Jennifer Paige Albums (2)
'Positively Somewhere'
Release Date 9/18/2001
Tracks 12
Label Hollywood
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
With Crush, Jennifer Paige had one of the great singles of the '90s -- a single that arrived just a little too early for the teen pop explosion, yet it was so well-written, and delivered with such assurance by her, that it would have caused a sensation if it had appeared after Britney. On that song, Paige illustrated that she already had the chops of a Christina Aguilera but, better than that, she knew how to use them, and thereby sounded more mature than any of her peers. Unfortunately, she sat out almost all of the teen pop boom, coming back in late 2001 with her second album, Positively Somewhere. By that point, the air had started to leak out of the teen balloon, and it was hard for second-tier stars like Jessica Simpson to get heard, let alone somebody like Paige, who was never part of the scene. Doubly unfortunately, with Positively Somewhere she recorded an album that could only be seen as a teen pop album, lacking many of the mature overtones of her debut. She still sounds great -- rich, mature, and controlled beyond her years -- but the songs aren't as fully realized as the debut (let alone the superb "Crush") and the production is a little flimsy. It's hardly a disaster, since Paige makes the songs listenable and the music itself is appealingly generic, but there's no hook and no single that makes it stand apart from the pack -- which is unfortunate, since Jennifer Paige herself so clearly does. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Much as Donny Osmond stormed the charts in 1989 with the George Michael sound-alike "Soldier of Love," Jennifer Paige and her producer have re-created the same scenario via this collection's first offering, "Crush," a song very reminiscent of early Mariah Carey. It is only hoped that Carey will use this as a reminder of what made her voice so engaging upon her entrance into the pop diva arena. Jennifer unleashes a voice with great development potential that holds its own with a solid pop effort, and splendidly provides her own background vocals on most tracks as well. Definitely one of the brighter pop talents to emerge in quite a while. Standout tracks on this fine debut release include the first single "Crush," "Get to Me," "Somewhere, Someday," and the stellar "Let It Rain." ~ Jaime Ikeda, All Music Guide
