Different Lifestyles (1991)

The Winans may be a gospel duo, but their lush pop arrangements should give even their friend Whitney Houston some unexpected competition. The brother-sister team already has two Grammy-winning albums to its credit: a 1987 self-titled debut and 1988's Heaven, the first gospel album to reach the top 10 on Billboard's R&B chart. On Different Lifestyles, BeBe and CeCe for the most part do not disappoint their fans. Their voices soar and quiver with conviction, although they sometimes get lost in production soaked with dramatic synthesizers and popping bass. With cameos by M.C. Hammer and Whitney herself, Lifestyles is warm and seductive, a tasteful grasp at further pop success that should help the Winans win new fans. A-