Various Artists - Cheetah Girls 2 [CD]

(The Special Edition CD includes the bonus tracks "Route 66" and "Strut." The DVD features live performances of "The Party's Just Begun," "Step Up," "Cinderella," "Strut," and "Cheetah Sisters;" plus an exclusive interview with the Cheetah Girls. Also included is a free ringtone download, "Amigas Cheetahs," and wallpapers for your phone.)

The Disney Channel's fictional Cheetah Girls, four friends from New York who join forces to form a dance pop group, are back. With the success of the first movie, it was only a matter of time before Disney made a sequel. In The Cheetah Girls, the singers chased stardom and learned lessons about friendship and the realities of the music business. In movie number 2 the girls take their antics and music to Spain, where a new life lesson and adventure awaits them.

The folks at Disney (in one of their wiser moves) used actors who can sing, to play The Cheetah Girls. Raven-Symone (Galleria), Adrienne Bailon (Chanel), Sabrina Bryan (Dorinda), and Kiely Williams (Aquanette) hold there own as vocalists, which makes The Cheetah Girls 2 soundtrack a painless listen. The Cheetah's could be the Spice Girls of the twenty-first century. The young gals have 'real' talent. The beats on the album are contemporary, the vocals crisp, and the production slick.

The material on The Cheetah Girls 2 is as good as anything on pop radio today. Raven is front and center on three songs she co-wrote: the dreamy "It's Gonna Be Alright," the percussive "Do Your Own Thing" and the '70s flecked "Everyone's A Star." The latter is a cross between The Bee Gees and Madonna. Raven might get top billing, but the other Girls add layers of smooth harmonies. Raven lists off the 'real stars' in her eyes: garbage men, mailmen, firemen, policemen, and teachers, among others.

"Strut," which starts off with some slippery Spanish guitar before exploding into a club track, sounds a bit like Paula Abdul (long before she became a teary-eyed judge on American Idol). The girls trade lines on the number and get their funk on. Since The Cheetah Girls 2 movie is set in Spain, the producers add a bit of Spanish flavoring to the songs. "Amigas Cheetahs" has a cool Miami Sound Machine thing going, while "A La Nanita Nana," a traditional number performed by Mexican singer/actress Belinda, is sung completely en Espanol.

The Cheetah Girls movies are wholesome entertainment for teens and pre-teens alike. A few moms and dads will enjoy the light-hearted storylines and the squeaky clean pop songs as well. The Cheetah Girls 2 soundtrack won't win Grammy Awards, but it's a fun listen nonetheless.

By Todd Sterling