Larger Than Life

by Ron WynnThe former Shalamar member and goddaughter of Jackie Wilson followed her hit debut album with a solid second entry, although it was much more uptempo and dance-dominated. Watley secured a huge pop and R&B hit with "Real Love," and "Friends" was a New Jack Swing number with rap contributions from Eric B. & Rakim. "Everything" was another Top Ten pop and R&B success. While the thinness of Watley's vocals and the preponderance of predictable beats seemed to indicate that trouble lay ahead, she happily took the gold record certification for the album.