It's Already Written

Japanese release featuring a bonus track

While it wouldn't be entirely correct to label Houston an Usher clone, there is more than a passing resemblance between the former teen prodigy and this rather dishy, single-named singer besides his thuggish romanticism and intimate vocals. The first single, the anthemic "I Like That," with its flashy club beat features a who's who of hip-hop's glitterati, including Nate Dogg, Chingy, and Disturbing Tha Peace's I-20, which no doubt helped the track race up the R&B charts and land a McDonalds commercial before "It's Already Written" even made it into stores. But Houston is not just the sum of his more famous friends. His remake of Ready for the World's classic, "Let Me Love You Down," shows a sharp earnestness and heartfelt regret as he tries to overcome the emotional disparities of a May-December romance, while he manages to undercut much of the incipient misogyny and swagger in the genre on the nonsensically dubbed "Twizla," turning the laundry list of qualities the former rapper is looking for in a lady into a touching love song on this promising debut. --Jaan Uhelszki