Lemar

It's deeply gratifying when a homegrown soul man can stand tall in the company of his U.S. counterparts, and that's absolutely the case with Tottenham lad — and Fame Academy finalist — Lemar. "If She Knew", from 2008, is as fine a serving of electronic R&B as any we've heard from either side of the Atlantic, and it's included here alongside party track "Dance (With U)", top-drawer string-backed swooner "It's Not That Easy", and left-field Darkness cover "I Believe in a Thing Called Love". Lemar takes a stroll down duet street, in Next Steps.

Lemar's monster sales — half a million apiece, and rising, for each of his first three albums — can be pinned on the fact that the world-class soul star has impeccable pop instincts . . . just check out the creamy-smooth "Won't Walk Away", one of the bonus tracks from 2008's The Reason, his cover of U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" (a duet with fellow fame academic Sinead Quinn), or his spirit-lifting hook-up with UB40's Ali Campbell on "I'll Be Standing By".

It's been a while since Lemar Obika impressed the nation as a finalist on the first series of Fame Academy in 2002, but the years since then have brought four fine albums and conformation that — in the unpredictable waters of British R&B — he's got what it takes to stay the course. Schooled pre-breakthrough on touring gigs with Destiny's Child and Usher, Lemar had to tap into all his reserves of determination and self-belief to keep pushing on after a collapsed record deal and a debut single that went precisely nowhere, but his small-screen success was precisely the impetus he needed, and deserved. Groove, believe, love . . . this is Lemar.