Headstrong [Live]

That's exactly what the pop debut of Ashley Tisdale is. If you enjoy bubblegum pop circa Britney Spears' "Oops...I Did It Again," then you'll surely enjoy this album. Tisdale, best known for being part of Disney Channel's "Suite Life of Zack and Cody" and "High School Musical," steps out from under the shadow of the Mouse with "Headstrong." I'm not saying that it's a terrible album. In fact, a few of the songs, especially "He Said She Said," "Be Good To Me," and "Don't Touch," are pretty good. The bulk of the disc is full of a steady diet of easily digested power pop beats. Some parents may find a few of the songs a little too risque for their children under the age of thirteen. Just keep in mind that this isn't a Disney-produced album that caters to children. It's a mainstream pop effort for Tisdale. With that said, however, most of the songs on here will most likely make it to a junior high dance before you know it.

What prevents me from giving this album more than three stars is the fact that it lacks in originality. A number of these songs, most notably "Not Like That" and "Over It," could easily have been slipped into any other teeny-bopper's album. In other words, there are just a couple of really strong songs and a lot of filler. "Goin' Crazy" seems to have channelled Britney Spears' "Crazy" in that they sound very similar. The title track screams of Gwen Stefani and late 80's hip-hop.

I hate to do this, but I must single out one track as one of the poorest recordings I've ever heard. "Unlove Me" shouldn't have been on this album. It not only reveals with glaring perfection the limits of Tisdale's voice, but it also cheapens the entire album as well.

Other than that one major miscue, Ashley Tisdale's debut album will probably be well-received in the ten to fifteen-year-old demographic. Older teens will probably not find much here to grasp onto and adults like myself (I'm thirty) will find only a few marginal tunes that deserve repeat listenings.

Overall, I'd suggest this disc to younger teens and tweens and anyone who wishes to relive the first time they saw Britney Spears dance onto the screen in a Catholic school girl outfit.

I found myself wondering whether or not i would enjoy this cd and minus 2 or 3 songs on the CD. I actually enjoyed it among my favorites Don't Touch (The Zoom Song), He Said, She Said, So Much For You and Not Like That. It's a really catchy dance driven cd but it has kind of an R&B flavor to it that should get some play at any dance or whether the mood strikes you. I also enjoyed a couple of the slow songs, but i had more of a blast listening to the uptempo songs. Buy worthy cd no doubt.

I had no idea who Ashley Tisdale was before I heard the single: "He Said She Said". I immediately fell in love with the sugary pop sound and the catchy beat and lyrics. This is bubblegum pop at its finest.
The material on this CD appeals to all audiences and me being 30 years old proves that! LOL She has a decent voice as well - with a great range. There are a lot of the standard pop songs that have excellent beats and quite a few slower ballads that really show off Ashley's voice in them. The melodies are irresistible and you cannot help but tap your toes to these songs. It reminds me of the days of the Debbie Gibson, Tiffany and Expose music where the songs have the good beats, are fun and do not tackle too serious of issues.
This CD is a great guilty pleasure of mine and I cannot stop listening to it.

JAC ~~~~~ 07'

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