As a personality who literally stepped out from the shadows wooing and seducing the R&B world with his first contribution to a genre that heralds an overabundance of males under the age of 25, Bobby Valentino has a lot to live up to with his sophomore project.

Being seated at the same table as the rest of his DTP family, with recent Grammy victor Ludacris at the head, isn't something he takes lightly. However, this second chapter in the life of the Mass Communications major from the A has him staying on the exact same track as he did on the first and should make himself, fans and his industry siblings proud. Bobby definitely gives us a product that you can play from start to finish with Special Occasion, which provides the listener an intimate insight into what makes him one of the hottest commodities on the R&B market today.

Bobby V calls on the best and they provide him with a solid foundation for Special Occasion. Aiding and abetting Bobby on this projectis possibly one of the greatest R&B producers of the closing years of the twentieth century: Rodney Jerkins, who produces the second single "Turn the Page." The Darkchild is joined by names such as Dre & Vidal, Tim & Bob accompanied with the amazing talents of Sean Garret and Bryan Michael Cox. Having penned the majority of his first album, Bobby wanted to stick to the formula that encouraged the success of his debut. Only this time, he went behind the boards as opposed to just picking up the pen, co-producing more than half of Special Occasion.

Void of extensive features and collaborations but with the tracks that you expect on an album falling in the category of Rhythm and Blues, Bobby V does take a trip outside the box on his second offering giving his following something different to absorb. He immediately springs into action on his 17-track offering, wearing a whole new coat on "Wreck." The track talks about an insatiable female who just has to have her some Valentino before making it home. The song does feature an unnecessary screeching sound in parts, but beyond the noise it does actually showcase the crooner's rapping capabilities, a trait which seems to be prevalent within the worlds the male vocalists right about now.

Content in R&B never really goes above and beyond the generic ballads and infectious melodies of loves lost and found, but once again the DTP soul sensation strays beyond the confines of what has become expected from him and his contemporaries. With "Check List," he takes the album more up-tempo and gives us something we can dance to without physical contact, rhyming off his extensive check list which he and his car adhere too when going to meet the date of the evening.

Other tracks worthy of a mention are "Brand New," which takes the sample from the old Stylistics track "You Make Me Feel Brand New." Here, Bobby talks about the feelings he has when a certain lady comes around him, the one that is 'like his Momma.' This song continues to emphasize just how comfortable he is in displaying an array of emotions, Freudian slips or not.

Feelings and sentiments continue to free flow as he explains just what he is looking for in the song "Alone" because, apparently as the song title suggests, this talented young man is actually alone and may just be looking for that special someone. Overall, Special Occasion allows Bobby to be viewed as more than just a one album purveyor; it allows his fans a more personal peek into the life of their idol and it truly establishes him as a competent scribe and co-producer.