Vanessa Amorosi - Somewhere In The Real World (2008)

After a hiatus from the music business and only scattered minor appearances, Australian teen pop star Vanessa Amorosi skyrockets back onto the music scene with her infectious new album, Somewhere in the Real World. Amorosi's impressive vocal range and sexy Anastacia-esque tone carry her to new heights on this versatile, accessible album of slick pop tracks and cooing ballads. From the opening high-octane track "Start It," Amorosi kicks the album into high gear with unimaginably impressive vocals. This caliber of singing is supported by grade-A spunky lyrics (especially on "I Thought We'd Stay Together") and allows Amorosi to sparkle as an upbeat, funky pop singer. On "Kiss Your Mama!," Amorosi meticulously matches her fiery vocals with razor-sharp lyrical support, assuming the position of a pop dominatrix in one of few cases where pure pop music features flawless singing. However, the album is even more successful in that its ballads, which are not in short supply, are gentle and poignant. While Amorosi's weaknesses as a singer are exposed on a track like "Perfect," her vulnerabilities as an artist blossom. The album boasts beyond-impressive maturity for a singer/songwriter of such a young age, and Somewhere in the Real World picks up from where her first major album, The Power, left off, establishing a pop star whose grace and maturity reflect dollops of potential. This is a truly impeccable album in terms of balancing credibility, poise, maturity, and all the other things that glorify a true pop artist.