Babyface Face 2 Face Lyrics

Throughout most of the '90s, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds had a lock on the R&B/pop charts. Despite his superstar status as a solo artist, songwriter, and producer, however, his smooth, melodic brand of R&B has never been what one might call "hip." In an era of blatant and brittle R&B, Face unleashed heartfelt, crafted odes to romance that might not have been cool, but they were hot. His first album since 1997's MTV Unplugged, finds Face upping the 'tude, pumping the synths, elevating his vocals into a sly falsetto, and letting his hips shake, bringing edge and energy to his seamless silky soul. Working with beatmeisters such as the Neptunes (who contribute the percolating and sexy "There She Goes"), Face fuses his grown-up songcraft to au courant beats here. Though, as he shows on the elegant ballad "With Him," he proves he can still lower the temperature to a nice simmer. --Amy Linden