Just three months ago, no one in the UK had heard of Ciara - that is, until her song "Goodies" hit the airwaves. If you are reading this and haven't heard of her, this may still not mean anything to you - but, more than likely, if you heard the song (which bet one of Elvis's many releases to the top spot a few months ago) you would recognise it. It is one of the best r & b tunes to be released in years, seeming to follow no formula whatsoever. But, in fact, it is following a NEW formula - "crunk 'n' B"!

The songs on Ciara's debut album, also called "Goodies", fall into three distinct camps - crunk 'n'b (or with a similar vibe to crunk 'n' b), more laid back r & b, and ballad territory. The tracks which could be put in the first two categories are definitely superior to the latter category.

"Goodies" opens the proceedings and it is instantly infectious, built around a high pitched whining hook. Ciara's vocals are decidedly understated on this tune but the lyrics are clever and tightly wrapped around the beats. It truly lives up to the "crunk 'n'b" label - I have spent many a crazy and drunk time getting my groove on along with it in a pub or club just in the last couple of months! "1,2 Step", her forthcoming single, follows along in a similar vein - a catchy hook, clever style of singing - but is possibly even more infectious. It has been co-written by Missy Elliot and she features on the track along with Ciara. I think it will definitely be another huge hit!

The more laid back r & b on the album is really only laid back in comparison to the previous tracks - basically it's the same type of style only slowed down while still managing to retain the catchy quality of the other tunes. "Thug Style" is sexy and sultry and sounds like the kind of song Beyonce Knowles SHOULD have featured on her album - Ciara even sounds like Beyonce on this track. "Oh" features rapper Ludacris and a menacing beat - Ciara sings "round here we ride 'em slow" and this claim is backed up by fairly slow music combined with comparatively fast paced singing. This is a track you could imagine the late Aaliyah singing and, as far as I can see, it's the only song that actually uses the word "crunk" in the lyrics.

However, the final category, the ballads, totally let the side down on this album. They weaken the strong beats and music of the other tracks and fail to impress with their overall blandness. The best of the bunch is "Next To You" a track written by R Kelly which he really should have kept to himself. I feel that the song he wrote for Britney "Outrageous" would have fitted in better on this album. "And I" sounds like an Alicia Keys tune - I'm not a fan of hers. "Other Chicks" initally sounds like it will fit into the laid-back r & b category - for about the first ten seconds then it descends into balladry hell once more. And "The Title" simply sounds old fashioned and soppy sounding. It's unfortunate that these four tunes have to be on the album at all. If she'd kept the R Kelly tune as the requsite ballad and then provided a few more dancey tunes, the album may have been worthy of the full five stars. But the inclusion of so many bland ballads ALL IN A ROW, was a bad decision. Luckily, there is a second version of "Goodies", this time featuring TI and Jazzie Pha instead of the Petey Pablo rap on the original, which ends things on a high note and distracts from the dreadful slow tunes.