Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Tamia's fifth release, "Beautiful Surprise," is another consistent effort, filled with soulful ballads and midtempo grooves. The album's biggest — and best — surprise is Tamia's take on country music. She nicely remakes Wynonna Judd's "Is It Over Yet," and "Still" is a beautiful, twang-inspired version of a song from her third album, "More." Her bold leap into a new genre makes up for some of the album's shortcomings, including the lukewarm first single and title track, produced by frequent Amy Winehouse collaborator Salaam Remi.
The 11-track set also includes bouncy tunes like "Lose My Mind" and "Believe in Love," both produced by the Runners (Rick Ross, Rihanna, Usher). Fellow singer Jazmine Sullivan co-writes and sings background on the power ballad "Still Love You," which finds Tamia stretching her voice to new heights.
