For the most part, Jackson's '80s albums for Columbia each boasted a few strong tracks surrounded by a surplus of filler.
Though her "quivering" vocal stylings are effective at times, she has a rather plain voice without much range, making vibrant songs and producers who can pull out a lot of her the most ideal recording situation.
The absence of these two ingredients makes R U Tuff Enuff the weakest album in her catalog.
The opening "Perfect Combination" has a bland melody and is an obvious knock-off of L.A.
Reid and Babyface's production sound, particularly their work on the Whispers' "Rock Steady"; the similar-sounding "Read Between the Lines" and sterile title track are just as lackluster.
More impressive are the pleasant ballad "This Love Is Forever" and the lightly jazzy swayer "Sweetest Dreams" -- but those two tracks alone aren't worth the monotony of the other six cuts.