2009 looks to be full of soulful music, a commodity that makes us bubble with joy and well… damn near fiery anticipation… So far in âLike I Never Leftâ weâve taken a look at forthcoming efforts from some of R&B/soulâs most revered talent including Kelly Price, Toni Braxton, and Maxwell. Now its time to wrap up our list of 2009’s most anticipated comebacks and new albums. Boy was it hard narrowing down who was going to make the final list. Ready….. here it goes: Sheâs not the average girl and we love her for that. Sheâs not one to follow every little trend…and we love her for that, therefore it comes as no surprise that India Arieâs forthcoming album âTestimony Vol.2, Love & Politicsâ is one of this yearâs most anticipated albums. Set for release, Feb.10, India Arieâs follow up to âTestimony: Vol. 1…â is full of what the singer recently called â99 percent uncompromised feelingâ. Musiq Soulchild and Gramps Morgan assist Arie with this feeling, which she says is about âhow people interact together; the politics and agenda setting that come into play whether youâre talking about men or women, the music industry, the worldâ. Since 2001 India Arie has reached hearts and minds with records like âVideo,â âBrown Skinâ and âThe Heart of Matterâ. With âTestimony Vol.2, Love & Politics,â India Arie says sheâs on a mission to: âspread love, healing and peace through the power of words and musicâ. While India Arieâs words are meant for inspiration, R&B singer Ginuwineâs words cause some of us to scream, making them a hot commodity also… especially since it has been at least four years since the man that says heâs the âsame olâ Gâ has put out an album. Ginuwine, once known for the breakthrough 1996 single âPony,â is gearing up for an âA-Listâ laden comeback this spring and heâs grabbed nearly every major R&B/pop producer to push the album to the top. Under a new deal with Notifi Records, Ginuwineâs seventh album has been linked to The Underdogs, Bryan Michael Cox, Adonis Shropshire, The Clutch, Tank and Johnta Austin. In addition to the aforementioned list of producers and songwriters, a Ginuwine and Timbaland reunion is rumored to be on this effort. For Ginuwine fans, a reunion with Timbaland brings to mind the singerâs hit album â100% Ginuwine,â an effort where Timbaland helped G on âWhatâs So Different,â âNone of UR Friends Businessâ and âSame Olâ Gâ. Ginuwineâs highly anticipated album, currently titled âA Manâs Thoughtsâ is slated for release in April. The album is led by the recently released single âMy Last Chanceâ. Speaking of âChanceâ, R&B group Next is reportedly taking a chance with a reunion album. Known for the late 90s hits âToo Closeâ and âButta Love,â Next disbanded and has been silent for a number of years except for R.L who has gone on to release a solo album and a few singles. In 2009, Next is rumored to be putting out a stellar reunion effort with hopes that their chance will end in gold like their debut âRated Nextâ a few years back. While the sound of Nextâs fourth album sounds great, there is some concern about their effort due to the fact that it was originally discussed in 2007. Letâs hope for the best though. Like India Arie, R&B singer Monica is still standing and in 2009 the singer says sheâll be on shelves. Since Monica hit the scene in the early 90s sheâs been applauded for records like âAngel Of Mine,â âDonât Take It Personalâ and âFor You I Willâ. In 2006, howevever, the songbird was blind sided when her album âThe Makings Of Me,â a personal diary of sorts, became one of her lowest selling albums to date. Since then Monica is proud to be âStill Standing,â ironically the title of her promotional single and the working title for the forthcoming album. While no release has been set for Monicaâs highly anticipated project, the effort, which has also been rumored to be titled âLessons Learned,â is expected to be out mid-2009. Executive produced by Bryan Michael Cox, Monicaâs sixth studio album has been linked to Ne-Yo, Stargate, Missy Elliott and Jermaine Dupri. Like Monicaâs forthcoming effort, R&B/soul singer DâAngeloâs forthcoming album âJames Riverâ has fans and industry critics clamoring for new music. Kept under wraps for sometime, DâAngelo is arguably the yearâs most anticipated return not only due to the music but also due the starâs downward spiral since âVodooâ. Not only are fans looking for the singerâs groove, made popular on singles like âBrown Sugarâ and âUntitled (How Does It Feel),” theyâre also looking forward to seeing what the once chiseled singer looks like â especially since photos of a completely different DâAngelo surfaced when he was arrested for drug possession in 2005. Nevertheless, DâAngelo is on track to hit the road for a tour in 2009, possibly kicking off before the release of “James River”. According to DâAngeloâs publicist, the singer will be working with iconic singer Prince and has already worked with Raphael Saadiq, Mark Ronson and Gnarls Barkleyâs Cee-Lo Green, who all contributed to âJames Riverâ. At this time a release date has not been set for the singerâs album. Weâre down to the most anticipated album of the year….. âThe Voiceâ â Whitney Houston ! 2009 is sure to be a huge year for iconic singer Whitney Houston and anyone connected to her long awaited album, especially with the serious amount of media-frenzied drama surrounding nearly every piece of the singerâs life. While we are all anticipating the return of the voice that took Dolly Partonâs âI Will Always Love Youâ to new heights and the voice that belted out songs like âI Believe In You and Me,â âI Learned From The Bestâ and âI Have Nothing,â we are also looking to see what the diva has to say after divorcing Bobby Brown; going to rehab; dating Ray J; surviving the backlash of several performances including the infamous Michael Jackson Icons special; coping with the death of her father and so on. Like DâAngelo, Whitney Houstonâs music rises above all the drama and backlash that always follows. After all it is that music that has captivated our attention. It is the music and the moments theyâve inspired that we all remember. While Whitney Houstonâs album is currently untitled, the effort has been linked to some of the music industryâs most applauded talents in songwriting and producing including Will.I.Am, Ne-Yo, John Legend, Akon and several others. Also like DâAngelo, Houstonâs project has been kept well under wraps and thus weâll find out when you find out…as they say. One thing is for sure though, Houstonâs effort is coming this spring according to Clive Davis. According to Davis, the diva will belt out songs at his annual pre-Grammy party and put out an album around March ! Thatâs it. âLike I Never Left: 2009s Most Anticipated R&B/Soul Comeback and Releasesâ. Click Here to return to Part I featuring news on releases from T-Boz (of TLC), Kelly Price, Silk, Dru Hill and more. Click Here for Part II featuring news on albums from Omarion, Maxwell, Toni Braxton, Sammie, LeToya Luckett and more. As always, stay clicked to Singersroom.com for updates on each of the aforementioned releases !
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