Omarion’s first two solo albums (his boot camp was boyband B2K) topped the R&B and Billboard 200 charts, and in the three years it took to release his third, the singer worked on 2007’s “Face Off” with Bow Wow–promoted by a BET special titled “The Road To Platinum” (it went Gold)–a side career in acting, and ditching Young Money for EMI. Given the number of partially detached vocals filled with android-in-heat impersonations on “Ollusion”, it’s as if Omarion made a concerted attempt to downplay his vocal ability, which only adds to the album’s weird, teasing charm. For a record that purports to show the “adult” side of the former teen star, its lyrics are relatively straightforward when they’re not completely piggish (”You got me shootin’ like a porno / B*tch stick to me just like a bag of Fritos”). And then there’s the song “I Think My Girl Is Bi”. Teddy Pendergrass he ain’t.
by Mark Emge
