New on CD 12/12/03

'Musiq'

On his third album, Musiq proclaims himself a "Soulstar," and the album mostly delivers on the promise.

The upbeat "Forthenight," finds the artist proposing a no-strings-attached hookup, while "Womanopoly" cleverly uses Monopoly to tell the story of a woman who took control of her own life.

"Soulstar" loses steam near its end. Musiq seems to run out of creativity and the later songs play like pale imitations of earlier ones.

-- From wire reports