Enrique Iglesias says his career is going full blast

Just a few days before he concludes his North American tour with Jennifer Lopez, the Madrid native took a break in Los Angeles, the city where he recorded his first album 17 years ago ('Enrique Iglesias'), to review his career.

Enrique Iglesias

"As an artist, I've been very fortunate," Iglesias told EFE.

"If they would have told me when I was just 18 that I was going to have a career that would last so long, I'd have said it was impossible, that it was crazy that that could happen in my life, so I'm happy to be here. To be able to go out on stage every day," said Iglesias, who spoke bluntly about what he called his 'religious experience'.

Calm and cordial with the press and affectionate with his fans, to the point of kissing some of them on the lips at concerts, where he also pulls them onstage to sing, the 37-year-old Iglesias is aware of his privileged situation at a moment of crisis, especially in his native country, Spain.

"There are days that I wake up and I complain, and when I complain I pinch myself and say, 'that's for complaining'. Not many people can do what they really like in life," Iglesias, the son of crooner Julio Iglesias, said. u00a0'Being happy,' he said in response to a question about his ambitions for the future.

"My motivations are thinking I can write better songs, that the concerts can be better," Iglesias said, although he did not get specific about when he would return to the studio to record a new album, after being on tour for two years.

"The next album scares me a little because I've put so much effort, so much work, into this one," said Iglesias, who moved into the first rank among international music stars with numbers like 'I Like It', 'Tonight (I'm Lovin' You)', 'Dirty Dancer and 'I Like How It Feels'.

"There are albums where what you hope for happens and there are albums where it doesn't," the singer-songwriter, who has released nine LP albums and two collections of hits and has sold more than 70 million records worldwide, said.

"For me (the new album) would not take more than six months, but unfortunately that is outside my control. I can take six months or I can take six years," Iglesias said, adding that he continues writing songs and releasing singles.

The latest of his numbers to be released was 'Finally Found You', on which he had the help of Sammy Adams and which the singer presented last Friday on his Facebook page. The number will go on sale on iTunes in the US Sep 25.

Iglesias will wrap up his tour with Jennifer Lopez - which kicked off July 14 in Montreal - Sep 2 in Orlando, Florida, and Mexico's Frankie J. has also been participating in the project, which the Spaniard says has been 'spectacular' and 'interesting.'

"When you know that the end is going to come you begin to get a little nostalgic," the singer, who is being discussed as a judge for 'American Idol' but who, at present, is scheduled to continue giving solo concerts, said.