She's got a great voice, lots of notoriety and she's a star. And thanks to Hope, Faith's collaboration with Twista, she has a current hit single.

Indeed, Goin' Out and Again are likely to become sizeable hits too. Sadly, this is because they are among the best R&B tracks of their time, rather than true classics. Gone are the days of the Motown and Philadelphia hit factories, and Prince went through his purple period years ago. Faith Evans must be crying out in despair. She needs much stronger songs to make her a lasting talent. Unfortunately, the reigning First Lady is scraping by on colour-by-number workouts that don't do her any favours.

Updated: 09:24 Thursday, May 19, 2005