Dru HillÕs Sisqo knew that his audience wouldnÕt be impressed by a bunch of Dru spin-offs on his solo debut, so he tried a few different things with Unleash The Dragon.
Of course, no Sisqo record would be complete without some form of Jodeci homage. Unleash includes three attempts at K-Ci's, husky, hollering leads and intensely thick background vocals ("Is Love Enough," "How Can I Love," and "Your Love Is Incredible"). None stand out, except for the songwriting low points on "Your Love Is Incredible" where Sisqo sings, "You was peeling a banana/I was looking at ya/Think that you freaky."
Surprisingly, the singer known for exceeding ear-piercing decibels calms down a bit on offerings from Babyface, Montell Jordan, and Elton John. His effort to impose a Stevie Wonder-esque attack on John's "Enchantment Passing Through" falls short, sounding dull compared to his normally boisterous style. "Addicted," a tame, yet booming, track by Warryn Campbell, works quite well, however.
While the remix of Dru Hill's "Everything" is by far the best uptempo song included, "Got To Get It," the album's first release, is a decent follow-up. His accelerated runs on "Thong" are clearly no match for the work of Destiny ChildÕs Beyonce on "Bug-A-Boo," but "Thong"'s irresistible melody, humming groove, electronic violin effects, and racing double beats will win, regardless.
Sisqo doesn't conquer all of his goals, but you can't fault the guy for trying, which is a lot more than I can say for his contemporaries.
All recordings courtesy of Island/Def Soul Music Group. ÒGot To Get ItÓ and ÒYou Are Everything (remix)Ó written by Sisqo, courtesy Da Ish Entertainment (ASCAP). ÒSexualÓ written by K. Edmonds, courtesy Sony/ATV Songs LLC/Ecaf Music (BMI).
