Shanice's Every Woman Dreams

Shanice Wilson is an amazing talent who has never had equivalent success. True, she's managed a few Pop hits, a couple Gold albums, and a Grammy nomination here and there. And up until a month ago, she held the Billboard record for the biggest leap on the Hot-100; her single, "When I Close My Eyes", jumped 91-16 in a single week. But after 15 years and 5 albums deep in the game, Shanice is still a relative unknown both inside and outside the R&B world. And with more and more music veterans not named Mary, Mariah or struggling to find relevance and success in the current R&B schematic, Shanice is determined to prove with her 5th album, Every Woman Dreams, that her veteran status is well-earned and that her battle for mainstream success is well-fought.

But what Every Woman Dreams ends up proving is that misguided talent and untapped potential go hand-in-hand. It's not fair to say that Shanice is desperate for major success at this stage in her career because looking at her track record, she more than deserves it. But in listening to her album, you quickly ascertain that instead of developing substantial material that would earn her more respect and admiration from her critics, fans, and peers, Shanice opted for, what I like to call, the "easy sales". the more conformist material that's quick to garner heavy airplay in hopes of it translating into major album sales.

This being said, Every Woman Dreams isn't necessarily a bad album by any means. Though Shanice jumped on the R&B bandwagon and jumped hard , she did prove what potential such mainstream fodder has when it's placed in talented, capable hands.

Things In The Movies is the album's first highlight. Boasting an exquisite K. West facsimile of a beat, the soulful tone of Shanice's soprano enhances the record's lush mood as she explains the difference between motion pictures and reality for a starry-eyed friend who has her eyes on Shanice's beau. Keep It To Yourself boasts both a catchy horn section and sage advice; Shanice advising a good friend to keep the bedroom antics between her and her man to herself unless she wants to fend off a barrage of curious females. Second single, Take Care of U, turns out to be everything "Cater 2 U" should have been; Shanice proving her worth as a loving and loyal partner to her man without turning into a weak-willed slave devoid of both thought and spine.

So Sexy is a club-banging number that puts to shame every crunk&b hit produced this side of Lil' Jon, even if Shanice's all-falsetto vocals do wear a bit thin midway through. Mike City once again proves he is a musical genius and blesses Shanice with a brilliant stepping groove in the form of That's Why I Love You.Crazy For U is a sweet, acoustic ode, in the vein of India.Arie, to Shanice's husband, actor Flex Alexander (and co-writer of half the album), as is So Free and the smoldering Chocolate. And Forever Like A Rose is a heartfelt tribute Shanice dedicated to her father that's sweet without being clich? nor saccharine.

Doing the math, that makes roughly half the record an above-average listen. Had Shanice duplicated the effects of these songs once over, she would've been on to something. But as it is, the other half of this record proves just how much unmitigated tripe the bandwagon possesses. Get Up is a Middle Eastern-tinged, pitiful excuse of a club song with cheap production, faceless lyrics, and an anemic rapper in the middle to boot. The lead single/title track is a great record musically and Shanice's vocals are flawless but the materialistic subject matter corrupts the song's intended message and makes Shanice come off as more of a superficial gold-digger rather than an enamored wife.

I Can't Imagine and Joy are both sweet tributes to Flex, the latter showcasing Shanice's gospel roots, but sound rather sterile and forgettable compared to the rest of the album. And try as I might, Shanice's cover of Minnie Ripperton's classic, Loving You, just didn't resonate well with me. Shanice's five-octave range is put to nice use for most of the song, and the ethereal production enhances the song's natural beauty, but it ultimately sounds a little too drawn out and artificial for my tastes.

As I said, this album is a prime example of misguided talent and untapped potential. Shanice proved she can't be completely faulted for jumping on the bandwagon since she did unmask what potential it has when real talent purveys it. But that is what is most frustrating about her record; the fact that she is still showcasing potential and has yet to completely fulfill it. Facing facts, Shanice is far too talented to come back from a five-year hiatus with nothing but second-rate facsimiles of the R&B fodder primed for mass consumption to show for herself. The album is good but Shanice is capable of much better and this album is not the knockout it was designed to be nor will it break Shanice out of the R&B box labeled "anonymity".

As it is, the album is good but I hardly think it's indicative of what _Every_ Woman Dreams. But if it's any consolation, it just might be an album that many of Shanice's bandwagon passengers can only dream of someday making.