When signing performers, it is important to remember that anybody could be singing the songs on their records. Since performers aren’t going to be known for their music they write (because they don’t write any), the singer must offer something new and attractive, something that will distinguish him or her from the leagues of other wannabes on the sales shelves. The question producers and A&R departments alike should thus be asking themselves is: what does this new talent bring to the table that can compete with luminaries like Britney and Christina?

With this in mind, let us analyze Amanda, a young, beautiful, Swedish/French singer who, according to her press release, wants to have a “long career, … performing all over the world.”

Asset #1: She’s young and beautiful. Unfortunately, that’s simply a prerequisite.

Liability #1: Her lyrics are used goods. Take, for example, “Everybody Doesn’t,” a song about pressure in a relationship and fear of going too fast. Or the equally typical “The Way I Am,” in which Amanda declares she is not just another pretty face, “not afraid of standing out / don’t belong in a crowd.”

Liability #2: Though she claims to bring a euro-pop feel to the music, this critic was unable to find it. (Searches through the generic pop sludge of “Everybody Doesn’t” and insipid dribble of “If I Open My Heart To You” proved futile.)

Liability #3: Amanda takes the “Barbie-doll” image to a new level. One might actually mistake her for a singing, dancing piece of plastic.

Liability #4: Unlike *NSYNC and Christina Aguilera, who are moving forward in their sound by experimenting with various genres while remaining faithful to their fans, Amanda picks up the used discards of her contemporaries, hoping people will buy them the second time around.

You do the math.
Amanda

Everybody Doesn't

(Maverick)

reviewed by Chris Kelly