After years writing hits for and being featured on other artists' hit singles, genre-hopping singer/songwriter
Bebe Rexha
released her debut,
Expectations
. In addition to writing
Eminem
and
Rihanna
's Grammy-winning hit "The Monster," and breaking a country chart record with her
Florida Georgia Line
single "Meant to Be," that titular pressure was high, to say the least. An improvement upon her trio of EP releases,
succeeds in presenting mature, forward-thinking pop of the dark, introspective variety.
Rexha
's vulnerability is part of the draw on
, turning heartbreak ("Knees") and lust ("Mine" and "Self Control") into endearing moments. Her strongest tracks are honest and insightful, a refreshing change for mainstream pop, examining the perils of fame on the
Lana Del Rey
-meets-
Sia
"Ferrari," where she laments "living in the fast lane's getting kinda lonely," and "I'm a Mess," which finds
juggling with fame and her own anxieties as she accepts "it's gonna be a good life/that's what my therapist says." She can churn out driving pop gems, channeling contemporaries
Dua Lipa
Zara Larsson
on "I Got You," and also push her vocals on ballads like the tender "Grace" and the longing "Pillow." Guests include
Migos
'
Quavo
on the yearning duet "2 Souls on Fire,"
Tory Lanez
on the atmospheric "Steady," and
on that smash "Meant to Be," which broke a record as the longest-running Hot Country Songs number one fronted by a female artist. While the album could benefit from some tightening -- the middle stretch stalls the momentum --
affirms
's songwriting prowess, ear for catchy hooks, and ability to pull emotion from otherwise serviceable radio pop. ~ Neil Z. Yeung