There are a host of would-be singles on Chris Daughtry's debut album, and many were written or co-written by Daughtry himself. The first hit is the Nickelback soundalike "It's Not Over," featuring a huge, anthemic chorus. Other highlights include Daughtry's own composition, "Home," as well as "Used To," "Over You" and "There and Back Again," a Soundgarden-esque song co-written by Shinedown's Brent Smith. This deluxe package comes with three bonus tracks: a live version of "It's Not Over" (which starts with screaming fans and a bass solo) and a pair of solo acoustic tracks.
Like each of the Making the Band 3 winners, the tracks on Danity Kane's second album are all so pretty and pleasant, it's kind of hard to tell them apart. Then again, Big Daddy Diddy designed his doll collection to be a cohesive unit, rather than five powerful solo artists. So while nothing here is quite as stand-alone compelling as "Show Stopper" (though "Damaged" is a valiant effort), the little details (the quirky beats on "Pretty Boy," the purred vocals on "Strip Tease" ) help make Dollhouse a charming complete package.
Adam Lambert nailed many different styles on American Idol, and he does the same on his debut album. Pairing Lambert with the Darkness' Justin Hawkins on "Music Again" was a genius move of glittery glam-rock proportions, with Lambert easily reaching those high falsettos. "For Your Entertainment" is an electric, syncopated romp a la Lady Gaga, as is the Lambert/Kara DioGuardi composition "Strut." The lynchpin, though, is "Whataya Want From Me," a mid-tempo charmer with a strong hook. As a whole, For Your Entertainment is a bit schizophrenic, but an undeniably fun listen.
Runners-up to the runners-up on British Idol-type show The X Factor, U.K. boy band One Direction took England by storm with the single "What Makes You Beautiful" and this debut album, which shot to No. 1. Unspeakably sweet vocals, mall-friendly dance beats, an undeniable Britney influence and both club and hip-hop touches make for infectious pop music that harkens more to the Auto-Tune era than to the days of 98 Degrees. The title cut is a good indicator of why 1D made it so far on the show and presumably has 11-year-old girls tied up in knots.
Alanis Morissette proves "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." Her purging of emotions struck a chord with millions of listeners, all of whom snapped up Jagged Little Pill in droves. Burned and bitter, Morissette's scathing rants are shaped by producer/craftsman Glen Ballard, who forged songs such as "You Oughta Know" and "Ironic" into bonafide anthems.
There's a fiery, vengeful, frankly pretty awesome Pat Benatar vibe at the onset of Carrie Underwood's fourth album, wherein crap dudes are verbally lambasted ("Good Girl"), sucked up in tornadoes ("Blown Away") and offed by their two-timed wives ("Two Black Cadillacs"). Sweet ballads and generally gentler/countrier fare dominate thereafter -- "Thank God for Hometowns" is humble and lovely -- but still, when the honky-tonk rave-up "Cupid's Got a Shotgun" comes along, she grabs a Kevlar vest, loads up and starts firing back. Hit her with your best shot, but hers is better.
Clarkson's second album continues to cement her place in the pantheon of young women who fall as easily into the adult contemporary market as they do into the teen beat category. Leaving much of the soulfulness of her debut for some heavier, rocking tunes, Clarkson comes on like a cross between the two Simpson sisters.
Like many Idols and big-voiced ladies, Hudson's large, lusty pipes have resulted in her languishing in a bland, adult-contemporary setting that shows off her skill but lacks style. But on album No. 2, Hudson may have the solid gold solution: dramatic club diva. Treacly inspirationals are carefully recrafted into survival anthems ready for their drag queen reenactment. Take "Everybody Needs Love": the vintage-cool, dance-pop-hot beats (courtesy of Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz) breathe campy, compelling life into hokey lyrics -- and let Hudson show off both vocal and personality range.
Christina Aguilera steps into adult territory with a rhythmic collection of songs, most of which she co-wrote. On Stripped, Aguilera tempers her vocal gymnastics and takes a more direct approach to the music -- with rewarding results. Although Stripped has some awkward, over-reaching moments, it nonetheless stands as a soulful, self-assured album.
Abandoning the emo-pop angst of sister band Meg & Dia, The Voice runner-up Frampton instead delivers a solo debut that showcases the kind of artist the show wants to foster: compelling, self-possessed, but with a malleable talent. Red is stylistically scattered, but charmingly so: Guests include Kid Cudi and Blake Shelton; tracks glide from rolling alt-country to shimmering disco, from straight-up Nashville pop to coffee-shop acoustic delivered with a femme fatale swagger (the surprising "Bullseye"). Frampton's velvety, torch-kissed voice molds to every inch of this impressive range.
Leona Lewis's much-heralded, chart-topping debut gets the deluxe treatment all the kids are so crazy for these days. Three new tracks are included: Her aching cover of Snow Patrol's "Run" (which has already achieved the honor of being the U.K.'s fastest-selling digital release ever); the soulful "Forgive Me," which more than earns the British chanteuse the title of "the next Mariah Carey;" and a dancefloor-ready cut of her mega-hit "Bleeding Love."
Although she came in third place on CMT's Nashville Star music competition, Miranda Lambert proved she had the guts and the grit to come out on top. With Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, the gun-toting hell-raiser erases all vestiges of that pop-culture reality TV show and positions herself as a true force to be reckoned with -- especially with the album's opener, "Gunpowder and Lead." A near-perfect effort, this album overflows with hormones, hostility and hard living, and serves as the perfect antithesis to girlie country pop. Although many of the songs on this album play up the bad-girl image, others, such as the weepy "Love Letters" and the sweetly twanging "Desperation," show Lambert's vulnerable side, which is equally appealing.
