Artist: Mandy Moore Album: 'So Real' Headline: ''Moore' of the same: Pop singer shows no sign of breaking mold with debut album full of fluff, stale cliches" By: Siana Herrera (Published May, 2000) In the school of bubble gum and puppy love pop, Mandy Moore is definitely graduating with honors. "So Real" is a sappy, sugar coated album and a carbon copy of all that is teen 'music, ' the use of the word 'music' being light. With this release, she makes herself the valedictorian of weak music. Ms. Moore, a 16-year-old Britney spears carbon copy, hails from Orlando and began performing at the age of 9. Many of today's artists try to start as young as possible so that they can show off their talents, but some of them, like Ms. Moore, should have waited a few more years to sign on. "So Real" is the title of her debut album, which was catapulted into the spotlight by the single "Candy." You either know all about Ms. moore or nothing at all, and most of America relates with the latter. It seems that it will stay that way, because this album is neither powerful nor emotional enough to survive longer than a Pauly Shore sitcom. The beginning track, "So Real," sounds like a mix of all that is teen, using the same beats and studio magic as artists like the Backstreet Boys and 98 Degrees. Lyrics such as "My heart is under lock and key/together we can set it free/can't control my every move/when we're together we're in the groove" don't help this album int trying to break the stereotypes. If she would like to be a breakthrough act, she will have to be more flexible with her styles of music rather than try and imitate everyone else. Many of today's most popular artists do not have the attributes that make up staying power, but instead show signs of ending up in the bargain bin in the next few months. The second, and most recognized track, "Candy," only continues to exist perhaps because it has a catchy and infectious beat, rendering the listener virtually helpless...trapped in a song. The only decent song on this album that shows only a sliver of Ms. Moore's vocal talents is feasible the recently released "Walk Me Home" yet this song is lyrically challenged: only 10 lines long, the rest being comprised of the chorus repeating. The other songs are so cliche that it makes the stomach flip over. Ms. Moore's album is a perfect example of assembly line music; as many albums as possible being released within months of eachother, having no regard to whether it is real music or not. Unfortunately, that is how much of today's music is being produced. The album, when viewed in whole, is practically a repetition of the same song, lyrics just phrased differently in an altered order. In comparison to other teen female artists out there, Ms. Moore would come in a close second to Christina Aguilera, an artist who got her start on Disney's "Mickey Mouse Club" around fellow 'musicians' Britney Spears and a few guys from *Nsync. Ms. Aguilera was fortunate enough to have an album that reflects her great vocal abilities. Ms. Moore has a strong voice, when used with the right songs. The poor showing on this album is due to the weak lyrics and overused melodies. Breaking out of the stale genre that she is stuck in will be the only aspect that will save her possible award winning career. When and if Ms. Moore gets better songwriters and mixers, she will be more widely recognized and commended for her exceptional voice and versatility. Until then, she will only be another high-pitched voice in the crowd of preteens signing record deals. Overall Album Rating: C+