Amerie - Touch (2005)

Amerie's 2002 debut, All I Have, found tough guys and urban sophisticates alike tangled up in the question of "Why Don't We Fall in Love?" It spawned a collaboration with Nas, and ignited a cult of cool around black-Korean culture. With her exotic looks and draw-the-shades sound, the smoky-eyed chanteuse came by her frothy fan base fairly. With Touch she pulls through for a second exercise in sultry, solid sound. Two tracks on this disc grab hold instantly: "1 Thing" forges its way from an R&B-spiked pop place into rockier territory, and "Touch" taunts Amerie's more amorous disciples with an expert sexiness. Tucked in are Whitney Houston-esque pop pleasers and a collaboration with Carl Thomas, "Can We Go," that feels friendly and unforced; other songs hint at a Mary J. Blige influence that will serve Amerie well as she struts her way toward serious musician status. --Tammy La Gorce