Ostensibly working within the US spawned R&B sphere, Brit trio Eternal go for added authenticity with a song written by latter day genre royalty Rhett Lawrence and veteran gospel star BeBe Winans (who also adds a vocal part). Crossover is the name of the game and 'I Wanna Be The Only One' goes out of its way to appeal to all-comers. Winan's "You know I had to come all the way to England to sing with you" and the girls' London accents in response provide a smattering of the exotic amongst the familiar for listeners on both sides of the Atlantic, and the song itself offers a wide appeal with a lyric that doubles as promoting either a secular or religious love. It depends on your viewpoint I guess.
I know I've been fairly snippy about this modern R&B lark on these pages in the past, but in its de minimis approach 'I Wanna Be The Only One' sidesteps any attempt at a faux sultry/sexy groin groove in favour of a pop tart of a song with a chorus hook that nags with the persistent memory of another song half remembered and lying just out of reach. Not one but two cheeky key change at the close keeps would could have been a one trick pony fresh right to the end, and while there may not be much about 'I Wanna Be The Only One' to get your teeth into, it doesn't give any cause to start them grinding either.
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