B.o.B.’s sophomore record shows he is one of the top hit-makers in contemporary pop. The set opens portentously with the quasi-sci-fi "Bombs Away," featuring a sobering spoken-word passage from Morgan Freeman. Thankfully, it quickly shifts toward the artist’s irresistible hip-pop. He asserts his rapping skills on “So Hard to Breathe” and “Arena” with Chris Brown and T.I. The latter features the trio’s liquid interplay and is destined to top the charts. Taylor Swift appears on “Both of Us,” which might be this year’s “Love the Way You Lie,” as B.o.B’s clipped verses are buoyed by Swift’s soaring vocal hook. The MC trips up with two formulaic tracks, “So Good” and “Never Let You Go.’’ B.o.B is best on tracks like “Chandelier,” where his impeccable pop instincts shine. (Out Tuesday)
ESSENTIAL “So Hard to Breathe”
B.o.B. plays the 94.5 Summer Jam with Rick Ross, Wale, and others on June 2 at Comcast Center.