Following the lukewarm response to Sisqo’s second album in 2001, Dru Hill returned with a new member Scola in 2002 for the vastly underpromoted Dru World Order. The group would spend the next eight years touring and eventually add new member Tao for its fourth album InDRUpendence Day this week’s Second Listen Sunday pick.
Eight years is an eternity in the music business, but Dru Hill had four lead singers, so how would they sound in the age of streaming? The group reunited with past collaborators Keith Sweat, Nate Mooring, and Wirlie Morris, so the potential was there. Initially, I didn’t care for the album as The album’s first half was filled with secondary Will I Am-style beats. The songs sound better suited for Justin Bieber or Bruno Mars instead of a group like Dru Hill.
However, I now realize what Dru Hill was going for, and I won’t fault them for trying to branch out since that sound was the famous sound at the time. The CD starts to pick up with “Remain Silent,” which is the signature Dru Hill slow jam vibe I like. “State of Emergency” follows and is another mood setter while Sisqo & Jazz both have a chance to shine on “Back To The “Future’ & “Love MD.” The album’s final ballad, “Away,” still sounds fresh and would feel right at home on any streaming Black-led series. The album ends with a decent cover of Tears For Fears’ “Everybody Wants To Rule The World.”
While InDRUpendence Day is my least revisited Dru Hill album, I respect them for trying something new. Besides, Dru Hill has album tracks from its three albums that are better than some people’s biggest hits running streaming in 2023.
Final Grade: C
InDRUpendence Day is available on most streaming platforms sans Apple Music.
As the King of Pop’s biopic continues to perform well at the box office, I wanted to revisit one of Michael Jackson’s overlooked solo albums, “Forever, Michael”, released in 1975, for my first Second Listen Sunday of 2026.
As Joe prepares for his upcoming Tiny Desk performance, it’s a fitting time to revisit “U Should Know Me,” one of the hidden gems in his catalog. This song, which he wrote and produced himself, first appeared in 1998 on the soundtrack for “Caught Up”, a hood drama starring Bokeem Woodbine and Cynda Williams.
As fans look forward to his upcoming co-headlining “Nights Like This” tour with Akon, Ne-Yo is smoothly transitioning into country music while still maintaining his R&B roots with his latest single, “Ms. Tundra.” This infectious track is the third release from his forthcoming tenth studio album, “Highway 79,” set for release on July 10 via Compound Entertainment.