Vanessa Williams - Next (1997)

Although it relies a little too heavily on ballads, Next finds Vanessa Williams in fine form. Williams has grown into a strong singer, capable of wringing emotion out of even banal adult contemporary tracks. She can turn the relatively empty songs into impressive showcases for her vocal talents, and when she has a good song, like the sultry "Someone Like You," the results are first-rate. There could have been more uptempo dance numbers like "Happiness" to give Next more depth, but it's still a worthwhile effort from Williams.