On Dec. 30, 2003, Omarion played his last concert with chart-topping urban boy band B2K in Washington, D.C. At the time, no one, including Omarion, knew it would be B2K's last concert; it was just one of the last stops on another sold-out tour.

The end came a day later when Omarion was the only group member to show up for a Philadelphia concert, as simmering internal tensions finally reached a critical stage. As a result, it turned out to be his solo debut, albeit not the way he had expected.

That must have bugged the singer-dancer-actor, who headlined last year's "Scream" tour (aka "The Heartthrobs" tour) with pal Bow Wow, best bud Marques Houston, Bobby Valentino, Pretty Ricky and B5. This year's edition of the BET-sponsored tour, billed as "Ruff & Ready, Young & Sexy," finds Omarion headlining.

Omarion himself was 15 when he went out on the first "Scream" tour with B2K (the tour was named for the consistent, high-decibel audience reaction). At 22 — 1 1/2 months past the symbolic age celebrated on his sophomore solo album, just released.

The album "21" is reminiscent of Janet Jackson's "Control" or, going back further, Stevie Wonder's "For Once in My Life," in which young artists began taking more control over the content and direction of their careers.

"It played out wonderfully," Omarion says. "It was, 'Yes, I want to do this record. ... No, I don't really like this, let's try something else,' and not having everybody look at you with a raised eyebrow, like, 'He doesn't really know what he's talking about.' But I've been doing this since I was 15, and, for me, it was good to be able to make a suggestion or to have a comment or a question and not be overlooked."

Omarion made his solo debut in 2005 with "O," which opened at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart. The singer addressed the B2K breakup in "Growing Pains," as well as in his concurrently released book, "O."

If "O" seemed a conscious move away from B2K's smooth R&B pop, with the occasional misstep into "adult" lyrics, "21" is the work of a singer (and more involved lyricist) with more traditional romantic interests.

For instance, the album's first single, "Entourage," asks a potential girlfriend not to be "in my entourage," but to "be my entourage."

"Made for TV" addresses fame, but in unexpected ways, as Omarion insists, "I don't want something that's made for TV/ I'd rather fall in love with something that's made for me."