After the phenomenal success of manufactured groups like N’Sync and the recent craze of reality TV, what better way to make a dollar than to actually bring the two together to create the ultimate show – Making the Band.  What sounded like a good idea for Diddy soon turned out to be a nightmare via the now defunct and delinquent group Da Band.  Out of six members only three have managed to remain free from imprisonment while none have gone on to reach any form of success since the series.  So, after two long seasons at the drawing board in search of an all girl’s group, has Diddy finally struck gold with Danity Kane?

The self-titled LP starts out strong with “One Shot.” For those who followed the show, you’ll remember the song as the energetic theme music for the reality series.  Following suit is the sultry “Right Now” produced by Timbaland.  I love the harmony that the girls bring here. After episodes of struggle in that department, it was refreshing to hear the hard work come full circle.  Their bass-ridden first single “Show Stopper” follows.  The interesting thing here is that the single has had virtually no air play or video rotation.  Weird for a first single off such a major label.  The Rodney Jerkins produced “Hold Me Down” brings Aundrea to the spotlight while “Ride For You” showcases the raspy voice of Dawn.  Other standouts include “Touching My Body” and the Latin-influenced “Press Pause” - a surprise gem among the other hard-hitting tracks.

Throughout the album, I applauded the effort of including all the members on the majority of the tracks.  It’s nothing worse than witnessing a Destiny’s Child scenario with one person singing the lead on every song. That said, more is not always best. There were several songs where the inclusion of all the members seemed a bit forced.  A great example of that occurs on “Hold Me Down.” Aundrea and Dawn ride the track so well that anyone extra just seems like overkill.  It’s not to say that Aundrea, Dawn or any other member sings better than another, but certain members do mesh better with certain tracks and/ or styles.  Along the same lines, with four or five people singing on one song, it was difficult to identify the full range of the members.  Throughout the album, it just seemed like producers merely brought out the surface; the obvious. Two members in particular who seemed to have more to offer were Shannon and Aubrey.  Although, they can be heard here and there throughout the album, there seems to be some untapped potential there.  Hopefully, future projects will capture some of that lost talent.    

All aside, I like this album.  The music is solid and interesting from beginning to end.  It seems the five-star line of producers pulled their weight and maintained the momentum.  More importantly, I like these girls.  On the strength of a show that did everything short of put a magnifying glass over their faults, these girls are on track to move 200,000 units in their debut week – a week they share with hip-hop favorites OutKast.  Not bad for a group of newbies.   Go cop this.