Stop feeling sorry for Kelly Rowland; she doesnt need your pity. Since the effectual break-up of Destinys Child, Kellys stalled solo career has often been attributed to Beyoncés supposed lead singer syndrome or a nonsensical plot by Matthew Knowles to keep his biological daughter in the spotlight (as if he wouldnt want them both to succeed). True, Kelly hasnt reached the same level of stardom as B, but is anyone holding Kelly back more than Kelly herself? People will believe what they choose to believe, but with the release of Rowlands latest, Ms. Kelly (Sony), Rowland seems to be her own worst enemy.Musically, Ms. Kelly comes across like a lost Destinys Child group album, which here in 2007, isnt meant to be a compliment. By now, nearly every aspect of DCs act has been lifted over and over again by every forgettable, one-hit-wonder R&B chick under the sun. Because Rowland hasnt modified her sound to stay ahead of the pack, Ms. Kelly doesnt show enough individual personality to prove that shes more than just a lucky back-up singer. Polow Da Dons amateurish production backs the false-start opener Like This, which apparently isnt about anything. Scott Storch doesnt follow-up with much more on Comeback which couldve been a remix to Bills Bills Bills. Either track may have worked a few years ago but are unimpressive today. Things pick up a bit when the album moves towards the slower love songs, where Rowland is able to lean on her strength as a vocalist rather than trying to force herself into the mold of a pop star. Storch redeems himself with Flashback, which at least feels like a legitimate attempt at a departure. The same goes for Love which, despite the plain title and obvious Neptunes influence (read: jack), finds Kelly conveying a range of believable emotions for one of the few times in the whole experience.While getting out from under the ever-expanding shadow of Beyoncé wont be easy by any means, Kelly probably could do so if she were willing to experiment more. In reality, her true competitors are the Keyshia Coles and Fantasias of the world anyway, but she doesnt quite measure up to them either due to a lack of conviction in her performance. Right now, Ms. Rowland is merely okay and as a result, Ms. Kelly is the same.
