Toya

Another excellent female urban soul album from the summer of 2001, Toya's eponymous debut album — like the 2001 albums by Blu Cantrell, Alicia Keys, and the sadly departed Aaliyah — is a savvy combination of classic soul conventions, innovative production, strong songwriting, and fine, understated singing. Of the aforementioned albums, Toya's is the closest to the urban mainstream, but where many of her peers favor songs and performances that are all surface, this record still has style, but it's enhanced by uniformly strong songs, good sequencing, fine singing, and sharp production masterminded by executive producer Antonio "L.A." Reid. Compare this record to Reid's work with Usher on 8701, and the difference becomes apparent — Usher may show off more, but Toya's more seductive, even on neo-disco songs like "Think." This also sets a mood, but there's a lot of variety within the mood and within the album's songs, resulting in a record that's not just a fine debut, but one of the best urban records of 2001.