They are calling her a pop culture dynamo. They are saying she is daring and sexy. They are billing her as the next big thing for pop music. No, not Brittney or Christina or even Jessica Simpson; that other blondie vying for the title of Miss Teeny-Bopper is Vitamin C. After making it with songs like “Smile” and “Graduation (Friends Forever),” the artist known as Vitamin C is hitting us again with More. The album consists of infectious dance tunes with little or no substance.
The first song, “The Itch,” sets the tone for the whole album. The sound is undeniably that of studio mixed pop noise. With funky vocal effects and a steady dance beat, “The Itch” is a textbook example of the formula for a be-bop teen hit. We are expected to relate to this song because it supposedly sympathizes with us when we want to break away and satisfy the urge to do something crazy. It does not quite work.
“Sex Has Come Between Us” is a laugh-out-loud song because the idea is supposed to be so serious, but it is lost due to the silly lyrics and hyperactive beat. Two friends let their hormones take hold of their ability to reason and suddenly they have a bigger problem than if they should order pizza with or without pepperonis. Horrors. Everything is different now, but she really doesn’t seem to care. Let’s sing about it and dance around and forget about how confusing it makes things when it really does happen to two friends.
The best worst song on the album is “Dangerous Girl.” The melody and beat are actually decent, but thanks to the lyrics it is impossible to keep a straight face while listening. She sets us up by telling us that she used to be Daddy’s little girl. But now she has met a boy who wears baggy jeans and has her name tattooed on his thigh. When she is around him, bless her heart, she just can’t resist; she has to be a bad girl. The chorus is a truly special: “You are my hiphopper. You are my heartstopper. You are the only one who makes me feel like a dangerous girl. You are my eye candy. You are my phat daddy. Yeah, you’re the only one who makes me feel; you make me feel like a dangerous girl.” Tell that to your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day and see if he calls the next day. This song begs to be good. It has cool background vocals and instrumentaion reminiscent of some of the groups from the sixties like the 5th Dimension, but it is just hard to see beyond other aspects.
“I Know What Boys Like” has to be a remake of that 80s song. It was okay the first time around, but Vitamin C might want to consider just sticking to her own stuff. “That Was Then, This Is Now” sounds an awful lot like the previously mentioned “Graduation” song with its slower beat and spoken delivery.
Overall, More makes a valiant effort at being hip and fun. The beats are energetic and Vitamin C’s voice has some richness on the few instances where she lets it go. However, the main issue is that the lyrics are shallow and for the most part dwell on teasing the boys. That is just not nice, nor is it original or interesting for the duration of a 12 song album.