‘Puff’ Keeps It Clean

In an age when most young female R&B artists sport baggy clothing and spout sexually explicit lyrics, Puff Johnson hopes that her decidedly different approach will make her debut album stand out when it is released this fall.

To counter the prevailing streetwise styling and attitudes, Johnson will be presented with an image that is closer to young Whitney Houston than Da Brat.

Tentatively titled “Puff,” the 22-year-old’s album features such diverse tunes as the hip-hop/R&B-cool “Never Stop,” the jazz/fusion “Come Closer,” the funky “That’s When You’ll Know,”and “God Sent You,” a spiritually laced anthem featuring a background gospel chorus.