Before making headlines for getting into street fights with his best friend and raising the public's curiosity with what’s really underneath his ever-present assortment of headwear, Justin Lo made a name for himself as a singer. A pretty damn good one I might add. The former Yahoo! web designer-turned-popstar has been making female fans swoon with his brand of catchy, karaoke-friendly love songs since 2005. In his fifth studio album, Lo looks to continue to do the same.

There is little surprise to why the first singles from the album, Infinitely Big (Track 2) and Love Addiction (Track 3), have been blowing up the charts. These two well-constructed love songs are made for karaoke rooms with its soft melodies and easy-to-remember lyrics. The instruments aren't played overly loud and perfectly compliment Lo's soothing voice as he serenades the object of his undying love.

Another song that falls into the "perfect Canto-pop song" category is Duet, which he records two versions of for the album. The first (Track 5) is an actual duet with teen singing sensation G.E.M., while Lo sings by himself in the second (Track 12). As much as I enjoy listening to the talented songstress, I found his solo effort to be better as he seems to put in more of an effort by himself. In the duet with G.E.M., you don't quite get a sense of cohesiveness between the two stars as her powerful voice overshadows his. But no matter which version you listen to, their voices themselves carry the songs as the instruments are barely recognizable.

However, Lo's music isn't just strictly standard Canto-pop. Influenced by his time in the United States, the singer/producer integrates Western elements and creates songs that are hybrids of both the Canto-pop and R&B genres. You Want It All (Track 4) and Three Years Old or Eighty (Track 8) are good examples of this as harmonious piano sounds are mixed with strategically placed beats. In Second Best (Track 6), the trumpet and piano add a feeling of despair to the blues song as Lo sings about never being good enough.

There was one particular song that caught my eye when I first saw the track listing for I Never Changed Love Addiction. That song was She's Out of My Life, a Michael Jackson classic and definitely one of his most emotional. This breakup ballad meant so much to the King of Pop that he actually cried during the recording of it. It's a touching tribute by Lo to cover the song as the album was released closed to the first year anniversary of Jackson's passing. He replaces the strings in the original with a simple piano melody and pours his heart out. Although his version isn't as intense as Jackson's, he keeps the same essence and emotions of the song while changing enough of it to distinguish it as his own.

The album is chock full of hits that will have his fans continuously requesting his songs in their karaoke rooms. But while it is an enjoyable listen, it does get repetitive at times. There are only so many ways to express love or heartache and it seems Lo has exhausted all of them. For his next album, it would really be interesting to see him explore new ways to spread his message and continue to win the hearts of women everywhere.

by Leon Lee