J. Holiday had an enviable start to his career, thanks to the smash hit “Bed” and the successful single “Suffocate” on his gold-selling debut album, “Back of My ‘Lac,” though the CD had some missteps.
On his follow-up disc, “Round 2,” J. Holiday shows artistic growth with balanced, heartfelt songs that accentuate his falsetto voice.
The CD is filled with soothing, slow-paced tracks, anchored by his first single “It’s Yours.” He also sings about the highs and lows of relationships, most notably on impressive ballads “Fall” and “Don’t Go.”
“I Tried” and “Fly” are two of the weaker tracks.
J. Holiday does stray from relationships on “Homeless” as he sings, “There’s a man on the street/He got holes in his shoes on his feet/We be in the club spending dough/Then we come outside and tell him no./All he needs are a couple bucks.”
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J. Holiday
“Round 2,” (Music Line/Capitol Records)
Genre: R&B-hip-hop
Grade: B