Milira

Even though Milira has claimed Sarah Vaughan and other jazz vocalists as influences, you won't find a lot of overt jazz inclinations on her second Motown outing Back Again!!!. This is very much an urban contemporary album, and sleek, smooth offerings like "Why Can't We Still Be Friends," "Love You Forever," and "If You Really Love Her" were clearly aimed at fans of adult-oriented artists like Meli'sa Morgan, Miki Howard, Stephanie Mills, and Anita Baker. Milira injects some dancehall reggae into "Love Always, Milira," and you'll hear a bit of new jack swing on "Love Me This Way," but on the whole, Milira doesn't get heavily into the hip-hop/dancehall/new jack vibe. Boasting such well-known producers as Narada Michael Walden, Barry J. Eastmond, and Lemel Humes, Back Again!!! isn't as strong as it could have been. Still, it's respectable and decent, and it should have done better. Milira didn't have a major commercial breakthrough at Motown, which is regrettable because it was clear that the New Yorker had a lot of potential. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide