There's a lot to like on this debut, the over-the-top attempt to insinuate himself into the fantasies of the opposite sex especially. Pan flutes, atmospheric interludes, and French women cooing sweet nothings flesh out his debut album, that's 99.9 percent 'for the ladies,' save an appearance from Ludacris, who made Valentino the first R&B singer in the rapper's DTP (Disturbing tha Peace) crew. His last name evokes Valentine's Day and the old-time star of romantic movies. Like Usher, Valentino (whose real surname is Wilson) presents himself as a sex symbol. It seems like the young R&B singers - although, you could say this for the genre as a whole - either want to be irrepressible lovermen or thuggish gentlemen.
Discounting Usher, there hasn't been someone who makes you want to listen to him. It's been a while since a young male R&B crooner has made an impact on the music scene.
