Annie — Anniemal

Anniemal's lead track and single, "Chewing Gum," takes bubblegum pop into the 21st century and not only is the result ridiculous and fun — it's actually good. The bulk of Annie's debut loses the bounce in favour of chilly disco and house, but the last-nameless Norwegian singer maintains her own sound throughout: a kind of girlish Euro digi-pop. Beneath the commercial sheen there's an honest charm to it, like a Britney or Kylie with actual sincerity. As with any overwhelmingly pop LP, there's a nervous feeling that it could start to get annoying at any second, but it holds up to the end.

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