No Ordinary Girl (by Jordan Pruitt, Pop)

Infectious, appealing instrumental tracks showcase intelligent, expressive vocals on Jordan Pruitt's debut CD, NO ORDINARY GIRL. The young singer, still a teenager herself, approaches a dozen tween-friendly songs with versatility and style. "Teenager" ("Give me a break, I'm just a teenager/I like putting things off till later") will resonate with most family members, and no girl who's ever lived through middle school will be unfamiliar with the type described on "Miss Popularity" ("No need to try out for the school play/you know she'll get the lead anyway…she's the girl that you love to hate"). "Outside Looking In" paints a poignant picture with "You don't know how it feels to be outside the crowd, and you don't know how it feels to be left out."

The most successful songs on NO ORDINARY GIRL are the up-tempo tracks, on which Jordan allows herself some expressive spunk and lyrical irony. The ballads, though well-written, tend to veer dangerously close to the edge of sappiness. Over all, Jordan Pruitt comes across as a thoughtful, talented young woman with the spot-on ability to speak to -- and about -- the roller-coaster ride of growing up.

Released on: February 6, 2007
Label: Hollywood Records
Genre: Pop