Face2face

Wow, who is this? Could it really be Babyface?!! Released five years after Babyface's "The Day", "Face2face" is an awesome album on which the singer/producer has left the comfort of his romantic ballads and taken a leap into a more dynamic music makeover.

The 42-year-old’s music is more hip and daring than his past albums and he is even sporting a Lenny Kravitz look, complete with the trademark miniature dreads, tight jeans, sunglasses and of course the guitar. Could this be a mid-life crisis?

At first, it's hard to recognise the honey-coated voice of Babyface begging and "dissing" women. We can't put all the blame for this stylistic change on bad boy rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg, who features with Babyface on the great song "Baby’s Mama" — Babyface's new style marks the emergence of the rebellious bad boy who has been dying to get out since he started making music in the 80s.

The tracks that make for good listening on this album are: the title track "Outside In/Inside Out", "There she goes" and "How can u be down". Of course, he has a few really romantic ballads such as "I keep callin", "What if" and "With him".

Unfortunately I find the track “U should know” too slow and unsuitable for this vibey album.

"Face2face" could also be listed as a club album with its fresh beats that will make you shake your "booty". Although I’m not a die-hard Babyface fan, I definitely like the new sound of this highly respected artist, producer, musician and revolutionary label owner of LaFace Records.

The album is wonderfully arranged with a bit of jazz, club, body-hugging and head-bopping tracks combined on this explosive album. "Face2face" can be enjoyed by anyone although this should not be listened to in the car as it’s guaranteed to cause a traffic accident!

Why not check out Babyface's website at www.babyfacemusic.com.