7 / 10
Hydraulic legs allegedly worth £2million, “hot” for Prince William and the maker of one of the finest singles in recent memory (‘1 Thing’). And yet, there’s something distinctly ‘mini Beyoncé’ about Amerie. Or at least there was. The sneaking suspicion that every ridiculously aerobic move, or every double-tracked vocal breakdown could have been done better by Ms Knowles are dispelled by Amerie’s third album. A whip-smart collection of retro R&B that’s more Winehouse than Aguilera, ‘Because I Love It’ is held together by a nymph-like voice that’s whisky soaked one minute and light as candyfloss the next. From ‘Some Like It’, which sounds like it was made on equipment from an ’80s car-boot sale, to the spidery Cee-Lo collaboration ‘Take Control’ and the horns of ‘Gotta Work’, this is bar-raising pop. Your move, B.
Priya Elan
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