Preamble
How many more days until my NSYNC cd is released??? 65, thank you very much.
Who is Mikaila?
Mikaila (prounounced MI-KAY-LA) Dominique Enriquez is the latest pop princess wannabe to enter the TRL (that's Total Request Live for you non-hip parents) rat race.
Mikaila, who is 14 years old, is unlikely to be mistaken for the other blonde barbie doll girls (Mandy Moore, Jessica Simpson, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera). Why? She's a brunette silly :). If you take a look at her cd cover, she seems familiar (she looks like a young Celine Dion) but you can't quite make out her ethnicity. Is she from Europe? South America? Nope, the U.S. She's originally from Oklahoma but four years ago, was transplanted by her family to Texas. Incidentally, her mother is Caucasian and her father's heritage includes ties to the Aztec Indian, French, and Spanish.
So since she's not located in the pop capitals of the world (i.e. Orlando, Florida and Stockhom, Sweden), how did Mikaila come to be the next pop princess? While singing in church one time at the ripe old age of eight, she was discovered by an Executive Producer for the Good Morning America show. Mikaila performed on the show and then snagged manager Marty Rendleman (who previously managed Leann Rimers). By the time she was twelve, she had a signed record agreement with Island Records and label executive Jeff Fenster, who’d come to the label from Jive Records (where he’d brought in Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears), was a happy camper. He had the heir to Britney's throne. Does he? Hmmmm....
She started off on the right pop foot by opening up for Britney Spears during her Oops tour last year. Where she goes from here, I do not know. Stay tuned.
Just The Facts
Overall, this is a decent first effort for little ole Mikaila. Make no mistake about it, it's an overproduced group of songs that we will all probably forget about in two years. That's okay. For now, it's just good ole, fun pop.
Here's the scary thing. Her voice is good. Unfortunately, I think because she's started so young and in this particular genre, she'll become the Debbie Gibson of her pop generation.
Tracks
So In Love With Two
The rolling thunder of the drums pulls you into track #1, So In Love With Two. Instead of sappily declaring her love for a boy, she admits that she's got it bad for two guys and frankly, she likes it that way. Yes, it is overly produced, just like any song you would expect from a production company in Sweden. But no, not Max Martin's group. The little twist to this is that Mikaila had a hand in writing this. That's a little different then the other pop princesses. And no, Dear Diary co-written by Ms. Spears does NOT count :).
Grade: B
Straight To My Face
Is that Mariah Carey? For the first 10 seconds you wonder about it. The strong lyrics continue. That was when you made your big mistake. Thinkin' I would wanna play your games. If there's anything you have to say. Just tell me straight to my face. If you're familiar with Boyz N Girls United then this song would sound very similar to the work on their first cd.
Grade: C+
Forever For Always For You
Oh no! It's Mariah Carey again. She does a lot of those aaaaaaaaaooooooooooh's in the beginning. While this is a fine ballad - reminesceint of Diane Warren's tune, Because of You, I think it's a bit too mature for a 14 year old to sing. Although there are no lyrics in there that would make you blush, it is meant to be sung by someone who has a little *ahem* experience under their belt. And not even Madonna had this type of experience at 14 :).
Grade: B-
Playground
Woo Hoo! And speaking of Madonna, you can tell that this song is heavily influenced by the early days of the queen of dance tunes. It reminds me of a more updated, Everybody. Towards the end of the song, she flips into Christina Aguilera mode and pulls off one of those long screeches alternating with the ahhhhhhhhs.
Grade: B-
Talkin' Bout Me
Either Mikaila has an amazing range OR the production is just so good, you can't tell the difference. In every song, she seems to be able to pull a variety of sounds. Here, she sounds a lot like the high pitched girls from M2M. She starts out with a very innocent tone before she finally launches into her Christina Aguilera mode.
Grade: C
It's All Up To You
This has a beautiful piano intro. Mikaila's voice is very deep and full in this song. You know - something that Britney attempts to do in some of her tunes. Again, even though I like this ballad, I just have issues with her singing lyrics that sound like they should be coming out of the mouth of a 30 year old. Baby when I feel we're getting closer. You turn around. Saying all the things we're not supposed to. You let me down. I mean really, if a 14 year old *thinks* that they're let down at this age, they are in for a BIG shocker when they're 21 :).
Grade: B
Perfect World
In the fine tradition of Britney and Christina, Mikaila talks her way through the beginning of the song. People, people, people....this is a way to ruin a perfectly good song. Less is more! The musical background sounds familiar if you listen really carefully. About 30 seconds into the song, you realize - those synthesizers sound an awful lot like Ganstas Paradise. Although all of these things I've pointed out should make me not like the song, the driving force of the bass line just keeps me way interested.
Grade: B
My Dream Is Gone I just can't get you off my mind. And the nights we share
I can wait for you one more time. Cause baby I know you'll be there. Hello! My issue once again. Fourteen year olds (at least any that I've bore) better not be talkin' this way!
Grade: B-
My Heaven
With the exception AGAIN of those mature lyrics, this is a nice, flowing ballad. It showcases the beauty of her range and for once, she doesn't really sound like anyone but herself.
Grade: B+
Emotional
Here comes Britney! Think Oops, I Did It Again!. It seethes attitude and honesty. She sounds a bit like the girls from the A*Teens. And woo hoo! Lyrics that just about remind you of what it means to be a young teenager. Kinda like your sweet talk. And that could make a good start. But if you wanna move me. Play it straight with my heart. Grade: B
Because of You
Filler Alert! Filler Alert! That or Christina Aguilera accidentally took a detour.
Grade: D+
My Heart Can't Let You Go
Ooooh...the first ten seconds were bad. Just plain bad. It almost sounds like she is off key. The song can't decide what it's trying to accomplish. Yes, it should be a sappy, love-crushed infested ballad but it misses the mark. The two big failures of this song: bad key for her voice and lyrics that aren't believable for a 14 year old to sing.
Grade: F
The End
So, should you purchase this? Well, I know that not many of you are the pop fanatics that I am so if you do purchase it, it's likey a gift for your teenager :). Even though I'm a bit cranky about the mature lyrics, really, it is no worse then anything else coming out of other pop princesses mouths.
If they like any of the following groups, you'll find Mikaila to be their cup of tea:
Boyz N Girls United Britney Spears Christina Aguilera Mariah Carey M2M A*Teens
Recommended:
Yes
Great Music to Play While: Getting ready to go out
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