Danity Kane
Welcome to the Dollhouse
Available Now
1/5
Call it the sophomore slump. Call it the reality TV curse. There is no other way to put it: Danity Kane's newly released sophomore album stinks. As documented on the latest season of "Making the Band," executive producer Sean "P. Diddy" Combs allowed the girl group to write its own material. What resulted is catty fights and hook-ups with Day 26 and Donnie Klang, which made for really good ratings but apparently was the recipe for really bad music. Even with the help of the Bad Boy Family and some of hip-hop's best producers, this record couldn't be saved. The new single, "Damaged," has yet to live up to the chart-topping "Show Stopper" from the group's last album. And no other track even comes close to imitating past success. Bottom line: While the TV show is a riot, these reality TV starlets should stay out of the music realm.
If you like this music, you might also enjoy:
Mariah Carey - E=MC2
Janet Jackson - Discipline
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JoJo - The High Road
Vanessa Hudgens
Identified
Available Now
2/5
From "High School Musical" to the explicit Internet photo scandal, Vanessa Hudgens has been through the public ringer this year. With mothers sheltering their daughters and boycotting everything Disney, you would think Hudgens would have some great material for her newly released album, Identified. However, the album falls flat in the writing category. Featuring catchy but unsophisticated tunes like "Last Night," "Party on the Moon" and the hip-hop flavored "Amazed," it is just another pop album the record moguls cranked out. That's not to say Hudgens can't sing. Her soulful voice is highlighted on ballads "Don't Leave" and "Paper Cut." Until producers utilize Hudgens' talents, she's destined to feed into the teeny-bop pop fervor for eternity.
If you like this music, you might also enjoy:
Hannah Montana - The Best of Both Worlds
Jonas Brothers - Jonas Brothers
Aly & AJ - Insomniatic
Metro Station
Metro Station
Available Now
4/5
From MySpace obscurity to multimillionaire rock stars, Metro Station is a rags-to-riches band. Discovered by a producer after visiting the band's MySpace profile, Metro Station is a band that is coming to age on its own terms. Sure, the band is young, but its highly energetic sound and catchy lyrics are taking the teenage pop/rock scene by storm, and for good reason. The band expresses perfectly what it is like to be a teenager in today's culture. "Shake It" is the quintessential summer song - fun, upbeat and catchy. Overall, while the band has some maturing to do, its summer tour should do the trick. Expect the hits to keep on coming from this band as it increases its fan base globally. And it also doesn't hurt that Hannah Montana's brother, Trace Cyrus, is taking millions and millions of teeny-bop fans to the dark side.
If you like this music, you might also enjoy:
Coldplay - Viva la Vida
Panic at the Disco - Pretty. Odd.
Paramore - Riot!
