98 Degrees Album: “98 Degrees & Rising”

hey i'm writting this review because i have never In my life heard such a cd! (i know it sounds like an exageration but it's not) i buy a lot of cds and many of them i like 3 or 4 songs sometimes 5 at the most, but this cd i love every song! I would have paid so much more for this cd than i did. It was worth every penny!

I bought this CD soon after becoming engaged to my fiance (now husband) and immediently fell in love with I Do (Cherish You) and my husband liked it as well. We had it played at our wedding and it is still my favorite song. Besides I Do, Because of You is a beautiful song. Wonderful singers, they do a fantastic job!

If you thought Backstreet Boys were a little weak,or N SYNC doesn't cut it, and you're sick of your Boyz II Men CD, 98° should give you your fix of male group harmony. This CD is excellent and well rounded, there are the token *pop* songs ("Because of You", "Fly With Me", "To Me Your Everything") but then there are disco inspired tracks ("Do You Wanna Dance", "Heat It Up") the horn filled Stevie Wonder duet ("True To Your Heart"), the mid tempo semi-ballad("The Hardest Thing") and two amazingly sung accapella songs ("Give It Up" and "She's Out of My Life") but 98°s strength lies in the ballads which they readily supply. "I Do" is the ultimate wedding song, "Still" is cliched, yet timelessly romantic, and my favorite "If She Only Knew" is just a beautiful song which Nick Lachey sings the heck out of. I'd consider this album a bridge, for a pop fan that wants to get into R&B, or a R&B fan that wants to get into pop. These guys don't need to rely on looks to sell CDs, the music will, so what if they're not number one on the charts? Their next CD may not break records but I'm sure I will definitely get many good listens out of it.

"98 Degrees & Rising" is actually the first album of the guys' that I bought, and it's just unbelievable. Jeff, Nick, Drew & Justin put so much feeling and emotion into their singing, I know it sounds corny, but I sometimes feel what the song is saying. "She's Out of My Life" isn't an original song, but the guys sang it so beautifully that I cried. No joke. Jeff & Nick did an amazing job a cappella. I've heard Michael Jackson's original, and the guys definitely sound better. They're not crying, but they put so much emotion into their singing that you can almost feel their "pain." The tracks are either fun and upbeat (Heat It Up, Because of You, Do You Wanna Dance, True to Your Heart) or heartfelt (I Do, Still, She's Out of My Life, The Hardest Thing). Jeff has changed the way he sings a little from the first album-not that he needed to, but it's definitely noticeable. And it's cool to hear Justin & Drew in "Do You Wanna Dance." It's one of my favorite albums-though I admit I am biased because 98 Degrees is my favorite, ever since I heard "Invisible Man" and "The Hardest Thing" on the radio. Anyone who likes R&B/Motown would love this CD because the guys are definitely rooted in that genre of music, and they do an excellent job on their sophomore project. "98 Degrees & Rising" is an awesome album, and the guys really are extremely talented.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that I bought this CD about a year ago, when I was going through the teenybopper phase. But now that that's over, this remains one of my favorites. The talent level on these guys is off the charts. You hear one song-full of their smooth voices and gorgeous harmonies, and you're hooked. These fellas are definitely not a part of the boyband factory. My favorite song is "She's Out Of My Life" because it's a cappella and you can (amazingly enough) hear every part.