Hilary Duff (Buena Vista)
She played a teen who's mistaken for a pop star in this year's The Lizzie McGuire Movie, but actress Hilary Duff wants to be a real singing sensation. After releasing a Christmas disc last year and performing two songs on the Lizzie McGuire Movie soundtrack, Duff, 15, has come out with her first full-length CD of new material. And while she won't make Avril lose any beauty sleep, Duff makes fairly tasty bubblegum for tweens. With a voice at least as good as that of another actress turned singer, J.Lo, and a charming girl-next-door personality that translates well from screen to record, Duff gets passable marks on pop-rock numbers like the first single, "So Yesterday." Duff, who helped write only the title track, delivers age-appropriate lyrics about topics like turning 16, discovering herself, resisting pressure to have sex and, of course, boys. But not even her middle-school fans will be convinced when she attempts to go heavy metal on cheesy cuts like "The Math," singing, "If you can't do the math, then get out of the equation." BOTTOM LINE: A credible career change
D-D-Don't Don't Stop the Beat
Junior Senior (Atlantic)
The gimmick of this new Danish duo is that Junior (Jesper Mortensen) is straight and Senior (Jeppe Laursen) is gay. Together they make infectious dance beats that will have listeners grooving non-stop regardless of sexual orientation. "Everybody, move your feet and feel united," they sing on the deliriously catchy single "Move Your Feet," which combines disco, Motown and Beastie Boys-style hip-hop into the perfect party song. On other cuts, such as the unabashedly exuberant "Shake Your Coconuts," Junior Senior incorporates punk, new wave and even '60s surf music. They do it all with a keen pop sensibility and a healthy kitsch factor. These guys are a modern-day cross between Wham! and the B-52's. Welcome to the summer's guiltiest pleasure.--C.A. BOTTOM LINE: D-D-Don't miss out
Fate's Right Hand
Rodney Crowell (DMZ/Epic)
Reviewed by Ralph Novak
At 53, Rodney Crowell seems to be suffering from a midlife crisis on this unusually cerebral album. The country artist, still a better songwriter than singer, seems to be taking stock on such tunes as "It's a Different World Now" and "Still Learning How to Fly." He hasn't completely lost his sense of humor, though. On "Time to Look Inward," he sings, "Jesus and Buddha and Krishna and Minnie Pearl knew/Do unto others the things you want done unto you." Even so, nobody will be cheerily singing along with this disc down on the farm. BOTTOM LINE: A heavy Hand
His new CD The Black Album doesn't come out until Nov. 28 (appropriately, Black Friday). Still, rhyme pays for Jay-Z: He's guest-appearing on five current discs. Here's a rundown:
•Dangerously in Love, Beyoncé Jay-Z helps his gal pal out with her solo debut by performing on two cuts: "That's How You Like It" and the No. 1 summer smash, "Crazy in Love."
•Bad Boys II, Original Soundtrack Jigga's contribution to this all-star album, "La-La-La," is a sequel to his 2003 hit "Excuse Me Miss."
•The Neptunes Present...Clones, Various Artists On "Frontin'," Jay-Z backs up Neptunes producer Pharrell.
•Beware, Panjabi MC Indian bhangra meets East Coast rap on the Jay-Z remix of "Beware of the Boys."
•Love & Life, Mary J. Blige On the title-track intro, Jay-Z joins P. Diddy in saluting the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul.
- Contributors:
- Chuck Arnold,
- Ralph Novak.
Saved by the Bell Reunion
The hookups, the meltdowns, the memoires
The case reveals what was really going on what they think of each other now!
