Willa Ford Willa Was Here CD

This is a Hyper CD, which contains regular audio tracks and also provides a link to the artist's website with the help of a web browser.

No Britney-style worries about teen sexuality for Willa Ford--she's already made that headlong leap with her first single, "I Wanna Be Bad," a self-explanatory foray into the realms of wild childhood that simultaneously titillates and stakes the singer's claim to Spears's faux-bad girl territory. The inside biker chick picture is highly likely to grace not a few teen lockers and bedrooms, too.

Though its fairly obvious which songs matter here--the aforementioned "I Wanna Be Bad," the sassy "Did Ya' Understand That," and the slow-burning "Tender"--the rest of WILLA WAS HERE is equally easy on the ear. Ford's debut follows the contemporary pop/R&B-based template to the letter, but the vocal arrangements, apparently mostly by the singer herself, are always engaging, particularly on the pleading, classical-inflected "Don't You Wish." There's a nice Eurythmics quote on "Somebody Take the Pain Away," while "Prince Charming" is evidence that Ford hasn't totally abandoned her adolescence yet.

Personnel includes: Willa Ford (vocals); Brian Kieruif (various instruments, programming); Bob Robinson (guitar, piano); Gerry Leonard, Masa Shimizu, Josh Schwartz (guitar); Tim Kelley (keyboards, bass, drums, programming); Andy Marvel, Eve Nelson (keyboards, programming); Robin Daniels (percussion); Darius, Kenny Gioia (programming); Rob Fusari, Jen Carr, Sabelle Breer (background vocals).

Producers include: DJ Skribble, Anthony Acid, Kenny Gioia, Rob Fusari, Andy Marvel.

Engineers include: Stephen George, Benjamin Jelen, Andy Marvel.

Personnel: Willa Ford (vocals); Bob Robinson (guitar, piano); Gerry Leonard , Masa Shimizu (guitar); Tim Kelley (keyboards, drums, programming); Eve Nelson, Andy Marvel (keyboards, programming); Michael Nigro (keyboards); Falonte Moore, Rob Fusari (programming); Darius (keyboard programming); Sheppard (drum programming); Jennifer Carr (background vocals).

Audio Mixers: Eve Nelson; Sheppard; Bonzai Jim Caruso; Jim Caruso; Andy Marvel; Rob Chiarelli; Rob Fusari.

Recording information: 22nd Street Studios, New York, NY; Battery Studios, New York, NY; Big Baby Recording, New York, NY; Chung King, New York, NY; Dojo, Jackson, NJ; Hirsh Compound, Los Angeles, CA; Milkman Studios, NJ; ProTopia, New York, NY; Record Plant, LA, CA; Record Plant, Los Angeles, CA; Soundtracks Recording Studio, New York, NY; Soundtracks, New York, NY; The DOJO, Jackson, NJ; The Hirsh Compound, LA, CA.

Photographer: Mark Seliger.

Arranger: Andy Marvel.

This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.