The Morning After

Canadian edition of the urban/dance/pop star's third album includes a bonus disc with eight tracks, 'Mr. Lonely' (Hex Hector/Mac Quayle Main Club Mix, Hex Hector/Mac Quayle Dub Mix, Junior Vasquez Club Lonely Mix, Widelife Radio Mix, Widelife Club Mix, Johnny Vicious Retro Disco Mix), 'Up & Down' (Godson Mix & Hex Hector/Mac Quayle Analog Club Mix). 21 tracks in all. J Records. 2002.

A rare Canadian among the R&B elite, Deborah Cox is also notable as one of the few certified divas to write or cowrite her own songs. With her reputation thus established, Cox boldly pushes into a new direction on The Morning After, offering comparatively few ballads as well as two songs aimed straight at the dance floor: the percussive rump-shaker "Up & Down (In & Out)" and the wildly caffeinated "Mr. Lonely." That both appear in myriad remixed versions on an accompanying CD makes Cox's intent clear. Still, fans of the singer's earlier, softer sounds aren't completely shut out. "Hurt So Much" is anguish as a state of mind, while the lush, octave-defying "Play Your Part" puts the passive-aggressive relationship into focus. Sisters get an anthem in "Starting with You," which best captures Cox's overriding messages of affirmation and individuality. Of course, with a voice this boundless and beautiful, Cox could make the white pages sound tingly. That she strives for something more makes The Morning After worth hearing. --Kim Hughes