The Way It Is [Bonus Tracks]

Far from the usual fizzy pop practiced by contemporaries like Beyonce and Kelis, the debut album from Oakland-born singer/songwriter Keyshia Cole is full of sophisticated, adult R&B that bridges the gap between the neo-soul likes of Alicia Keys and the inspired, kinetic hip-hop of Kanye West. Keys and West both guest here, on the singles "(I Just Want It) To Be Over" and "I Changed My Mind," respectively, but Cole is a compelling enough performer that she's not overshadowed. Similarly, guest spots by John Legend (on "I Changed My Mind") and Eve (on Cole's 2004 debut single, "Never," reprised here) never take the focus from Cole's warm and soulful vocals. Comparable to Keys, Mary J. Blige, and even '70s R&B divas like Betty Wright (especially on the outstanding woman-done-wrong rampage "I Should Have Cheated"), Keyshia Cole effortlessly bridges old school and new, and THE WAY IT IS promises even better things to come.