Deborah Cox promises little with CD

Deborah Cox should think twice about making promises she can't keep.

Her fifth studio CD, "The Promise," is mediocre at best and features overused lyrics and average production. Though she dabbled in jazz with a Dinah Washington tribute record in 2007, "The Promise" is the R&B follow-up to 2002's "The Morning After," and the new CD shows that Cox has not grown musically in the last six years.

The set of 10 tracks begin with the Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis-produced "Love Is Not Made In Words," a boring tune that has Cox complaining that she's "heard it all before." So have listeners. The 35-year-old questions her man's love on the dragging "Did You Ever Love Me" and has her man's back on "Down 4 U." Even the title track, written and produced by John Legend, is dull.

What's most disappointing though is that Cox, who once played the title role of "Aida" on Broadway, fails to utilize her trademark -- her powerful voice.

Songs that are easier on the ears include "Saying Goodbye" and the upbeat "Beautiful U R," an inspiring and fun tale about accepting yourself.

Cox's 1998 hit "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here" was the longest running No. 1 song on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart. But Cox shouldn't expect anything close to that decade-old success from the weak "The Promise."

CHECK THIS OUT: On "Saying Goodbye," Cox confidently thanks her ex for leaving because the next man's a better one. She hits all the right notes while singing lyrics like: "Wouldn't have the love of my life if you hadn't told me goodbye/And now I realize that there is such a thing as a good bye."