Omarion Albums (2)
What The Critics Say
Like Ciara, who released her own second album weeks prior to 21, Omarion sees his new age as a major milestone in his life. Thankfully, he doesn't get nearly as wrapped up in it as Ciara does on The Evolution. He instead gets down to making an album that is an across-the-board improvement over 2005's O. He's through whatever growing pains he was going through as a new solo artist, has more input as a songwriter, and gets more out of his collaborators (including returns from the Underdogs and Pharrell Williams). Almost as crucial, there's more natural confidence and far less posturing -- even if, at the very end of "Ice Box," he can't help but plug in a "'Marion, bitch!" (It's up for debate as to whether or not these positive changes have anything to do with the drastically reduced role of executive producer Chris Stokes, who had been involved in nearly every aspect of Omarion's career since the B2K days.) Nearly each song, from the ballads to the club tracks, has something to recommend it. The brilliant Timbaland-helmed melodrama of "Ice Box" stands above all else, a fittingly brisk production crammed with desperation and one of the great hooks of 2006/2007: "I got this ice box where my heart used to be." But it's the middle patch, tracks five through seven, that truly makes the album, as it's filled with breezy synths, crafty rhythms, and one memorable melody after another. 21 is the best, most balanced R&B album made by an under-30 male since Usher's Confessions. That might not be saying much, but the field has been in desperate need of something like it for over two years. At the very least, it shows that Omarion has truly surpassed his status as the former member of a boy band. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Omarion's career didn't slow down after the breakup of B2K. In addition to playing Reggie in Fat Albert, he went about recording his debut album with an extended cast of producers. As with most other former boy band members gone solo, Omarion makes an attempt to break from his teen pop past by getting as racy and raunchy as possible -- "I don't mean no disrespect to you, but a n*gga really tryin' to f*ck with you" being one of the least up-front come-ons from "Take It Off." (Note: there is no parental advisory label on the album.) The content runs the spectrum of a relationship, though there's lots of courtship going on, carried by the expected assortment of ballads, mid-tempo grooves, and club tracks. Omarion is most effective when sticking to lighthearted, summery funk -- like the Kool & the Gang-tinged "Never Gonna Let You Go (She's a Keepa)" (featuring an out-of-place drop-by from OutKast's Big Boi), and when he gets heavyweight assistance from the Neptunes ("Touch") and Rodney Jerkins ("Drop That Heater"). Had Omarion been less concerned with street credibility, realizing that it might be better to allow his young fan base to mature along with him, this debut would've been more than satisfactory. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
