Gioca a fare la dura Jennifer Paige nell'hit ("Crush") che le ha assicurato il famoso quarto d'ora di celebrità di cui parlava Andy Warhol: "È solo una cotterella / non è che svengo ongni volta che ci tocchiamo / è solo un piccolo flirt", e ancora: "Tu dici per sempre ma non è quel che cerco / al massimo posso impegnarmi per un forse". Salvo poi, in altri brani di questo disco, ripiegare nei clichés (dunque tanto più veri) della canzone sentimentale: "Sarò qui a stringerti quando piangerai / con la mia tenerezza scaccerò le nuvole" ("Let It Rain"), e simili.

Nel 1998, non ancora 25enne, esordisce con un album omonimo Jennifer Paige, americana di Atlanta, Georgia. È una raccolta di 10 canzoni (più due bonus remix) di cui Jennifer è coautrice soltanto in tre casi, e che per il resto portano la firma del produttore Andy Goldmark. Un pop leggero, dal quale non ci si deve aspettare grandi cose, ma che risulta comunque efficace a dispetto della sua dichiarata mancanza di pretese.

L'accompagnamento ritmico delle chitarre acustiche costituisce l'ossatura di quasi tutti i brani, come ad esempio "Questions" o "Between You and Me", mentre gli interventi di rifinitura affidati alle chitarre elettriche sono più radi e appena percettibili. Proseguendo nell'ascolto del disco ci si imbatte in un brano come "Busted", che meriterebbe maggior notorietà di quanta ne abbia avuta finora. Qui Jennifer gioca a fare la sophisticated lady, e le riesce pure bene: voce flessuosa ed espressiva su uno sfondo di tastiere acustiche ed elettriche, assolo jazzato di pianoforte, atmosfera molto cool.

Ma il nome di Jennifer Paige resta legato a doppio filo soprattutto a "Crush", quel suo primo frizzante successo che ha sedotto anche il sottoscritto: non di grande amore si è trattato, è stata una piccola cotta per questa fragile stellina americana.

Elenco tracce testi e video

01   Crush (03:20)

Ahh, crush, ahhh

I see ya blowin' me a kiss
It doesn't take a scientist
To understand what's going on baby
If you see something in my eye
Let's not over-analyze
Don't go too deep with it baby

So let it be, what it'll be
Don't make a fuss and get crazy over you and me
Here's what I'll do
I'll play loose
not like we have a date with destiny

It's just (aah) a little crush (crush)
Not like I faint every time we touch
It's just (aah) some little thing (crush)
Not like everything I do, depends on you
Sha-la-la-la, Sha-la-la-la

It's raising my adrenaline
You're banging on a heart of tin
Please don't make too much of it baby
You say the word "forevermore"
That's not what I'm looking for
All I can commit to is "maybe"

So let it be what it'll be
Don't make a fuss and get crazy over you and me
Here's what I'll do
I'll play loose
Not like we have a date with destiny

It's just (aah) a little crush (crush)
Not like I faint every time we touch
It's just (aah) some little thing (crush)
Not like everything I do depends on you
Sha-la-la-la, Sha-la-la-la

Vanilla skies (vanilla skies)
White picket fences in your eyes
A vision of you and me

It's just (aah) a little crush (crush)
Not like I faint every time we touch
It's just (aah) some little thing (crush)
Not like everything I do depends on you
Sha-la-la-la
Not like I faint every time we touch
It's just (aah) some little thing
Not like everything I do depends on you
Sha-la-la-la
Not like I faint every time we touch
It's just (aah) some little thing
Not like everything I do
(fade)

02   Always You (radio edit) (03:43)

03   Questions (04:15)

04   Get to Me (04:01)

05   Busted (03:48)

Chewin' on my raisinettes
Thinkin' bout what I want next
Thinking maybe I'm addicted
Checking out my pay per view
All I do is think of you
What's wrong baby, with this picture
Cause love is just too much work
Never shoulda lingered over dessert

(CHORUS)
You're the fever of my night
The dream I just can't fight
Everytime I try - busted
You're the shiver up my spine
Can't keep my cool in line
You catch my eye - busted

Love reigns supreme
But never over me
That's how I've always operated
What's that thing we had
Up in your bachelor pad
Left me so intoxicated
Love is just too much pain
Never shoulda gave you my number and name

(CHORUS)

Don't want somebody to love
Just want somebody to like me
Don't want somebody too close
Just want somebody beside me
Don't want somebody too much, nothing complicated
Don't want somebody too much, too much, too much

(CHORUS)

06   Sober (radio edit) (04:03)

07   Between You and Me (04:00)

08   Let it Rain (04:15)

09   Just to Have You (04:16)

10   Somewhere, Someday (03:56)

When clouds roll above you start to pour
And all of your doubts rage like a storm
And you don't know who you are anymore
Let me help you find what you been searching for

Somewhere there's a field and a river
You can let your soul run free
Someday le me be the giver
Let me bring you peace
Somewhere there's a break in the weather
Where your heart and spirit go free
Someday it'll be for the better
Let me bring you peace

I know you think no one sees
The weight on your shoulders
But you can't fool me
And aren't you tired of standing so tall
Let me be the one to catch you when you fall

Chorus

Let me bring you joy, let me bring you peace
Take the tears that you cry, trust them to me
Let me give you heart, and hope
Be the one constant love that you've never known

11   Always You (the Hex mix) (04:03)

12   Always You (the Ballad mix) (04:13)

13   Always You (original album version) (04:05)

14   Crush (David Morales club mix) (07:14)

15   Crush (Tiefschwarz Hollywood extended) (08:03)

Carico i commenti...  con calma