When Jody Watley contributed a traditional, jazzy version of Cole Porter's "After You, Who?" to Red Hot + Blue last year, it was only the first sign of maturation in a disco diva with a sexy fashion sense. Her third solo album since leaving Shalamar, Affairs of the Heart finds Ms. Hotly taking full artistic control – writing, arranging, executive producing and even art directing her own album. Of its eleven songs – which deal with relationships from the first inklings of sexual attraction to long-term commitment to infidelity to breaking up – nearly half are midtempo or slow ballads. And though they give the record a more sophisticated feel, five is roughly three too many. Watley's vocals are not strong enough to compensate for lyrics that range from pedestrian to downright cheesy.

But Affairs does deliver the funky, hook-laden dance grooves Watley is famous for, opening with the solid one-two punch of "I Want You" and "Call on Me," followed by the more house-oriented "I'm the One You Need." The most exciting thing on the album, though, is the last – a Motown-influenced pop song, "Stolen Moments," on which Watley sounds exquisitely sweet and soulful. If she's looking for a new style, this is it. (RS 622)

DIANE CARDWELL