Vitamin C is kicking off 2000 the same way she exited '99. Burning up the pop charts with sun kissed sonnets and "it-girl" deals as she continues her ascension as pop's premier poster girl. Busy as a B, this C, with two Top 40 singles under her belt (Last year's smash "Smile," and the contagious "Me, Myself, And I"), as well as a flurry of projects that would make even the material girl envious. The coming months will see VC ushering in Tommy Hilfiger's Vitamin C Lipstick (orange of course) and her very own Mattel doll (some want to call it mini-me myself and I) as well as the launch of her third single, the poignant "Graduation," to be released just in time for the spring ritual.

You think it would have been hard to top '99. VC completed a sold out tour last fall with pop sensation 98 Degrees, as well as an unforgettable romp through Europe and Asia. (pics from the trek will be posted here soon) She became a media darlin' in '99, gracing the stages of a myriad of TV shows, including The Tonight Show, The Teen Choice Awards, The Rosie O' Donnell Show, and the Billboard Music Awards. VC also tried her hand at Pokemon, contributing her bouncy "vacation" to the best selling soundtrack.

Not bad for a girl from South Jersey way. The self described "girl-next-door-you-think-you-know" hails from Old Bridge, NJ. People magazine crowed: "she sounds more East London, having gleaned the trill and bouncy hooks and acute pop sensibilities from the Brit pop exports of the '70's' and '80's." VC recalls fondly spicing up the old record collection. "It contained what we called the B's - Beach Boys, Beatles, Blondie - " She pauses for dramatic effect, " - and the Breeders...." Her quick laugh fills the room. "Well, maybe I was the girl next door and a little left of center." On her self-titled premier, she cleverly mines pop's past and present, utilizing some unique producers to help expand her coat-of-many-colors approach, offering up 12 eclectic gems in the process.

"I started out as a dancer. I've always loved to dance," she says matter-of-factly. VC's early showbiz dreams led to a few acting roles. Eventually she decided she wanted to play music. It absorbed her. She began to like the idea of being in a band. "It's funny, but I always found no matter what band I was in, even if it had a slightly more frayed edge to it, I was drawn to the more tongue in cheek elements, but it always had to have that edge."

She discovered that precise chemistry in the plucky Eve's Plum. After a grateful run, and two acclaimed LP's, she would exit the band on good terms, excited about the prospects of going solo. Her dream was to combine a lot of her unrealized, "more playful/optimistic" notions into one persona, Vitamin C.

In 1998, She landed a development deal with Elektra. "I felt really good about it. I felt I had the experience to take artistic control and prove that this album could be an extension of my vision, as well as the sum of everything I had learned along the way." Sr. VP of A&R for Elektra, Josh Deutsch, (Third Eye Blind, Alana Davis, Vast) recognized Vitamin C's vision right from the start. Josh's background includes both production and writing experience, including a stint as a songwriter for EMI publishing. The two became instant collaborators, with Josh co-writing and producing several of the tracks with Vitamin C.

Deutsch helped enlist other producers. One of them, Garry Hughes (who has worked alongside Trevor Horn for many years) became a mainstay of the project, working with Vitamin C and Deutsch as producer/keyboardist/programmer to help bring more of Vitamin C's ideas to life.

"It was great working with the different producers," she recalls. "And Josh was the ultimate writing partner because he had an understanding of the big picture. He's one of those rare, old-fashioned A&R guys who comes from a musician's point of view. He's lived through this whole experience himself."

And VC can strike a wistful note when necessary. The album's closer, "Graduation," touches a chord in anyone who has ever looked back on life's changes. "It's about moving on. I used graduation as the setting because it is such a universal and pivotal point in people's lives. For so many of us it's both a beginning and an end. We used a real high school choir, NYC's All City Chorus, to enhance the spirit of the song. When I was talking to the kids in the choir their outlook was inspiring. So many of them believe that they will be "friend's forever". I wanted to keep a touch of idealism as part of this album.