Stephanie Mills - Tantalizingly Hot (Expanded Edition) (1982/2015)

Somewhat more varied and enticing than its predecessor, Mills' Casablanca debut scored two Top 15 R&B hits with "Last Night" and "Keep Away Girls," in addition to the lower-charting "You Can't Run from My Love" (number 59, early 1983). Tantalizingly Hot once again used the production of James Mtume and Reggie Lucas on five cuts. But Ashford & Simpson and Mills herself also produced, making it more well rounded than 1981's Stephanie. Interestingly, though, Mtume and Lucas' cuts turn out the strongest. The aforementioned "Last Night" and "You Can't Run" are both sprightly, danceable soul tunes, with "Last Night" boosting a strong hook. The A&S-produced and co-written "I Can't Give Back the Love I Feel for You" (originally recorded by Diana Ross on her 1971 Surrender) employs a transition from ballad to disco-fied R&B number during the second verse. It's a semi-good idea, but the corresponding arrangement is not energetic enough to make it very effective. Meanwhile, the Mills-produced "'Ole Love" is pleasant, but doesn't leave as much of an impression as the Mtume/Lucas numbers "Your Love Is Always New" and "True Love Don't Come Easy." Tantalizingly Hot isn't the sturdiest of Mills' work, and it certainly isn't as flooring as its title suggests; rather, it's a 50/50 deal that doesn't suffer from any totally unappealing moments.