Confident of her boyfriend’s faithfulness, a girl isn’t fazed when a rival enters the picture on “He Loves U Not.” A line on “In My Dreams” distinguishes between romanticism and reality. Tracks seek everlasting love (“What Are We Going to Do About Us”), work through relational disappointments (“When I Get There,” “Pain”), convey the blush of adolescent infatuation (“Miss You,” “Angel Inside”) and pledge not to play games with a guy’s heart (“This Is Me”). The girls on “How Long” impatiently wait for a flesh-and-blood prince charming. “Our Prayer (Interlude)” gives praise to God, thanking Him for His blessings.
Minor. Some parents may object to girls of 15 and 16 obsessing over boys this way, though it’s not sexual. Kudos for “role models” Ani DiFranco, Pink, Eminem and Puff Daddy (the disc’s producer) loiter in the liner notes.
Diana Oritz, Ashley Poole, Melissa Schuman and Holly Arnstein have been called “a female ‘N Sync” and “a white Destiny’s Child.” Dream’s R&B-inflected pop avoids moral potholes, but it’s fair to wonder how long that will continue if Puff Daddy keeps calling the shots.
