"Return Of Dragon" is the second solo album release from Dru Hill's former frontman, Sisqó. The R&B singer returns for another album following the massive success of "Unleash The Dragon", although it didn't do as well (selling 4 million copies less), it still managed to be a Certified Platinum record and broke into the US top ten.
1. "Intro"
2. "Not Afraid"
This is a big way to kick off the album as you hear an empowering track which has him "Unleash The Dragon" upon you as he displays that his ready to come with some great vocals for the album. I think that it was a good way to establish that he wasn't going to come with a mutitude of "Thong Song" revisits for this album. It's execution certinly made me feel this way, but the rest of the album doens't really live up to the standard of this opener.
**Fours Stars**
3. "Infatuated"
I found this to be a good way to follow on from the song which proceeded it as it is just as inspiring as the other in how you have Sisqó using his voice to its maximum potential by holding on to notes in a way which he built his carrer upon time and time again through this tune. It has his singing in a way which also makes it sounds confessional as he admits
to a characteristic which he has, which he wouldn't really like to become too obvious.
This one has Sisqó singing a song about desiring some freedom for once, and I must sa that he was strong at doing this with relavent lyrics sang in a bitter way. However the overall piece just wasn't nice to listen to as you have it packed with annoying sound effects and such, all of which defer the attention to things other than his voice; which is where his talent is found.
**Two Stars**
5. "Without You" (feat. Dru Hill)
This is the only time (unlike on "Unleash The Dragon"), where Sisqó shows that Dru Hill are still together and have no problem with the lead singer doing some solo work as it is a track wjhcih features all the members of the group. Alltough I usually enjoy listening to the group, I was rather unimpressed by this one as it wasn't really something special for the grop, and I would have preferred them to do a more memorable tune to put on this particular album.
**Two Stars**
6. "Homewrecker"
This one beign with a girl asking to be with Sisqó, when she is aware that he's already involved in a relationship.; From hre he continues the music by expressing his annoyancew towards her for doing such a thing and potentially ruinign what he currewntly has. I liked the idea of it, but the repetition of the lines just devalued the concept to a point where I was bored by the end.
**Two Stars**
7. "Last Night"
This song is simply teriible. The whole thing is just a mess, there's nothing which I could point out whcih I could atually enjoy in it. The first thing which put me off what the poudning House beat whcih he has goign on, and then you have him attempting to go for another immature song, whcih kind of echoes "The Thong Song", but in a differnt way. He sings about having a dream about the perfect girl, but the way he does it is so stupid, as he sings about waking up in wet sheets after a passionate night with a woman in his mind.
**One Star**
8. "Close Your Eyes" (Interlude)
9. "Close Your Eyes"
After a dip in quality for a few tracks, Sisqó is finally capable of bringing the standar back up as he steps back from all of the Pop and Dance/House tunes and goes for a standard abllard. If you are aware of his work with Dru hill, then you will be aware the fact that this is were he performs the best, and this comfortaing tune is just the type of thing you require in order to realise why you will have been originally attracted to his music.
**Four Stars**
10. "Dance For Me"
This is the big single from the album. I expect that from the title alone you won't remeber it, however you should go and listen to it, as I expect you to recall hearing this one if you lstened to R&B back in 2001 as it was a banger.
Although I can see straight through it as a rip of "The Thong Song" with repetitive lines and a very simple structure, it is a top quality tune and plays up to the strengths of the performer, who manages to do extremely well when singer R&B in a Pop form.
**Five Stars**
11. "Off The Corner"
With the two best tracks from the album behind him, this one has Sisqó reverts back to poor tunes once again. Here it's not for any of the reasons frpom before in the album, here it's because he does little in the track at all as he hands over a track to some rap group called The Associates. Quite frankly, The Associates are wack. All that Sisqó oes her is sing the choruses and this short amount of input isn't worth listening to when you are forced to tolerate so many poor raps from some unknowns.
**Two Stars**
12. "Dream"
This is has Sisqó opt for another ballard, and here it's a lot more trdtional than the more soulful R&B track "Close Your Eyes" from before. Although I don't tend to listen to these, I could appreciate the talent of the singer from the way he performs this one, making the lyrics so real to the listener.
**Three Stars"""
I found this to be a highly varied album as you have a mixture of some top-quality R&B, and then some silly Pop sogs which have him attempt to get as much out of "The Thong Song" (off his other album) as possible. I believe that this album isn't really worth buying if you are into the more serious R&B tunes as Sisqó doesn't tend to perform as much of this as when he performs as part of Dru Hill or on the previous album "Unleash The Dragon".
It seems as though this album saw the beginnings of the downfall for the artist as he hasn't gone on to do any more solo albums, and Dru Hill only wen ton to relase one more group album together, however the rumours of a potential "InDRUpendence Day" album and "The Last Dragon" coming out soon, we may not have seen the last of him.
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