In the early 1990s, teen idols
Tiffany and
Debbie Gibson both set out to shed their "teen queen" images by getting away from sugary pop and embracing a tougher urban contemporary sound. The new
Tiffany was unveiled with
New Inside, which was every bit as radical a departure from her previous albums as she claimed. What the CD isn't, however, is memorable. High-tech cuts like "Tiff's Back" (which was produced by
Maurice Starr, who had made a fortune working with
New Kids On The Block) and the new jack swing-influenced "It's You" sound like they were tailor-made for urban radio. They also sound contrived and robotic. The CD bombed, and
Tiffany failed to regain her popularity. ~ Alex Henderson