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Ralphie with Kat DeLuna at the Wilkes-Barre Hardware Bar in 2008.
Kat DeLuna insists “Inside Out,” her sophomore LP, will be released this year.
“No, no, no, not hopefully, it is!” she quickly replied, correcting my statement that she’d “hopefully” release the album later this year. “We haven’t picked the precise date yet but looking toward around the summer.”
Some may have been wondering if DeLuna would ever release her second album; the project has gone through multiple years of work, multiple singles … even multiple record labels. The “Whine Up” singer left Epic Records in 2008 for Universal Motown. Since landing there, she’s collaborated with labelmates Lil Wayne
(“Unstoppable”) and Akon
(“Push Push”).
DeLuna says the latter track is the official debut single for “Inside Out.” Produced by David Guetta, Kat created her own “Push Push” dance, which she already taught to Akon. The artist plans on uploading a tutorial to YouTube.
“I love to dance,” she said. “It’s funny, when I wake up, and I’m getting ready in the morning, like I’m just dancing (while) looking at myself in the mirror.”
Dances have been a common theme in Kat’s singles. The “Whine Up” rose in popularity as the corresponding song shot up the charts. Of course, who could forget Perez Hilton dancing like a fool to “Dance Bailalo” last summer?
Hilton — real name Mario Lavandeira — shares Latino heritage with Deluna; he’s Cuban, she’s Dominican. The celebrity blogger jumped on the bandwagon of critics in September 2008 after DeLuna received a chorus of boos following her rendition of the “The Star Spangled Banner” on “Monday Night Football.” But he loved “Dance Bailalo” and apparently is a fan of her new work.
“He actually heard it a couple of days ago, and he said ‘smash,’” DeLuna reported of Hilton’s reaction to the song. “He’s been a really good, amazing friend. … You know, we can be friends today, and I’ll still love him if tomorrow if he goes on the other side.”
Hey, in entertainment, you never know. Things change quickly and can turn inside-out in no time. But don’t bother telling that to Kat — you’d be preaching to the choir.
“It’s a blessing to be able to do what you love every day,” DeLuna said. “With this second album, I’m so excited for my fans. … People are going to discover me again.”
DeLuna banks on that discovery process beginning with “Push Push.” After the songstress and Akon thought production was complete on the track, Akon realized something.
“He said, ‘This song is missing something,’” recalled DeLuna. “I’m like, ‘Hmm, what is it missing?’ He’s like, ‘Me!’”
So, to DeLuna’s delight, Akon lent his vocals to the final version of the track. She says the two have been “very, very close” friends and work well together in the studio. While they have paired up on the production and writing of songs, “Push Push” marks the first time they have sang on the same record.
“Inside Out” will be released this summer.
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