Polydor
Urban Contemporary, 2000

I love this young lady’s voice. Unlike the current crop of pop tarts, Samantha Mumba sings a steadier, more satisfying hybrid of Motown-lite pop and groovy tunes. Eschewing the tired Cheiron house productions, this lady instead sing tunes that groove.

Tracks like Gotta Tell You and the remake of David Bowie’s Body II Body can storm the dance floor – and they have great killer hooks layered over Ms Mumba’s sultry vocals too. While there’re always slow, syrupy ballads like Never Meant to Be (oh, bring out the lighters!) and the inspiring if inanely-worded ‘Til Night Becomes the Day.

But the best track is Always Come Back to Your Love, which radiates charm like a supernova of brilliance. The hypnotic, repetitious chorus and Ms Mumba’s infectious vocals all work perfectly here, it is so easy to smile and screech along.

There are also way too many fillers in this track, most irritating being the pointless cover of Divine’s Lately. Still, with Samantha Mumba’s sultry vocals and all, this debut is just fab.