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Believe in Me
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Believe in Me
Current price: $18.99
Barnes and Noble
Believe in Me
Current price: $18.99
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Recording the theme for
didn't have the same effect on
career as
had for
. With the exception of a pair of Top 40 pop hits (
)
success was confined to the realm of R&B. Change was in the air, however, for her fifth and strongest release,
. Aside from switching to
from
and co-writing four of the songs herself,
manages to utilize slick, hip production and update her sound without forgetting the most important element: strong hooks and well-written tunes.
provides the production backdrop for eight of the album's tracks, giving
the strongest rhythmic push her music has ever had. After several easy-listening songs in her career, it's refreshing to hear her loosen up on the radio-ready likes of
and the title track. Her ballads are also more R&B-flavored than ever, and
gives some of the laziest, sexiest vocals of her career on
and
even recognizes that great production doesn't always have to be cluttered, illustrated on
(written and produced by her brother,
; talent clearly runs in the family) and
both of which seduce in a gorgeously minimal setting. Another refreshing element is song length; while a lot of R&B music tends to run on for five minutes or more, only the final cut,
(coincidentally, the album's blandest composition), clocks in at that length; the rest of the songs are in the four-minute range or shorter, resulting in a breezy effect that inspires repeat listenings. Even a couple of less interesting pop tunes (
) aren't enough to weigh this project down. Filled with memorable hooks and irresistible grooves,
finds
at the top of her game. ~ John Jones