The Princess Diaries
In the '60s, the comedyThe Princess Diariesmight have starred Walt Disney favoriteHayley Mills, who often found her characters in similarly farfetched situations. Forty years on, it's a Disney flick, but with a few crucial updates. Among them is this soundtrack album, which collects non-threatening tracks aimed as much at prepubescent kids as teenagers. (When Melissa Lefton chirps, "I love life, life loves me / Everything in the world makes me happy," it's a moment as far fromCobain-style angst as any in post-"Smells Like Teen Spirit" pop.) Even the biggest names here (Backstreet Boys,DiariescostarMandy Moore) clock in with music hardly as interesting as their genuinely sweet hits; almost everyone else supplies producer-driven filler that seems barely able to rouse even the sunniest child listener. The cheerleading ofB*Witched's "Hold On" and Lil' J's cover ofSalt 'n' Pepa's "Ain't Nuthin' but a She Thing" are nothing to complain about, but the disc seems designed to go in one ear and out the other.--Rickey Wright