R. Kelly
tames his ambitions a bit on
TP-2.Com
, assembling a simple sequel to his classic
12 Play
album from 1993 rather than another epic venture like his double-disc, all-bases-covered
R.
album from 1998. The straightforwardness is somewhat of a welcome endeavor. As breathtaking as had been
-- an album that straddled the huge gap between the sort of radio
pop
associated with
Celine Dion
as well as the street
rap
of
Jay-Z
and
Nas
-- it also seemed too overblown at times, as if
Kelly
had something to prove during an era of double-disc epic
albums. So to see him return to the simple singles approach of
is refreshing, particularly since he has plenty of singles to work with here, just as he had with
TP-1
.
furthermore unleashes his singles --
"I Wish,"
a mass-appeal
vocal pop
number with an
urban
edge;
"Fiesta,"
a Latin Invasion cash-in that aims for the dancefloor; and
"Feelin' on Yo Booty,"
a whispery come-on for all the weak-kneed ladies and some of the mindful ones too -- with tailor-made remixes to ensure himself broad airplay. Only one of those remixes is here though, the
"I Wish"
one, so take heed. There's no
-featuring remix of
"Fiesta"
and no up-tempo one of
yet
is a strong album nonetheless, three steps ahead of practically every other non-
album from 2000. It does seem like
is coasting a bit here at times, though, particularly when you hold
up against its massive predecessor, but even when
R
's lounging, he's generally ahead of the pack. ~ Jason Birchmeier