Mandy Moore

I Wanna Be With You

Give Mandy a Chance.

Review Score:

(6/10)
Since her introduction nine months ago, Mandy Moore has faced an uphill battle to distinguish herself from Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Jessica Simpson. True, Moore is more visible than Jessica Simpson, but she has been unfairly labeled a cheap imitation of both Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera when her undeniable talent truly sets her apart from both of these teen queens.

Mandy's first effort, the platinum-selling SO REAL, was released last December after the success of her Top 10 smash, "Candy." Following the single's slow decline from the Top 40, Mandy filmed a video for her forthcoming second single, "Walk Me Home." The song was nothing special and it was not an instant MTV favorite upon its premiere. Already, it appeared as though Epic Records was exploiting Mandy's talent by hiring Gregory Dark to shoot "Walk Me Home." He was responsible for directing Britney Spears' wretched video, "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart." By hiring Dark, a reputed pornographer (it's a FACT), Epic was cashing in on Mandy's early success, tainting her image and threatening her chances for credibility.

Now, Epic has continued its pattern by releasing I WANNA BE WITH YOU, a "special edition" ECD that features previously unreleased tracks, remixes and multimedia components. On the strength of "Candy" alone, SO REAL could not have been expected to go multi-platinum, and it's already quite impressive that Mandy's debut LP sold well in such a crowded market. While "Walk Me Home" was a miscalculated choice for a single, Epic did not have to give up on SO REAL so quickly. Mandy's appearance on the CENTER STAGE soundtrack with "I Wanna Be With You" was expected to produce one of the biggest hits of the year. Like Paula Abdul's "Straight Up" or Madonna's "Like a Virgin," it is a breakout smash. A sophisticated ballad with mass appeal, "I Wanna Be With You" could have easily been a platinum-selling SINGLE. Now, however, Epic is placing its faith in the strength of "I Wanna Be With You" to increase sales for the recycled product of the same name.

Upon judging the merits of the material, I WANNA BE WITH YOU is not the calculated effort it has been unfairly labeled. Mandy is adept at many styles and her voice is surprisingly versatile. Like Jessica and Christina, she has a far superior voice to the grating Britney Spears. Songs like "I Wanna Be With You" and "Everything My Heart Desires" reaffirm Mandy's talent for delivering mature ballads that work remarkably well, maudlin or not.

The material presented on I WANNA BE WITH YOU is largely recycled from SO REAL, but SO REAL was an underrated effort, so who's complaining? The Wade Robson remixes of "So Real" and "Candy" offer reinvented versions of the songs and they differ stylistically from the LP cuts. Having listened to both SO REAL and I WANNA BE WITH YOU, I believe I WANNA BE WITH YOU is more consistent, but for those who have already purchased SO REAL, the purchase of I WANNA BE WITH YOU could seem largely pointless, except no Mandy Moore collection should be without "I Wanna Be With You," (the song, not the album). So, whether you find it on this special-edition ECD or on the forthcoming import single (not yet available for pre-order at Amazon), do everything in your power to locate "I Wanna Be With You." Mandy deserves your full attention and so does this lush ballad.

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