BEYONCE: B'Day (Sony/BMG)

THE second solo outing for Destiny Child's sex bomb might be might be pretty slick but it's slightly less plastic than her trio's sound. Most tracks have been written and produced by committee (how it took eight people to write the simplistic Upgrade U is anyone's guess), but Beyonce's honey-dripping soul voice cuts through through the samples, loops and electronic beats. Nothing much stands out in this lively, sex-obsessed collection – we can only hope she makes a video for Freakum Dress – but there are a couple of duets with Jay-Z for rap fans and it's more spirited than most over-produced chart fodder.

JEFF CRAWFORD