Heather Headley (RCA)
Making the transition from Broadway belter to Whitney wannabe, Headley—who won a Tony for originating the lead role in Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida in 1998—turns her show-stopping pipes to fairly routine R&B-pop material on a disappointing debut. Headley has impressive range, emotive delivery and technical proficiency (although her stage-trained enunciation is a bit affected at times), but her singing far outclasses the songs. The Trinidad native's strong voice overpowers such flimsy hip-hopish numbers as 'Fallin' for You" (one of three tunes that Headlev cowrote). Her flair for the dramatic is better served by big-finish ballads such as "I Wish I Wasn't" and the jazzy narrative "Sista Girl," which she gives a theatrical twist.
Bottom Line: Won't bring down the house
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