Shanice

Despite the huge success of her 1991 "I Love Your Smile," Shanice's subsequent efforts failed to make an impact on an audience growing increasingly fond of gangsta rap and less sugary R&B. After biding her time doing background vocals for everyone from Usher and Babyface to Whitney Houston and Toni Braxton, Shanice is stepping back into the ring, this time facing much more competition--on both the pop and R&B fronts. Despite the title of one song, "Just Doin' My Thang," it's never clear what that thing is on this album. From classic-sounding ballads more at home in a cabaret lounge to a leap onto the Miami-bass bandwagon, Shanice proves she has what it takes, even though the package as a whole fails to carve out a clear picture of the artist she has become. Still, it's pretty and polished, with that Babyface touch, so if you're big on slick ballads, you'll love it. --Rebecca Wallwork