George Michael

George Michael is a natural. Even as the pinup images of Wham! fade to gray, singles like
"Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" and "Careless Whisper" remain indelible – they're virtually
impossible to forget, whether you actually like them or not. Just twenty-four, Michael has
emerged as one of pop music's leading artisans, a painstaking craftsman who combines a
graceful knack for vocal hooks with an uncanny ability to ransack the past for m... More >

As everybody but avant-bigots knew from hearing Wham! on the radio, Michael can prove that photogenic and popwise aren't mutually exclusive while combing his hair with his left hand. Substance, depth, simple human decency--that kind of stuff is more problematic. So the show of soul, in the grain of the lyrics as well as the voice, makes a difference. But let no one forget that the vulnerability and compassion here purveyed are staple commodities of the truly popwise, and that the album's only conceptual coup, "I Want Your Sex," stands as an ambiguous publicity stunt worthy of Madonna herself. (Grade: B+)