Wright made a mainstream move with Now & Then, downplaying the R&B and remaking herself as a sleek, sultry version of
Lorrie Morgan. It paid off, too: she had her first real hits in the U.S. with "Take It Like a Man" and "He Would Be 16," a tear-jerking ballad dealing with the regrets of giving an illegitimate child up for adoption. Her Nudie jackets and black bodysuits made her a video favorite, too. The music's not as distinctive here as on Michelle Wright, but the hits hold up nicely. ~ Brian Mansfield