When Amerie’s debut arrived on my desk in 2002, I didn’t bother reviewing it. The music was innocuously pleasant—it warranted neither a complaint nor a compliment—and Amerie herself was anonymous, seemingly just a voice for up-and-comer Rich Harrison, who wrote and produced the tidy affair in its entirety. Since then, Harrison has joined the in-demand ranks of The Neptunes and Timbaland, producing for superstars like Beyoncé, Usher, and Jennifer Lopez. Ironically, Harrison’s premier songstress is now likely to be deemed a copycat. The influence of Beyoncé’s massive hit “Crazy In Love” is all over Amerie’s sophomore effort Touch—even a remix of her debut single, “Why Don’t We Fall In Love,” gets the sample-happy treatment. The infectious hit “1 Thing” is a step up from J. Lo’s second-rate “Get Right” (unlike that song, “1 Thing” is light and airy), but it still follows the formula too closely: repetitive hook, high-pitched vocal, horn-y sample (this time it’s The Meters’ “Oh, Calcutta”). Hey, Rich, it’s okay to sample something other than horns. Or how about just dropping the sampling altogether: the sleek, minimalist “Come With Me” is one of Touch’s stand-out tracks. When a writer spends this much time talking about the album’s chief producer, the artist must be pretty damn disposable. It should be noted, however, that Amerie cut her teeth co-writing almost every song on the album, plays the flute on the Vidal Davis and Andre Harris-helmed “Just Like Me,” and takes a stab at Crunk & B on the Lil’ Jon-produced title track, her performance of which lives up to the coy, fish-netted pose on the album’s cover.
Since 2001, we've brought you uncompromising, candid takes on the world of film, music, television, video games, theater, and more. Independently owned and operated publications like Slant have been hit hard in recent years, but we’re committed to keeping our content free and accessible—meaning no paywalls or fees.
If you like what we do, please consider subscribing to our Patreon or making a donation.