Many people described Miss Samantha Mumba as a combination of Britney Spears and Janet Jackson, and I think that is a very fair comparison, as Mumba has the teen appeal of Spears and the vocal maturity and presence of Jackson. Listening to this CD reaffirms that fact. "Gotta Tell You" is a super catchy slice of teen-pop with sly R&B undertones. "Body II Body" takes the R&B influence to the front of the mix and creates a super groove with rapid-fire vocals by Mumba. "Baby Come Over" is more of a pop track, reminiscent of the Backstreet Boys' latest CD. "Isn't It Strange" is my pick for the best track on this CD. A perfect pop song in every sense, with great vocals, compelling chord sequence, a beat with a groove, and great production. "Lately" is a cover of the song by Divine, which is itself a cover. One of the few less-than-average cuts on the CD. and it's STILL pretty good, though a little too recent for a cover. "What's It Gonna Be" brings back memories of early Britney Spears: R&B-lite combined with a great hook make for another great pop song, and the muted trumpet over the top gives it that extra spark. "Always Come Back To Your Love" is reminiscent of S.O.A.P., a female duo who had a hit a while ago with "We Like To Party". This is R&B with a dash of europop and American influence. "The Boy", produced by Terry Riley, is another low point on the CD. Riley has Mumba sounding like every other R&B singer out there, instead of trying to use her distinctive voice. The chorus hook lacks the same sticking power of other tracks on the CD. "Feelin' Is Right" has some more accoustic elements added to the Swedish pop-sound and an R&B edge. The verses on this one are a little dull, but the chorus is as good as typical Mumba. "Believe In Me" is the winner here for best ballad. Muted trumpet and Spanish guitar combine with Mumba's soulful vocal performance in a wonderful track...I would love to see her perform this live. "`Til Night Becomes Day" sounds like a follow up to "Isn't It Strange", with the same elements in a different way. Great vocals, great production, great arrangement, and great song. A perfect closer for the CD that is an excellent add to any collection.

Samamtha Mumba is a name that many people hadnt heard of not long ago, but now its a name they wont forget in a hurry. She has produced an album full of top tracks. The album contains two uk top ten hits Gotta Tell You and Body To Body, and when you listen to the rest of the album you know that she is not going to be just a phase that will only last 5 minutes. Sam has the staying power to go the distance if she can continue releasing and producing top class singles and albums. Overall its a break from the norm and a refreshing change.

Samantha Mumba's debut album, "Gotta Tell You" is such a great album. Other than the big smash "Gotta Tell You" which is one of the best tracks on this album, other highlights include "Body To Body", which is a David Bowie remake with some groovy rhythms, and some light piano background. "Baby Come On Over" is also another good track. In fact, most of the tracks are pretty good. Although I do have to say some of the songs use Mumba's vocals not very much. I did not really like track 8, "Lose You Again", it seemed to stray away from the pop sound and turn full blast into an R&B song. Then there is another remake on the album, "Lately" which was a #1 hit for Divine, about 2 years ago. I think the album should have left this off because the song is too recent. The track seems to overbuild the original song. Also, I have noticed that the U.K. release of this album seems to have more tracks. Although 12 tracks is good enough, I wish they would have put those extra tracks on the U.S. release because Mumba does a really good job on her first album release. Recommended to all pop fans.

On budding teen pop/R&B diva Samantha Mumba's debut album, "Gotta Tell You" the newcomer displays the seasoned professionalism of such "veterans" as Monica, Christina Aguilera and even Britney Spears. Mumba's energetic, danceable hit single, "Gotta Tell You" leads off the album and really shows off Mumba's voice and sexy lower register, reminiscent of the divine Toni Braxton. The remainder of the album however is mostly filler pop tunes with some of the songs standing out from the pack. Songs ranging from the bubblegum pop extreme of "Always Come Back To Your Love" and "Believe In Me" to the addictive hooks of dancefloor ditties like "Body II Body" and "The Boy" show off Mumba's range as a pop/dance artist. But the lack of solid material also hinders the release, "Til Night Becomes Day", "Feelin' Is Right" and the unnecessary remake of R&B group Divine's #1 hit "Lately", all seem like retreads from early 90's era music from Cathy Dennis or Paula Abdul. Samantha however overcomes her at times weak material with a style all her own, which is quite an accomplishment in today's cookie- cutter driven pop market. Her career will most definently go places if she could get pass the juvenile songs and become a full fledged pop diva a la Janet Jackson.

A newcomer who's already a big hit in Europe, Samantha Mumba's debut album brings us dance pop that's edgy and more R&B than Britney and the gang. While a good CD, its only drawback is its lack of standouts. `Gotta Tell You' was the most obvious radio single...the rest are nice, but sound a bit similar to each other. This comes from a few of the songs, while being upbeat and catchy, lacking more creative themes and lyrics (how many times can you rhyme "tonight" and "right," anyway?) This is an enjoyable listen, though as with any singer, there's always room for improvement.

Some Hits and Misses:

1. Gotta Tell You - her first single, and the best song on the album. It hit #4 on the charts with its catchy beats and hooks, and it's one of the few songs on the air right now that actually seems to have a point to it: "Don't wanna love you if you don't love me/Don't wanna need you if you won't need me too..." (5/5)

2. Body II Body - a hit in Europe, but as far as I'm aware has not been released in the US... *Kimmie pauses to read other reviews* ...a David Bowie remake? ...*pauses to check the CD case*...why, yes it is. What do you know, Amazon.com reviews teach you something new everyday. :-D

Anyway. The song itself isn't bad, if a bit stereotypical in its message...it's your average party song. (4/5)

5. Lately - I never liked this song when it was first released by Divine (personal preference, feel free to disagree), so my opinion is biased here. Suffice to say that I agree with the other reviewers that it was too early to do a remix of this song. (2/5)

7. Always Come Back to Your Love - There's just something likable about this song. I think it's the heavy beat compared to the softer vocals. With its relatively simple lyrics, this is one of those "filler" songs that you wish every singer had. (5/5)

8. The Boy - track eight seems not to have fared well on either sides of the Atlantic. On the US release it is called "The Boy," and is way too repetitive and senseless for my tastes. (1/5)

9. Feelin' is right - one of the better dance songs, this one might do well as a single if it was just a tad more creative. (4.5/5)

10. Never Meant to Be - The lone ballad...I don't count "Lately." ^_^ But an excellent addition to the album that features her voice well. (5/5)

If you like standard pop, I recommend this album. Though it would be wise to use `Body II Body' as your measuring stick rather than `Gotta Tell You,' because that's the sound the album follows (Europop) and if you like that, you'll like the album. The CD has gotten fairly good magazine reviews, if you like to judge by that angle...and Samantha herself co-writes seven of the songs, if you value that. If you're a fan of pop music or female vocalists, you'll probably like this album...just place the emphasis on pop. Otherwise...well, to sound like a stodgy schoolmarm, "Samantha is not living up to her potential." While she does has the potential to be a "baby diva," as she refers to herself in one of her songs, cross your fingers that she expands on her sophomore release. If so, that's when she'll be the full-fledged diva, and I'll be first in line for the album.