Last week, Omarion released his highly anticipated MMG debut album Sex Playlist. The album is his first major release since 2010's Ollusion and critics are saying he's made a solid return. His fourth studio album comes after his 2012 mixtape Care Package and 2013′s sequel CP2.
The New York Times gave the former B2K singer kudos for putting out a quality project while appearing on television as a member of VH1's Love & Hip-Hop Hollywood.
Only on a handful of occasions does he appear in a studio, or even seem particularly interested in music.
Maybe that's a savvy choice. Most of the music-making on "Love & Hip Hop" is by amateurs. (So many scenes take place in studios, even ones that involve no recording of music — who's paying for all this studio time?) But "Sex Playlist," Omarion's fourth album, is the work of a pro, albeit a conservative one.
Omarion has a sweet voice, though usually he applies it to unimaginative lyrics. Amid the negligible songs here are a couple of standouts. "Post to Be," produced by DJ Mustard and Mike Free, is a chipper and cheeky song about romantic disloyalty, with Jhené Aiko playing a frisky retorter. And "Don't Leave," produced by Tank, is lovely and brooding, with hints of true desperation.
For Omarion, appearing on television is an opportunity to capitalize on old fame, and hopefully kick-start new fame.
SooDetroit gave the album 3 and a half stars out of 5, calling the album his best since his debut.
With so many delays and push backs of Sex Playlist, the general assumption was that Omarion was going to drop a lackluster project. Fret not! Omarion manages to deliver one of the year's best R&B albums, and definitely the best of his discography since his debut.
Complex noted the album as a testament to how Omarion's music has progressed over the years.
Sex Playlist offers nothing as choreographed as "Ice Box" or "Touch," or as bratty and saccharine as "Girlfriend." We find Omarion long evolved from his B2K days.
What could've arrived as a corny, blue-balled R. Kelly parody album with innuendo in triplicate is, instead, silky as a boutique lubricant.
Maybach O spoke on his musical maturation during a recent interview with Vibe and it seems like the critics agree.
"Sex Playlist is more about connecting than sex," he explained. "I feel like everything is so now, about the turn-up and how fast you can do it. It's really about love. I started so young and when I developed, I understood the importance of listening. What's the maturation, sonically and lyrically, in the past from "O" to "Touch" to "Ice Box"? This album is climactic in that aspect. It's touching on how to really connect with a woman."
If you haven't already, check out Sex Playlist on iTunes now.
