Diva
The term "diva" is an honorific to be bestowed, not a title to be claimed. That alone gets Annie Lennox's 1992 solo debut off on the wrong foot. Nor does it help that, instead of following the often-daring path of her former outfit, the Eurythmics, Lennox chose instead to wrap her big, emotional voice in aloof, sophisticated settings rendered primarily on synthesized keyboards. "Why" is a gorgeous ballad about a crumbling relationship, but nothing about the pristine "Walking on Broken Glass" comes close to the danger its title implies. "Precious" offers little beyond lite funk, while "Cold" is studiously icy and distant. Only "Why" and the closing number, "The Gift," achieve the sort of richly detailed intimacy she was obviously reaching for here. So hold off on that diva stuff, Annie. We'll let you know when it's time.--Daniel Durchholz