Gotta Tell You
Following the demise ofB*Witched, the  Irish pop world was looking for a new young female to step into the  fray. Enter Samantha Mumba, with her sparkling debut single "Gotta Tell  You," which went straight to the upper echelons of the U.K. pop charts  in the summer of 2000. Her debut album of the same name opens with that  track, swiftly followed by her second single, "Body II Body" which came  withDavid Bowie's seal  of approval--he allowed her to heavily sample "Ashes to Ashes" for its  central loop. The rest of the material is an even mix of sweet R&B; and  upbeat infectious pop, which beguile and enchant the listener.Gotta  Tell Youis an extremely confident debut, closing as it does with a  rousing cover of the Motown standard "Signed, Sealed, Delivered"--a  feat few girls Samantha's age could carry off with such aplomb. Debut  albums rarely come this consummate.--Helen Marquis