LeToya: LeToya : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

There's no question that LeToya Luckett, who was one-fourth of Destiny's Child when the group recorded the hits "Say My Name" and "Jumpin' Jumpin'," has a solid voice. And after the way Luckett and fellow founding member LaTavia Roberson were dismissed from the group -- by being cut out of the "Say My Name" video -- it's nice to see her pre-empt Beyonce's inevitable summer smash with this Number One debut. Unfortunately, on the disc her voice is lost in a sea of tepid R&B arrangements and hip-hop hybrids. On about half the tracks, LeToya tries to position herself as a passionate emoter in the mold of Mary J. Blige, as on the passable breakout single "Torn," which shares a Stylistics sample with Mary J.'s "Everything." But LeToya's voice has neither the grit nor the exuberance to fill those shoes. On the album's other half, LeToya proves her hometown pride but loses the vibe by collaborating with Houston MCs like Mike Jones, Paul Wall and Slim Thug on a series of underbaked, disjointed club tracks.