The original soundtrack to
Gary Marshall's teen makeover fantasy
The Princess Diaries features
teen pop galore from the likes of
Krystal Harris,
Youngstown, and
B*Witched. While most of the album consists of slick, virtually interchangeable singles like
Myra's
"Miracles Happen" and
Steps'
"Happy Go Lucky," a few tracks, for better or worse, are particularly distinctive.
Aaron Carter and
Mandy Moore tackle
"Little Bitty Pretty One" and
"Stupid Cupid," respectively, in misguided attempts to update the songs. However, the cold productions and clunky rhythms on both covers make them almost unlistenable. Fortunately,
Melissa Lefton's
"I Love Life," BBMak's
"Miss You More," and
3Gs'
"Crush" suggest that there's some hope for
teen pop's future; the genre's most venerable acts,
Hanson and
the Backstreet Boys, each turn in decent if unremarkable tracks in
"Wake Up" and
"What Makes You Different (Makes You Beautiful)"-- a philosophy that both
The Princess Diaries and its soundtrack could have used more of. ~ Heather Phares