Timbaland ft. Nelly Furtado, SoShy: 'Morning After Dark'

Timbaland had produced cracker after cracker beforehand - 'Try Again', 'Cry Me A River' and 'Maneater', to name but three - but 2007's Shock Value was the album that turned him from beatsmith to bona fide solo star. Featuring collaborations with everyone from Sir Elton to JT, it sold more than four million copies worldwide and spawned the UK No.1s 'Give It 2 Me' and 'The Way I Are'.

Now, two years on, comes Shock Value 2, a consciously-styled sequel with an equally intriguing castlist (Katy Perry, Daughtry, Miley Cyrus). Sadly, this vamp-themed lead single, complete with oh-so-contemporary Twilight-inspired video, is somewhat lacking in bite. The production is suitably sinister, the beats are as sharp as tiny ice-picks, and there's capable support from Nelly Furtado and newcomer SoShy, but it's hard to shake the feeling that there's little here Timbo hasn't given us before. From a man who's built his reputation on boundary-pushing, that's a bit of a disappointment.