, it passed 8 million copies. For an album that critics could not agree on, the numbers were unambiguous. The gamble of leading with 'Hero' had turned a collection of simple title ideas into a global pop event.
Looking back from 2026, Escape sits exactly 25 years after its release, a record from the early 2000s that still defines the moment when Enrique Iglesias stopped being introduced as anyone's son. The album did something rarer than topping a chart: it made a ballad feel like a bold move.
The album did something rarer than topping a chart: it made a ballad feel like a bold move.