You probably remember Shaggy from his hit "Boombastic" after his album of the same name in 1995 and thought he was going to be just another one-hitwonder. Well, Shaggy has proved everyone wrong with his latest effort and fifth album, Hotshot.
Hotshot has consistently been at No. 1 or close to it on the Billboard Music Charts over the past two months. Out of the blue, Shaggy comes out with an album with danceable R&B and reggae inspired grooves.
The best songs on this album are "Angel" and "It Wasn't Me."
"It Wasn't Me," which reminded me a little of Snow's (remember him?) hit single "Informer," tells the story of a guy cheating on his girlfriend. Even though his girlfriend has caught him, he lies and tells her, "It Wasn't Me." The song is a great, up-tempo, R&B track.
"Angel," a love ballad, tells the story of a guy who loves his girlfriend and says he'll be the only one still there for her in the end. It has a good beat to it, and Shaggy's mumbling in it doesn't distract from it.
"Dance & Shout," a track that samples Michael Jackson, also is good. It is up-tempo and has a good rhythm with a slight disco feel.
"Luv Me, Luv Me" is also an excellent track, and sounds very familiar. I believe parts of the song were sampled on a previous Shaggy album. The chorus is simple but works, "Ooh boy, I love you so, never ever ever gonna let you go, I hope you feel the same way too."
"Leave It To Me" is one track that could have been left off this album. It has an annoying voice that's trying to go for the 70's soul sound, but it just isn't working. This annoying voice just keeps saying, "leave it to me baby," and other sexual dialogue, and it gets to the point where you want to break the album with a sledgehammer.
This album has a major reggae/dancehall vibe going for it, and overall it's not too bad. The songs that are enjoyable outnumber the bad ones and that's always a good thing on a CD. And for the sheer reason that this album has been burning up the charts these past few months, it's definitely worth checking out.
— Reviewed by Jodi Hanauer
