The target is clear: young teenage girls looking for someone who sings what they think and do. The marketing plan is commercial: take one hip-hop marketing and production genius, add a few hit-making songwriters, toss in four photogenic girls who can sing and dance, and style the music around middle-of-the-road pop with an R&B edge. The group name is typical: Dream. All this being considered, however, It Was All A Dream is, for the most part, shockingly solid commercial pop.

In grand theatrical style, the members of Dream (Holly Arnstein, Diana Ortiz, Melissa Schuman, and Ashley Poole) introduce themselves as the piano starts into the ever-familiar "He Loves U Not." The piano, of course, quickly fades to the thumping beats that bear striking resemblance to those of Christina Aguilera's "Genie In A Bottle." This, of course, is no coincidence, since David Frank, co-producer and co-songwriter of "He Loves U Not," produced Aguilera's track as well. Luckily, they manage to set themselves aside from the pack with their attitude-filled lyrics: "Doesn't matter how hard you try / never gonna get with my guy."

Electronic beats are the backdrop for "This Is Me," an ode of unfaltering loyalty to an unnamed boyfriend. It carries over what has become a Dream trademark: subtle -- and often cheesy -- comments being dropped throughout a song. As the girls sing together, "I'm never gonna let you down / mess around / can't you see / that was her / and baby this is me," one member of Dream hollers, "Get a grip!"

The girls bring personality to songs like "Pain" and their cover of New Edition's "Mr. Telephone Man." They're aware of the fact they can sing, but, fortunately, they spare the listeners of Aguilera-like trills. As their debut demonstrates, Dream might have just enough edge to survive the eventual downfall of bubblegum pop.
Dream

It Was All A Dream

(Bad Boy)

reviewed by Gabrielle Grubka