Lutricia Mcneal

Lutricia McNeal, an American soul singer born in Oklahoma City in 1973, first developed her voice in the church choir directed by her father, a preacher. She went on to work with Swedish dance producers Rob ‘n' Raz on the album Clubhopping. In the late '90s she achieved European success through a series of club-friendly hit singles shaped by new jack swing. Her 1997 debut solo single, "Ain't That Just the Way," entered the Top Ten in most European countries, reached number one on the U.S. Billboard dance charts, and was followed by three more tracks from the debut album My Side of Town: "Stranded," "Someone Loves You Honey," and a cover version of Johnny Mathis' "When a Star Is Born." The three studio albums that came afterward—1999's Whatcha Been Doing, 2002's Metroplex, and 2004's Soulsister Ambassador—made little headway in the U.K. yet found listeners in Sweden, Germany, and Japan.