No one ever doubted her talent: descended from a line of great singers, she was blessed with a voice that everyone from Smokey Robinson to Simon Cowell agreed was one of the best in the world. But her critics claimed the records she made with it erred on the safe side, tending towards pop rather than soul, the middle of the road rather than the cutting edge.
Alexis Petridis
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 12 February 2012