Honest to God, we don’t know what to make of “Come Back To Me,” the TRL favorite from Vanessa Hudgens (apparently, she’s one of those High School Musical moppets, which means she has more money and more street recognition than any other artist we’ve written about in the past two weeks). On one hand, “Come Back” samples Player’s 1978 soft-rock hit “Baby Come Back,” and it’s catchier than anything on Janet’s new record; on the other hand, you can hear the ghosts of 500 better songs by the one-minute mark, and Hudgens “raps” only slightly better than Marci X.
What’s the verdict? Better-than-average tween-pop, or another overproduced Disney Radio-ready sound-alike? Either way, if we’re drunk enough at karaoke and this comes on, we’re stepping up to the mic.
Vanesa Hudgens – Come Back To Me [MP3, link expired]
In the alternate pop universe of Radio Disney, it’s all context, and when played sandwiched between the new Cheetah Girls song and the Cha Cha Slide, I bet this song sounds flawless.
It’d be nice if the music industry would finally realize that you shouldn’t structure R&B and pop songs the way you do rap songs – by creating the beat/sample first and then singing a melody around it.
It’s the other way around, geniuses.
She sounds just like Hilliary Duff, and Ashleigh Simpson, and Jessica Simpson, and Britany Spears, and everyone else who can’t sing and has the computer do it for them. Good job. You can stand in front of a camera and not throw up while pretending to sing so that 12 year old boys will want you. I hope you’ll be proud to tell your children about that.
You know, I’m sure when she’s laying her head down on her pillow stuffed with hundred dollar bills tonight, she’s going to be deeply concerned about the artistic legacy she leaves behind for her future offspring.
This is gonna come out more cynical than I mean it to, but: She’s no JoJo.
Doesn’t matter how rich she gets, I’d be ashamed to be her kid.
As someone who had to pay for my own college education, I think I could manage to be ok with some trickle down wealth from former teen-pop riches.
‘She’s no Jo Jo’.
Hee hee. That’s funny, but sadly, true.
“What’s the verdict? Better-than-average tween-pop, or another overproduced Disney Radio-ready sound-alike? ” Hmm…can’t it be both?
I circle both answers.
verdict: does this mean Idolator actually watched the disney channel long enough to score a capture of that video?
Spotted: Ghost of Avril Lavigne’s “Complicated”.
Vanessa: “I see you out with all your friends / Laughing it up as you pretend…” = Avril: “You come over unannounced / Dressed up like you’re somethin else.”