Tipping a decade long residency within the music industry, Spears’ “comeback” is more so a restoration than a reinvention.

Mariah gets back to her winning formula with Mimi. [May 2005, p.139]

A tepid debut. [May 2007, p.121]

Beyoncé's always been a capable singer, and she's grown even more so on Survivor. [June 2001, p.151]

Though Nightmare doesn't match their classics, you can definitely call this a comeback. [Aug 2004, p.146]

Despite a few failed revolutionary anthems, DP still has enough verbal ammunition to ignite the mind. [Feb 2006, p.130]

Though she doesn't add any real depth to her artistic sack, she captivates by revealing another stage in her development--as a woman. [Aug 2003, p.148]

At times... Dangerously In Love sounds desperate to reach every demographic. [Aug 2003, p.150]

Occasionally, the chemistry is thrilling... Mostly, though, Shadow picks collaborators allergic to subtlety. [Oct 2006, p.143]

If after swallowing that Elixer, you still have the stamina for more, you will be amply rewarded by Minneapolis Sound, or as Prince spells it, MPLSoUND.

[She takes a] new, inappropriately measured approach. [May 2007, p.115]

Makes a fair case that few hip hop beat men can match the prolific musical canon of the RZA. [Dec 2003, p.214]

A consistently sold album. [Apr 2004, p.163]

Ironically, it's the more tame (and nameless) persona that's the most intriguing, commanding and sexual.

The album is plagued by too many predictable bass lines and uninspired samples. [May 2004, p.163]

There are plenty of surprises on Suit. [Oct 2004, p.184]

Those looking for timeless music on Pray IV Reign may find their prayers unanswered. But if you’re one of Jones’ longtime disciples, Capo’s got you covered.

R.O.O.T.S. is a solidification of identity. And when you’re trying to keep yourself in the game, sometimes that’s all a sophomore album has to be.

David's pasteurized pop may not be pleasing to all musical palates, but for many, he remains one of the United Kingdom's tastiest exports. [Jan 2003, p.130]

Maybe The Mix-Up woks simply because it does nothing terribily wrong.

It’s a solid offering of tightly conceptualized tunes.

Clothesdrop seamlessly blends Shaggy's sharpest pop sensibilities with his (much slept-on) roughneck pedigree. [Nov 2005, p.147]

Brass Knuckles is standard Nelly fare.

When all three work with the group, they invigorate Red Carpet....But when Danja is left to his own devices, problems arise. [Dec 2007, p.108]

Cee-Lo's soulful spirituality is sorely missed. [Jun 2004, p.155]

With his latest long player, The Last Kiss, the Yonkers heat spitter’s exquisite rhymes again get lost in an overabundance of boilerplate attempts at hits.

The Atlanta MC attempts the melodramatic, but to mostly underwhelming results.

Without the apocalyptic beats and emotional storm clouds that were once his trademarks, Vulnerable makes Tricky all but dispensable. [Aug 2003, p.156]

While The E.N.D may be the farthest The Black Eyed Peas have ventured outside traditional hip hop, the final product proves the group is best at creating their own conventions.

He sings with a quavering, unconvincing tremor, and his lyrics are often awkward and bland. [Apr 2007, p.130]

Reanimation's cross-pollination of high-level lyricism, trunk-rattling beats, heavy-metal riffs, and hard-core vocals makes for a rousing listening experience. [Sep 2002, p.244]

Ludacris never truly breaks through. [Nov 2006, p.158]

Ciara is most comfortable in the nook of choreography-driven tracks....What Fantasy Ride lacks are the career-defining highs of songs like 'Promise' and 'Like a Boy,' songs that were romantic and indelible and altogether original.

While the content is strictly sex obsessed, the range of musical styles here is as varied and satisfying as the many positions and places the album will take you. [Sep 2005, p.229]

Stacked solid with songs that chronicle her ongoing struggles through love's many stages. [Apr 2005, p.165]

With a thin vocal range and punchy delivery, will sings and raps his way through half-baked funk vamps like 'She's A Star,' failing to effectively update the sizzling 'Thriller'-isms to which he's clearly in thrall. [Nov 2007, p.94]

This may be the first time Madonna hasn't pushed herself to explore new ground, but at least she's chosen a good place to rest. [June 2003, p.155]

For every legitimate contender like 'Arab Money,' there’s mediocre fare such as 'Shoot for the Moon,' where he prattles over a nondescript synth bleat from Danjahandz.

Though T3 and Baatin's verbal syncopations punctuate Trinity's big-bottomed sound, their words are consistently trite. [Sep 2002, p.248]

More solid than spectacular. [Jan 2005, p.83]

Though So Amazin' is ripe with sexuality, it's also a surface-dwelling effort devoid of any profound insights. [May 2006, p.137]

Largely sounds like a drug-induced, incoherent jam session. [Dec 2004, p.215]

Their lush signature harmonies remain intact, but these pedestrian readings ['Got To Be There' and 'War'] rarely deviate from their inspirations. [Dec 2007, p.112]

While DK's quest for pop domination falls short, the club-friendly Dollhouse cements their posh appeal. [May 2008, p.70]

There are plenty of dull moments on Level II, but the memorable ones keep the proceedings interesting. [Apr 2003, p.177]

His delivery is crisp and uncomplicated, but razor sharp, like gangster haikus. [Jun 2006, p.159]

When Relapse ditches Eminem the craaaazzzyyy white rapper, in favor of a maniacal narrator obsessed with graphic rape and violence (subjects much more in line with hip hop’s forgotten horror-core subgenre than anything to do with being a superstar rapper in 2009), Em works wonders with words, expanding the boundaries of the art of rap itself.

