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Amazon.co.uk It sounds like a charmed life and maybe it is--on Shola Ama's second album, In return, she certainly sounds happy enough. Discovered at 15 while singing in the tube station, she released the (platinum-selling) Much Love at 18 and was anointed as Britain's next great R&B hope; at 20, her debut cements her status as a star but also removes her from her roots. In Return is full of rich, smooth melodies that show off a beautiful pop sheen; despite the fact that most of her contemporaries have mixed big heaps of hip-hop into their soul, Ama remains resolutely on the other side of the fence. (This in spite of the absolutely lovely beats that A Tribe Called Quest's Ali Shaheed Muhammad gives the sultry "Lovely Affair".) It's tough to determine just how much substance there is here but the style is such that you won't care. --Randy Silver Product description 1