From Bottom to Top
Thirteen-year-old Miamian Sammie scored gold with his first single, "I Like It." Executive produced by fellow Southerner Dallas Austin,From the Bottom to the Topis his debut full-length release. Sammie's strong voice and confident style invite comparisons to the youngMichael Jackson, though this veteran ofIt's Showtime at the Apollo!spreads the melisma a little thick on the ballads. The biggest problem with the sonically crispBottomis weak material: as TaylorHansonmight remind us, a middle-schooler deserves good songs, too.--Rickey Wright