Chain Letter (2005)

Brooke Valentine's debut, Chain Letter, plays like Steven Soderbergh's filmography: There's a little popcorn for the cineplex and some chewier fare for the art houses. But Valentine's eccentricities, unlike Soderbergh's, actually improve her chances for stardom. On ''American Girl,'' the 19-year-old shakes her Texan tail feather over a jungle beat, while ''I Wish You Were Dead'' is a baroque pop gem. The CD could have added up to her own sex, lies and videotape if not for Lil Jon, whose tired bubble-crunk single ''Girlfight'' puts this disc squarely in Solaris territory.