Personnel includes: Brian McKnight (vocals, piano, keyboards, bass); Silo, Kirk Franklin, Carl Thomas, Joe, Tyrese, Tank (vocals); Nelly, Fabolous (rap vocals); Nunzio Signore (guitar); Bruce Flowers (keyboards); Chris Loftlin (bass); Alex Al (upright bass); Joel Parisoe, Prescott Ellison (drums); Bashiri Johnson (percussion).
Producers: Brian McKnight, Kedar Massenburg, Silas White, Bruce Carbone.
"Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda" was nominated for the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.
Brian McKnight may have made his name as a nice-guy balladeer unafraid of declaring Barry Manilow as a direct influence, but he still has a funkier side that's clearly evident on U TURN. Sporting a knit cap and shades on the cover that gives him an R.Kelly-meets-Maxwell kind of look, McKnight easily proves he can run with the big dogs by way of numerous celebrity collaborations. Nelly takes a break from the St. Lunatics to hop aboard the infectious "All Night Long," Fabolous and Six John throw down on the hard-edged title cut, and Kirk Franklin joins McKnight on the timely faith-during-wartime homily "One of The One's Who Did."
McKnight does make sure to include his share of trademark ballads, such as the heartfelt "Someday, Someway, Somehow," lush "So Sorry," and Prince-like "If It Was Cool" with its abundant falsetto harmonies. Most impressive is the contemporary-R&B summit meeting "Good Enough," which finds McKnight joined by Joe, Carl Thomas, Tyrese, and Tank for the tale of a relationship gone asunder in which half the fun is guessing who's singing which part. U TURN ends up being one musical maneuver that Brian McKnight pulls off flawlessly.
What the critics say…
Rolling Stone (4/17/03, p.106) - 3 stars out of 5 - "…Bright, sleek and mostly jumpy songs…"
