If Musiq's newest album Soulstar is any indication, the neo-soul musical movement may be dying. More than just dying, the bland beats and uninspired lyrics on Soulstar make it appear as if the genre is dead and decaying. Soulstar is strictly for those who like their honey-tinged R&B grooves slightly sweet, but mostly sticky and messy. Self-proclaimed originator and prodigal mastermind behind the neo-soul genre (he isn't), Musiq likes to compare himself to such R&B greats as Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye. Unfortunately, on Soulstar, Musiq's third album, he sounds more like Boys 2 Men or R. Kelly trying to impersonate the soul greats than he does a neo-Otis Redding.

Lyrics like, "It's kinda funny how we met back/When you walked down the hall where I worked/ A caramel shorty with a fat ass," prove that Soulstar is tailor made for those who care nothing about the intricacies and shag-inducing powers of true soul music. Nothing is more hypocritical or disarming than a soul singer who doesn't understand the basic art of seduction. Musiq writes his own lyrics, but constant lyrical generalities and shallow come-ons-"I'll make sure you feel alright/ Even if it takes me all night"-really make you wish that he didn't.

If you can get past the fact that Soulstar sounds like every trite song on the local R&B station, it isn't a particularly painful album to listen to. For the most part, the tracks on Soulstar aren't groan-inducing. The songs flow smoothly and sound like just what one would expect from a faceless, though not displeasing, R&B singer. The album seems carefully made to produce a maximum amount of radio-friendly singles. What this means for the listener is that every song sounds vaguely like something they've heard before while absentmindedly radio channel surfing. Usher would be proud, but discerning lovers of soul won't be.

Musiq has a pleasant, if somewhat unoriginal, voice. On Soulstar, instead of using his smooth voice to seduce, Musiq's voice is buried under layers of production. What does Musiq's voice sound like stripped of layers of cloned beats and mindless R&B flavored rhythms? There is no way to tell. There is hardly a single instance on Soulstar where Musiq's voice can be heard sans special effects and instrumentals. This is an incredible mistake for a soul or R&B album. These albums must be built around a strong voice, not attempting to hide it.

Surprisingly, the strongest track on Soulstar is the stripped-down "Missyou," a cover of a Rolling Stones song. Early Stones material is a superb choice to cover on a neo-soul album, and Musiq pulls it off unexpectedly well. Unlike the other production heavy tracks on the album, "Missyou" is a simple song. It focuses on Musiq's voice while using a simple beat and a background rhythm that never sounds too busy. It might also be better than the rest of the tracks, because Musiq didn't put his failing lyrical pen to it.

Other tracks on the album don't fare so well. On "Her," Musiq makes his best attempt at imitating Stevie Wonder. His voice is almost there, but Wonder deserves better than the bland music on this song. "Infatueighties" sums up the entire album nicely. The lyrics are awful, the music is generic, and the song is so filled with noise that the listener can't help but to be distracted.

Adding further insult to soul injury, Musiq annoyingly titled all tracks on Soulstar without spaces between words-such as "Whereareyougoing," and "Dontstop". Why would he do this? If Soulstar was a concept album it would make sense, but this is no concept album and it comes off as wholly nonsensical.

Overproduced and underwhelming, Soulstar is a bore of a soul album. It's definitely no Stevie Wonder.