Always overshadowed by Beyonce Knowles when she was in Destiny's Child, Kelly Rowland is now making a determined bid for stardom in her own right. On the evidence of Simply Deep, however, you have to wonder whether she's really cut out for the part. Lavishly produced it might be, but this insipid mix of lightweight R'n'B and syrupy ballads is simply too shackled by the cliches of the genre to make any emotional impact. Its most notable success is 'Dilemma', a slinky duet with rapper Nelly that links their two contrasting voices to good effect. Elsewhere, however, proceedings are dominated by the kind of diva histrionics that Rowland just doesn't have the personality to carry off. Destiny's Child fans may well be tempted to save their money for Beyonce's debut instead - and chances are, they'll be making the right decision.

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