Beautiful

Vivian Green's second album, Vivian, performed even better on the charts than her debut. It hit the Top Ten of the R&B/Hip-Hop chart and the Top 20 of the Billboard 200, yet its overall sales were not as high. Once on Columbia, Green now finds herself on E1 (formerly Koch) for Beautiful, made after she devoted some time to taking care of her young son. Though it arrives almost five years after her previous album and was made on a significantly lower budget -- there are no big-name collaborators like James Poyser or Scott Storch here -- it won't throw anyone for a loop, as it sounds just like a Vivian Green album, one that deals with a fair amount of heartache as well as the rush that comes with finding new love. It's less about big hooks than nuanced arrangements, even on the heavily synthesized/programmed songs, and Green's lyrics are as easily relatable as ever, especially on the opening "Beautiful," where she clearheadedly offers advice to an ex. ~ Andy Kellman, Rovi