Nivea "Nivea"

Posted on 09.25.2001

Nivea
Album: Nivea
Release Date: Sept 25, 2001
Label: Jive

Review:

Few artists, especially teenage ones, make debuts as assured as Nivea. The self-titled disc from the Atlanta singer is notable for several reasons. She wrote or collaborated on the lion’s share of songs. She attracted guests ranging from rapper Lil Wayne to Atlanta homeboys Jagged Edge. And she slips effortlessly between R&B, rap, and even pop. "No Doubt" is a cuddly, undeniable ballad flecked with Nivea’s sweet phrasings, while "Don’t Mess with the Radio" is a hooky, finger-wagging strut. Although several tracks—"Don’t Mess with My Man" and "Run Away"—are sassy enough to have been lifted from a Toni Braxton record, there’s a playfulness to Nivea’s music that’s refreshing in a world of Christinas. That Nivea first started singing in church is evident in her elastic delivery—witness the swooning "25 Reasons." And if Nivea doesn’t quite have the range of her hero, Mariah Carey, she’s got 10 times the swagger and soul.

Track Listing:
1. Still in Love
2. Ya Ya Ya - Lil Wayne
3. Don’t Mess With My Man - Brandon Casey
4. One for Me
5. Laundromat
6. You Don’t Even Know - Nick Cannon
7. Run Away
8. Just in Case
9. No Doubt
10. Never Had a Girl Like Me
11. Have Mercy
12. Don’t Mess With the Radio
13. 25 Reasons
14. Don’t Mess With My Man [Remix][*] - Brandon Casey