There are soaring hooks aplenty, but there's little to fill the gaping holes in between. [Oct 2006, p.141]

Chester French have deftly balanced the thrills of newness with the reliability of the old--not bad a for a couple of graduates.

His is an intrepid sound, taut and gorgeous. [Oct 2007, p.92]

Stylistics paralyze Hudson's debut, but it is her impassioned talent that keeps the album on life support.

The commercial techno sludge of Oakenfold's songs on Bunkka suggests that he should have thought twice about veering from his career path as DJ du jour. [Aug 2002, p.160]

Erratic. [Feb 2007, p.126]

Legitimizes the D12ers as much more than simply Eminem's funky bunch. [Jun 2004, p.157]

The Take Over--a post-modern sonic mash-up for Generation O--is Zion I’s best attempt at turning their underground crusade into an overground movement.

When [Fergie] nails it--as she does about half the time on her genre-jumbling solo debut--the result is strange pop that successfully blurs the thin line between annoying and alluring. [Nov 2006, p.160]

Ultimately, he sounds confused--he wants to bare his soul and boogie on, but the boogie isn't nearly enough. [Mar 2008, p.97]

In their earnest effort to recharge rap, however, the veterans' pioneer-day rhetoric comes off as heavy-handed. [Sep 2006, p.213]

While, Sov should feel comfy in this climate of likeable, marketable, off-kilter MCs, Jigsaw is too frenetic to function.

Shockingly, Paris the vocalist is actually listenable; no Gwen Stefani, but better than, say, K-Fed. [Oct 2006, p.151]

Brimming with energy and depth. [Nov 2004, p.160]

All pounding drums and rolling keyboards, this is the Three 6 sound at its most dumbed down. The same could be said for the majority of Walk, which avoids the experimental sounds the group dabbled in on 2005’s "Most Known Unknown" and treads more familiar ground.

213's obsolete subject matter offsets otherwise satisfying sounds. [Sep 2004, p.236]

What is missing from Intuition is a balance between the party records and the slow jams. The division displays a lack of cohesiveness that separates the effort from being a great album into just a collection of potential singles.

After that promising start [with 'I Love College' and 'Lark on My Go-Kart'], however, Asher loses focus. He floods the Bread Aisle with a series of interesting pop concepts ruined by bland choruses.

Although there remains a sheen throughout, the body of the set showcases the Mobb in darker, more familiar territory. [Apr 2006, p.150]

Crackles with anger, energy, and defiance. [Aug 2002, p.156]

On Shock, Timbaland has pushed himself--he's clearly striving for some of the charisma his best collaborators ooze. [May 2007, p.113]

The album has its puzzling moments. [Jul 2006, p.139]

Aside from a new number (281-206-4336!), Jones offers few surprises--the guest list is robust and his rhymes are still mediocre.

In fact, the flair that is championed on most Common albums is absent, leaving a vapid display of good ideas with unenthused delivery. This nonchalance has placed Universal Mind Control’s release, regardless of its intentions, in poor form, doing little for progressing Common’s ability.

That Brave on the whole is almost unapologetically poor isn't surprising--Jenny's never made a viable Album of the Year. But never before has the fly-girl-cum-cover girl been so listless. [Dec 2007, p.107]

Contrary to the disc's title, however, Foxx grinds out by-the-numbers do-me anthems. [Mar 2006, p.188]

But even with all the emo-passion, nearly half of this album is lukewarm.

While it's no surprise that Destiny Fulfilled showcases advanced production values, the songwriting and vocal abilities are just as impressive. [Jan 2005, p.81]

L.L. still has a few tricks up his sleeve. [May 2006, p.135]

Grown feels more like an extended elevator ride than a true adult movement. [Sep 2005, p.236]

[He] sounds stuck in a rut. [June 2004, p.152]

Clever turns of phrase, the reason you go to Banks in the first place, are in lesser supply on Apple, replaced with boilerplate declarations of supremacy. [Oct 2006, p.148]

Sounds like a watered-down Pearl Jam spiked with a drum machine and a couple of extra synths. [Feb 2002, p.123]

Her ten tracks are disposable, and redeemed only by Prince’s extraordinary production ear.

Too often these songs either sound recycled or just uninspired.

Eminem complements [Trice's] sinister outlook with equally gloomy production. [Aug 2006, p.140]

The music... is tacky and overproduced.... The songwriting here far outstrips Lopez's previous albums, though. [May 2007, p.116]

Classic Mariah--for better or worse. [Feb 2003, p.137]

On his sophomore effort, iSoujaBoyTellem (Interscope), the YouTube legend attempts to sound all grown up, but for the most part, sticks to his rather unusual brand of hip-hop for the Google generation.

Generally, Chingy is blank, as flat as tap water. [Oct 2006, p.150]

While P's rhyme schemes haven't changed much, he has improved his musical backdrops significantly. [Feb 2002, p.121]