Sisqo is at work on Return of Dragon -- the follow-up to his 1999 debut Unleash the Dragon, which spawned the mega-hit "Thong Song." He's hoping to release his sophomore solo effort in April.

"The first single sounds like nothing anybody has ever heard before," he says. "It's called 'Infatuated.' I'm saying the world is infatuated by the dragon, like one line says, 'infatuated by the clothes, but there's more than that you know.' I want to show that I'm not a gimmick, I'm a very accomplished musician."

Speaking of image, Sisqo has also lost the platinum hair in favor corn-rows. "I want to show people that there's more to me than my clothes and my hair color," he says.

But don't worry, the thong is gone, but it's not forgotten. "Actually, I'm making another 'Thong Song,'" he says. "It's called 'Dance for Me,' but it sounds like 'The Thong Song.' When I rolled 'Thong Song,' I figured I had the Dru Hill fan base, but I needed to get my name out there. I thought, 'People might not know me, but everybody knows a thong.' So it was a marketing strategy."

Expect to see a lot of Sisqo at the major award shows -- he's nominated for several Grammys and will even be performing at the Miss America pageant in March. "I'll be showing off my new girlfriend," he says. "She'll be in my video and dancing with me at the shows. And hopefully I'll get patted on the back for it at the Grammys. The one I really want is Best New Artist."

ANTHONY BOZZA
(February 6, 2001)