By Carmen Shiu, Courier Entertainment Editor
After an entire year of delay, former Destiny’s Child member, Kelly Rowland, is finally releasing her sophomore album on Tuesday, July 3, 2007. “Ms. Kelly” (originally “My Story”) has thirteen tracks Rowland has worked on since 2004. She included many of her own songwritings into this album. Rowland wanted some “party records” on the album, rather than filled with deep lyrics. Well, she somewhat succeeded. The guest appearances include Eve, Snoop Dogg, Tank, and even Da Brat. The important thing is that Rowland is back again and she is ready to shine better this time around.
RowlandÂ’s debut single is “Like This,” featuring Eve. It is currently doing better on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at #7 compared to #50 on the Billboard Hot 100. When Rowland had a gut feeling for Eve to appear on this track, she was right. Together, they produced an excellent track. If anything, it should be played on the radio more often.
Snoop Dogg is featured on Rowland’s Tank-produced second single, “Ghetto.” The song kicks off with Snoop doing a few verses before Rowland starts ever-so-softly singing a couple of descriptions of her ideal man. “Ghetto” will appear on the charts, but it would be a surprise if it exceeds the success of “Like This” by a significant amount.
“Come Back” is the second song off of “Ms. Kelly.” It is a great club song as it just makes listeners want to get up and dance. Producer Scott Storch created another hit with this one. Rowland should definitely consider releasing “Come Back” as her third single, as it will do well on the charts.
The rest of the album is dedicated to the average R&B songs from Rowland. However, do not let that be an understatement because the tracks are just as good. While listening to “Ms. Kelly,” it is easy to hear some reminiscent of Destiny’s Child power album, “Survivor.”
The story behind of “Still In Love With My Ex” is pretty self-explanatory, but in the end, the song is not so bad. “Love” is mid-tempo song with a good beat, having to explore the “cold, cold world” of love. Rowland slows things down with the emotional “This Is Love,” showcasing her beautiful voice. It has got to be one of the better tracks on this entire album.
It has been five years since Rowland released her debut album, “Simply Deep,” in which the album did just alright. That album peaked and debuted at #12 with no strong singles except for “Dilemma,” which is really rapper Nelly’s song. Unfortunately, the promotion behind Rowland is just not strong enough. The radio stations need to play her singles more often and the fans need to request it more often. Rowland has so much potential, but sadly still seen as an ex-Destiny’s Child member in the shadow of the powerhouse Beyonce Knowles (talented, but overplayed, in my opinion). “Ms. Kelly” is one of those albums that are going to be appreciated by the true fans. It may do well on the charts the first week, but it is doubtful that it will stay strong for weeks to come. Rowland’s fans need to bring the spirit back for this talented lady.