Building smartly upon the gospel-inflected R&B that helped her win the 2006 season of the reality TV competition America's Got Talent, 11-year-old vocalist Bianca Ryan's debut self-titled album showcases her gargantuan chops and sweet charm. Featuring a bevy of producers that includes such heavyweights as David Foster and Walter Afanasieff, both of whom have worked with such huge stars as Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, and Whitney Houston, Ryan's album is exactly what her fans should have expected and could have hoped for. While the arrangements are somewhat over-the-top pop creations, they are nonetheless very similar to the arrangements on America's Got Talent, and in that sense the perfect launching pad for Ryan's post-show career. Here you get Ryan singing not only the first song she sang on America's Got Talent, the soulful Jennifer Holliday ballad "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," but also pleasant covers of "The Rose," "I Believe I Can Fly," "You Light Up My Life," and Regina Belle's epic anthem "Dream in Color." It doesn't hurt either that the original songs Ryan's been given here are melodically attractive and well-written tunes that deftly exploit her surprisingly powerful and emotive vocal abilities. Ultimately, if the album's production style and emotional range are grandiose given Ryan's age, her musical aspirations are more than matched by her truly impressive vocal talent. ~ Matt Collar, All Music Guide
Jay Landers, Jaymes Foster, David Foster, Walter Afanasieff, Andreas 'Quiz' Romdhane, Josef Larossi, Emanuel Kiriakou, Robbie Buchanan, Mark Hammond, Julian Bunetta, and Jochem van der Saag
The album features cover versions of "The Rose" and "I Believe I Can Fly" and original songs like "I Wish That" and "Pray for a Better Day".[1] It is part of a five-record deal signed in 2006[2] with SYCOmusic, run by Talent Executive Producer Simon Cowell as part of Columbia Records (SONY BMG). Ryan is the first U. S. artist to sign with SYCOmusic.[3] The album debuted at #57 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart.[4]
