The Cheetah Girls

Two years after the original Cheetah Girls movie, Galleria, Chanel, Aquanette, and Dorinda return with The Cheetah Girls 2, a sequel and a full-length soundtrack. The film's subtitle is "When in Spain," and exotic flourishes such as Spanish guitar and sweeping pianos color many of the album's tracks. While the entirely en español songs feel a little forced, hints of this sound give songs like "Strut" and "Amigas Cheetahs" the feeling of being the great-great-granddaughters of Madonna's "La Isla Bonita" or the Spice Girls' "Spice Up Your Life." As expected, Raven-Symoné dominates the Cheetah Girls, both in character as Cheetah Girl Galleria and as herself. Despite the odd "Everyone's a Star" -- which shouts out to everyone from mailmen to lawyers to hairdressers and bouncers ("Bounce on with your bad selves!"), her solo tracks and the Cheetah Girls' material sound a little more sophisticated this time around: the Girls' "The Party's Just Begun" and Symoné's "Do Your Own Thing" have sleeker productions and harder-hitting beats, while "It's Over" shows off the Girls' more mature pipes. Of course, this is all relative -- several tracks still suffer from the facelessness that plagues too many Disney teen pop productions. But, even if the Cheetah Girls won't be giving the Pussycat Dolls or the revamped Nelly Furtado a run for their money anytime soon, The Cheetah Girls 2 at least acknowledges that there's a more grown-up world of pop music out there. [This edition of the soundtrack contains two bonus tracks, a cover of "Route 66" and a remix of "Strut," as well as a short DVD of live performances and an interview with the Girls.] ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide