Teairra Marí - Roc-A-Fella Records Presents Teairra Marí (2005)

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The freshly crowned "Princess of the Roc," Teairra Marí came out of her corner swinging with the massive single "Make Her Feel Good," but that track was bound to blow up, considering it uses the bells from Eric B. & Rakim's seminal jam "My Melody." Well, I guess the track could've failed miserably, but given that Ashanti struck gold with "Foolish" (a track built around a DeBarge sample that Notorious B.I.G. made huge with "One More Chance"), Marí has chart history on her side. People love to hear snippets of their past worked into fresh street jams. (If you don't believe me, then explain how Diddy has a career.) Anyway, Teairra Marí's music is a tasty stew of contemporary urban music trends. Start with a little diced Beyonce, stir in some Ciara, sprinkle on a little Detroit street cred, and boo-yaa--instant hit. For a true taste of Teairra Marí's potential, check out the brilliant "La La."

Leela James - A Change Is Gonna Come (2005)

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Leela James provides a neo-soul alternative to crunkified R&B "in da club" songstresses. One of the only problems with young artists that adopt soul is the constant imitation of antiquated trends. Leela James manages to steer clear of duplicating her idols by infusing modern-day speaker-rattling production by the likes of Kanye West and Wyclef Jean. But no worries--there's plenty of slap bass, neck-breaking funk rhythms, sweeping strings, and Chaka Khan-esque moments to satisfy the most insatiable of new-millennium retro-soul revivalist types. Avoid the single "Music" and head straight for the delicious "Soul Food" and the surprisingly good cover of No Doubt's "Don't Speak."

Keyshia Cole - The Way It Is (2005)

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A diamond in the rough straight off the streets of Oakland, California, Keyshia Cole is bound to impress listeners and intimidate contemporaries. The 21-year-old singer only has a few years on Ciara and Teairra Marí, but she carries significantly more experience. Her recording career started with MC Hammer at the age of 12. She has since worked with Tony! Toni! Toné!'s D'wayne Wiggins, Mesy Marv, and others. This vocal maturity manifests itself in the electrifying singer's debut. The Way It Is effectively documents painful struggles of intimacy, with songs about infidelity, heartsickness, self-doubt, and anxiety. Assistance from Kanye West, John Legend, Alicia Keys, and others only adds to the album's success. You can definitely expect to hear much more from Keyshia Cole in the future.

Pretty Ricky - Bluestars (2005)

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Pretty Ricky are virtual R. Kelly understudies who take their lyrical sexcapades seriously. Arguably the most entertaining aspect about this sex-oil-and-incense act is that they are four brothers. Wait, it gets better--their names are Slick'em, Babyblue, Spectacular, and Pleasure. Should we bother diving into the twisted fact that these brothers enjoy pumping out sleek, predatory sex jams together? So, maybe Pretty Ricky isn't a wholesome, family-oriented pop group that will appear across the infinite Disney universe. Instead, the guys are an oversexed, modern-day Boyz II Men who, with straight faces, bang out emotional lyrics like "Now, I'm a passionate lover/That likes passionate sex/Butt-naked in the classroom/On the teacher's school desk."

Bobby Valentino Bobby Valentino (2005)

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Bobby Valentino drains the dirty from the South and replaces it with satin-sheet sensuality. Bobby Valentino is the solo debut from resident crooner in Ludacris's Disturbing Tha Peace camp. Valentino is not, however, a newcomer. Back in 1996, this smoothed-out vocalist debuted with boy-band Mista. After Mista disbanded, Valentino took an academic time-out to pursue a degree in Mass Communications; but fortunately, he found his way back to the studio. Bobby Valentino avoids overt sex talk that's pasted over party-anthem crunk tracks, instead providing a perfect soundtrack to nights spent with that sophisticated date--the one that prefers fine wine, soft lights, and hours of conversation, followed by soft touches and gentle kisses.

Brooke Valentine - Chain Letter (2005)

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Brooke Valentine made a small splash with the Lil Jon-produced adolescent fantasy track "Girlfight." Aiding the track's success was an appearance by Outkast's Big Boi and a video brimming with catfights and hotties in panties. Actually, taking all this into consideration, it is surprising that Brooke Valentine did not hit the mainstream lottery. Chain Letter delivers a satisfactory party album that's chock-full of dance-floor booty workouts and a handful of sentimental balladry. The Houston, Texas native shines on roller-rink love jams like "Long as You Come Home," but drops the ball on the third-rate Pink rip-off "American Girl." If Brooke ditches novelty producers like Lil Jon and can manage to sink her teeth into mature sounds, she may be around for quite some time.

Omarion - O (2005)

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After the collapse of heavyweight boy band B2K, teenage girls the world over shed plenty of tears while removing the groups' posters from their walls. Fortunately, lead singer Omarion decided to fly solo. In this case, the apple has fallen very close to the tree; O pretty much picks up where B2K left off. Ample funk-in-the-trunk party jams are mixed in with overly sentimental balladry. Omarion overextends himself on the love jams, but his voice rises to the occasion on casual knockers like "Drop That Heater" and "Never Gonna Let You Go (She's a Keepa)," which features Outkast's Big Boi.

Teedra Moses - Complex Simplicity (2004)

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If you are in search of a consistent album with a relaxed sound that's topped with a stellar voice, then look no further. Complex Simplicity manages to incorporate elements of neo-soul without coming off like a lifeless piece of revivalism. Fortunately, it also completely avoids current club trends. What is it, then? Basically, it's a casual, hip-hop-flavored soul affair. Teedra Moses possesses a voice that could have pulled its weight during the quiet-storm era that was dominated by the breathy Toni Braxton and Mariah Carey. Her soul-tinged gospel sound holds strong over the album's bass-saturated beats, and Moses avoids coming off like a Beyonce clone. "No More Tears" pretty much sums up the feel of Complex Simplicity, but if you need more proof, check out "Backstroke."

Olivia - Olivia (2004)

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Technically, Olivia does not qualify as a newbie. But considering that her sophomore effort has been five years in the making, she tops the most-anticipated follow-up list. Unlike the candy-store femme fatales hitting the charts now, Olivia is a foul-mouthed ruffian who pimp-slapped radio waves with her 2001 debut, Olivia. Most intriguing was the album's mixture of smooth production and Olivia's raunchy lyrics. The hit single "Bizounce" finds Olivia striking with a lyrical cadence very similar to Eminem and spitting lines like "Only a man could make a girl a killer/And wit a nine like this my nigga don't sleep." Oh, and trust me--those are the only lyrics I can publish here. Olivia gets even more rude on "Are U Capable" and "Silly B**** In Love." Surprisingly, the remainder of Olivia is contemporary R&B fare, which saves Olivia from comparisons to Lil' Kim and Foxy Brown. Now that Olivia is with G-Unit, just about everybody is wondering when she will release her second album and--the bigger question--what style will she adopt. I suppose we'll all have to wait for the answer.