Tony Thompson began his career with the teen R&B sensations
Hi-Five, responsible for the hit single "I Like the Way (The Kissing Game)." With his first solo album,
Sexsational, the 19-year-old Thompson tried to establish himself as a viable solo artist, as well as a sex symbol, as the title of the album implies. In his favor, he knows talent when he hears it. Thompson brought together an impressive list of writers and producers (
Babyface, Puffy Combs,
DeVante Swing, among others), and left them to create backdrops for his sweet falsetto voice. However, most of the behind-the-scenes musicians fail to come up with distinctive material, which hurts
Sexsational considerably. When given the right material, Thompson is convincing, but he isn't powerful enough to rescue weak songs. A few songs, like "I Wanna Love like That," and a cover of
Stevie Wonder's "My Cherie Amour," work but
Sexsational is by and large unfulfilling. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine