A lot has been said about this girl on this board. A lot of praise has been given to her debut and you know what, it's very well deserved. This album is so much fun that I had to use the smiley face icon. It just makes you smile. Annie does have powerful vocals but she has a thin and cute voice. Her accent is noticable and it makes the songs work, though. The songs aren't excatly deep but she has a few cleaver quips, such as calling a lover her "Greatest Hit" and creating the persona "Anniemal". The album is a throwback to the eighties dance pop but has so many styles including disco ("Come Together"), techno ("Heartbeat") and R&B ("No Easy Love"). If you're hoping for a dance music revival on the radio, don't bother. Just pick up this CD. I bought a bunch of new discs lately and this is the only one that blew me away after the first listen.

This album has been extrememly meaningful to me since the first time I heard it. It is unbelievably fun and its mere creation is a very touching story.

I will add, though, that songs like "Heartbeat" and "My Best Friend" are not typical subject matter for pop music.

Moonbeam said:

howdoya mean?

Have you heard this chick live?

smellmyfunk said:

A bad live show should not prevent people from buying the album.

Otherwise I would have to sell all my Cocteau Twins CDs.

sextonseven said:

Plus, she's just starting out.

CinisterCee said:

I was just listeneing to "Heartbeat" and the way it is written is very sincere and honest. It's like a diary entry and is almost sung that way. Nothing on the album is forced the way some pop songs sound now of days. It's as if they are trying to get the album done as soon as possible, "just get it away from me"!

CinisterCee said:

Here's my review:

In the world of pop music, little is left to the imagination and even less is expected. So often, it is processed within a beat of its life; its plastic production and ostentatious gloss render it soulless and lifeless. Every so often, though, an artist manages to inject personality and humanity into overt pop frilliness. In 2004, Annie indubitably staked her claim as a pop princess that the world, not just her native Norway, could relish.

Throughout the course of Anniemal, her first full-length release, Annie delivers spunk, energy, insouciance, poignance and even a story. The album is prefaced by the irresistible effervescence of "Chewing Gum," whose feathery vocals and synthesized chug make it as intentionally disposable- and addictive- as its title and lyrics dictate. This sets the stage for Annie to open up into the many facets the album has to offer, from the urban snarl of "Always Too Late" to the pure pop glitz of the Kylie-flavored "Me Plus One," whose melody and cocky bass jabs seem destined for greatness.

One of the album's biggest accomplishments is that its heroine retains her approachability in contrast to the grossly overstated and unattainable wealth that plagues the pop milieu. Nowhere is this more evident than on the second single, "My Heartbeat", which succeeds so well that it could serve as a template for the perfect organic pop song. Soft electronic piano is echoed by a persistent, hypnotic bass pulse as Annie hovers above the mix with a vocal that is at once ethereal and vulnerable. Consequently, its appeal is both transcendent and authentically human. Annie does not come off as pop royalty, but rather as a long lost friend.

Despite its variety of textures and styles, the album is able to maintain its identity cohesively. While the title track is a kaleidoscope of saccharine pop, the follow-up "No Easy Love" has such a breezy groove that it recalls Prince and Chic. Elsewhere, the aptly named "Greatest Hit" utilizes the punch of a sample from Madonna's "Everybody" to its fullest. The standout opus "Come Together" is an uplifting call to unity, opening with a stark wafer-thin vocal that launches into a delectable disco bonanza. The album closes with the somber, downbeat "My Best Friend", whose introspective dealings make it the album's most personal track.

Perhaps the most astonishing of all of the album's qualities is its mere existence. Each breath and note contained is underscored by personal tragedy. Her first single, "Greatest Hit" dates to 1999 as a collaboration with her boyfriend. A club hit, it paved the way for their musical union to extend to a full album. However, those plans were derailed by his untimely death from a rare heart disorder at age 23. This knowledge renders songs like "My Heartbeat" and "My Best Friend" even more endearing and the encouragement of "Come Together" and the title track even more inspiring. As such, Anniemal stands tall as both a personal and a musical triumph.

I promise I will buy an original copy of this CD on my next shopping trip