Bianca Ryan - Bianca Ryan - CD

Not since LeAnn Rimes broke onto the airwaves with "Blue" has America been so smitten with a pre-teen singer. Like Rimes before her, Bianca Ryan launched her climb to fame with an appearance on Star Search, and now, after winning the first-ever America's Got Talent television competition, she has an album of her own.

The self-titled disc is produced by an all-star team of talent, including David Foster, and the selections are designed to show off the remarkable range of this 12-year-old. Although some of the subjects seem a little mature for someone of her age, she takes them on with a voice that seems to reinforce the notion that age is just a number.

Her cover of the timeless Bette Midler hit, "The Rose," provides a powerful and uplifting opener. Ryan's voice wraps around the words with the conviction of a singer twice -- heck, three times -- her age and turns this ballad into an operatic anthem of hope. By the time it swells to its finale, she has successfully covered the listener in goose bumps and, it would seem, has nothing left to prove.

But it is obvious that she's just getting started. She takes on a handful of covers, such as "Dream in Color," "I Believe I Can Fly" and "You Light Up My Life." It's safe territory, and she goes above and beyond in her delivery. This disc opens the door for more adventurous music in the future, which is all but guaranteed, given that she has signed a five-record deal with Simon Cowell's fledgling SYCO Music label.

Original songs on this disc have the same kind of hopeful, uplifting messages found on the cover tracks. On "Pray For a Better Day," she sings about never losing hope. Even when times are tough, instead of giving up she throws up a prayer. Like most of the tracks on the disc, this one gives her plenty of room to perform her vocal gymnastics, and she doesn't let the listener down.

One of the show-stopping moments on America's Got Talent came when Ryan performed "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," the song that originally won acclaim for Jennifer Holliday in the musical Dreamgirls. Producers would have been remiss to not include that song in this collection, and the version here is even more powerful than the one that brought the television audience to its feet. Her voice fills every bit of space in the speakers on this tale of unparalleled devotion and leaves the listener just short of breathless.

The disc's closer is a seasonal track, "Why Couldn't It Be Christmas Every Day?," that gets the stockings rockin' and puts a smile on the face of even the most sour Scrooge. This is the one song that lets the little kid inside that big voice come out and play, and it's a great touch.

The dozen tracks on Bianca Ryan are designed to please fans who fell in love with the next big thing while sitting on their couch. The album is clearly orchestrated for that demographic, but it hits its target loud and proud. In the future, Ryan will be allowed to explore styles and find her own voice, but for now, she is giving America exactly what it wants -- and doing so with style.

By Paula Felps