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Ms. Thing - Ms. Jamaica (Sequence Records)

For a 17-year-old, Ms. Thing has a healthy sense of entitlement. On ?Dude,? Beenie Man?s infectious dancehall hit, she proclaims in its chorus her need for a ?one, two, three hour man? who will ?tie her to a van.?

Over the ?Fiesta? riddim ? an uptempo groove of electro-steel pan pings, double-time handclaps and bass thuds ? her nasal coo and Beenie?s love doctor come-ons make for great, sexually charged pop.

Unfortunately, the strength of that breakout single has proven difficult to match. The diva rarely comes close to such sonic heights on her debut disc, ?Miss Jamaica.? Even though the ?Fiesta? riddim is reprised on the disc opening, ?Regular,? the bulk of the other tracks are middling patios-laced, synth-driven workouts with Middle Eastern accents and R&B sound effects.

Ms. Thing?s limited appeal lies in her blunt lyrical approach. Whether she chats about sexual exercises (?Muscle Tight?) or shopping sprees in Italy, stretch limousines and Victoria?s Secret (?Rich & Famous?), the rude gal?s focused on the bottom line.

On ?I Want It All? she even warns: ?If fi mi yard you wan call/ make sure ya bank account tall.? Though the sentiment wears thin over 14 tracks, she bolsters the mix with choice guests and catchy hooks. The flirtatious ?It Haffi Good? with Vybez Kartel and ?Sweet Soca Music? with Sugar Daddy ? using the same Rolling Stones string sample made popular by the Verve?s ?Bittersweet Symphony? ? may not have ?Dude?-like crossover appeal but they?re proof that Ms. Thing needs a male foil to temper her material demands.