After taking a listen to her self-titled debut album, and her previous, less critically aclaimed effort, All I Am, it's quite apparent that Melissa's fourth [overall] album, Exposed, is an astonishingly mature effort. At 19, when most artists would just be getting started, Melissa's been through very short career arc that has led her from safe-pop to an unconventional, sometimes risk-taking version of pop. While lead track "No Player" is bouncy, sassy and infectious, there are less hits on this album than on previous efforts. While Britney Spears is cranking out the same recycled bubblegum pop hits for all her "fans," with this album, it's obvious that Melissa struggles to move away from her teen idol status, and become a more seasoned artist. After all, Melissa did co-write and co-produce nearly all of Exposed. Tracks such as "Some Kind Of Wonderful", "See You Again", "Happiness" (with Craig David), "The Truth (Should I Tell Him?)" & the title track are slinky, twisted ballads/mid-tempos imbued with film-noir sultriness, as diva Melissa steps catlike away from the bubblegum pop of her contemporaries. There's also the sexy R&B (yes, R&B) tracks tacked on the end ("On Your Mind", "Instant Pleasure"), and you can't leave out the well-done, funkdafied, single-worthy Kool & the Gang cover with Jordan Knight ("Get Down On It"). Exposed also signals a move away from her long-standing musical relationship with producer Dallas Austin, who contributes just three cuts. Melissa's well on her way to becoming the seasoned artist she's working hard to be. Exposed is an exciting chapter in the novel of a future superstar.