Veteran R&B singer Ginuwine gets personal with his seventh studio album, Elgin.
The 14-track album is most written by Ginuwine, and boasts some production by Tank and Bryan Michael Cox. The title of the album, which is also Ginuwine’s birth name, implies that Ginuwine is giving some of himself to fans on the album.
The opening track, “Heaven,” sets high expectations for the rest of the album. It’s about being with the one person who makes you so happy that just being in their presence is like heaven.
On soulful ballads like “Break,” Ginuwine shows his always-superb vocals. Ginuwine hasn’t lost his sex appeal; it’s just more mature, which can be heard on tracks like “Body” and “Why We’re Fighting.”
He attempts to reach a younger crowd with the fun and upbeat “Batteries.” The track features rapper Trina, who provides a mediocre and sex-filled verse to the already oversexed chorus.
Randomly, Elgin slows down with heartfelt ballads and picks the pace back up with tracks like “Kidnapped,” a dance club song with a beat that’s fun and flirty. The authentic and unique Ginuwine sound finally comes to life on tracks “First Time” and “Frozen.” “First Time,” is about having that someone he loves, and every time he sees her, it’s like the first time he was with her.
Elginshows the growth of Ginuwine. His music is more mature; he’s not making tracks like “Pony” anymore. He’s married with children, like most of his fans, who have grown with him over the last six albums. On track “Busy” Ginuwine sings “All of my boys say I’m trippin’ / When they call I’m not answering / They always get my voicemail / Cause I’m busy / with her.”
With the decline of real, soulful R&B, Elgin was a great start at reviving the genre for the beginning of 2011. Ginuwine offered fans some of himself — not the artist, but the man. Hence the title Elgin.
