Bianca Ryan Album: “Bianca Ryan”

This "little girl" deserved a much better mixing and mastering job than she got. The CD is so overly compressed--the musical equivalent of TYPING EVERYTHING IN ALL CAPS SO THE DYNAMICS ARE COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND EVERYTHING JUST SOUNDS ALL-THE-SAME-LOUD AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT YOUR EARS HURT AND SO DOES YOUR HEAD AND YOU'VE GOT TO TURN IT OFF--that one gets the impression that Bianca is having to scream over the background that should have been, but was decidedly not, relegated to the background.

The song choices for Ms. Ryan are excellent, balanced and suggestive of what she's capable of. But why did the CD producers have to BURY her like that? Whatever were they thinking? They ruined the work of the other artists, too; for example, the arrangement of the bonus track "Groovin'" could have been extraordinary had it not been for the beat overwhelming everything else. Halfway through the song, I felt like I was listening to some nondescript rap song blasted through all the windows of a car beside which I'm stuck in traffic. This is NOT the artists' fault. It is errors in judgment at the mixing level, which can make or break an album.

Bianca Ryan is sheer brilliance, and just looking at her photos in the liner notes makes me happy as I remember how she blew us all away during America's Got Talent. But this CD does not begin to show her off; no, it detracts from her amazing talent, depth, and range. There is no way to repair the damage with equalization. I'm glad I bought the CD because I think it will be collectible one day and I want Bianca to be encouraged in her career. She is definitely a powerhouse, but I doubt I'm going to want to listen to this debut CD very much due to the mixing and compression issues.

I hope they'll remix "Bianca Ryan" and re-release it so her debut album truly does her justice. (A remix would be easier to do, I expect, than a remake of the butchered/abbreviated mess of a movie Fox made from another young prodigy's impressive work, Christopher Paolini's "Eragon.")

Kid wins talent competition. Kid rushes out CD three months later. By all rights, your kids should play it twice and let it gather dust forevermore.

So, how does 12-year-old Bianca Ryan make her debut? With a voice beyond her years, a heart some singers can never show, and some of the biggest names in the business (including David Foster) begging exec-producer Simon Cowell to work with her, Ryan has "rushed" out a powerful debut that's true to her gospel/R&B roots while appealing to her age group.

Or, mostly, their parents.

Ryan opens with "The Rose", the Bette Midler classic (from 15 years before Ryan was born) that is given a dusting off and a slightly more pop-music feel. Same goes for the R. Kelly tune "I Believe I Can Fly" (until it takes a sharp, unabashed turn back into gospel at the end). Other covers include Regina Belle's "Dream In Color"--a powerful gospel ballad rewritten especially for Ryan ("When I dream, I dream in color/There is so much I want to discover/Somewhere I know there's a rainbow waiting for me")--and "You Light Up My Life", an otherwise unremarkable remake that adds a little heart to a ballad that has always seemed forced.

Original songs written for Ryan include "Awake" (a mid-tempo pop tune for the Hilary Duff set), "Pray For A Better Day" (a laid-back funk ballad) and the Diane Warren-penned "I Wish That" (a mid-tempo yet intense vocal showcase that screams "listen to me, world, here's how things ought to be").

Kicking up the tempo, "Superstar" is straight-up, Britney-ish pop that's admittedly infectious (and not just a little corny) but could be sung by anyone; "Why Couldn't It Be Christmas Every Day?" is an instant holiday classic.

Not unexpectedly, the album also features the full version of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", the Broadway Show tune that helped her win 'America's Got Talent' in August.

Established artists struggle with albums that are appealing while staying true to their roots; Bianca Ryan takes her first huge step into a tough world and makes it seem easy. Like Brandy said, "you were born to do this."

This is one of those CD's that I knew I would have to run out and buy the very first day it came out !

After hearing Bianca on America's Got Talent , I was totally blown away by this voice , that is part angel , part torch singer . This little girl has more soul in her pinky than most blues' singers .

The album is mostly covers of standards and a power balld by Diane Warren and a really nice new Christmas song .

My favorites are " And I am Telling You", " I Will" and " Pure and Simple" - her voice soars with emotion and you will be shocked that this is a 12 year old girl . Bianca was born to sing - pure and simple !

My only wish is that there were a few songs that had a little more soul and blues in them , because to me , this is Bianca's forte . Still, the album shines and I can hardly wait for the next one !

Bianca Ryan has to have one of the most beautiful voices I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. I only discovered this CD by accident, but I would urge anyone who actually has a clue about music to buy it!

From the particuarly notable rendition of "The Rose" (performed far better than Westlife, it must be said), through the extremely powerful cover of R.Kelly's "I believe I can Fly", with it's frankly awesome crescendos, to the perfectly harmonised interpretation of Leann Rimes' "You Light Up My Life", Bianca's voice never fails to astound. It really is almost inconceivable that this power and emotion is emanating from a girl only just on the edge-of-teen years!

Bianca's voice will melt your heart. This is an album which will continue to delight and amaze long after Bianca herself has grown up. Truly fantastic.

I think Bianca Ryan is one of the best singers and i had to buy the cd the first day it came out. My favorite songs are "You Light Up My Life" and "Superstar",but all the songs on the cd are good. I will be giving this CD as a holiday gift.