What many people don’t know about former 80’s teen star Tiffany, is that she has recorded an outstanding seven studio albums throughout her twenty years of highs and lows in the music industry. Her latest collection of tracks is entitled ‘Just Me’ and it’s a mature and thought-provoking record that sends a message of hope to anyone who has ever felt that they weren’t what society deems they should be. ‘Just Me’ transcends into a beautifully, yet simple arrangement of adult-contemporary rock with a bit of country flavor thrown in. Quite different from her previous albums which saw Tiffany as a rock goddess in the extremely underrated ‘The Color Of Silence’ and dance floor diva with ‘Dust Off And Dance’ – this album truly is…just Tiffany.
Not satisfied with being pigeon-holed into just one musical genre, Tiffany wants everyone one to know that when life gets you down, it’s never to late to make a change – being an artist that has dealt with the passing of close friends as well as her own personal demons, it is apparent that Tiffany has learned a lot from her life in her 35 years. Not blinded by the hype or the need for immediate success, Tiffany tells us that ‘You can hide behind perfection, you can dress yourself in lace, but (at the end of the day) it’s all about perception’ on her sublime track ‘Hiding Behind The Face’. Perhaps the most powerful song on the album is called ‘Streets Of Gold’ where Tiffany takes a gospel song and re-creates it into a powerful piano-ballad story about the struggles of life and the shameful sacrifices that are made on the streets in our so-called land of riches.
One of the strongest tracks on the album is the title track, ‘Just Me’. Tiffany sings quite elegantly on this song which lays down a Kelly Clarkson-esqe chorus for all to admire. What we love about this record is that Tiffany quite openly doesn’t make excuses for herself – she has taken responsibility for her life and she knows that no matter what – life is going to be ok, as accounted for in ‘Be Alright’. The album’s first single ‘Feels Like Love’ is a great kick-off to the album and paints the picture of how we subtly can realize that we have found solace in our other half. The album ends on the rock tip with the resurrection of ‘I Will Not Breakdown’ which reminds us of how powerful Tiffany’s voice is and that she’s here to stay – you should all sit up and listen.
If you’re a fan of rock music with a poetic edge, then ‘Just Me’ is a must-own album for you. If you’re a fan of pop music – this album is just as solid as any other out there – what makes it better is that it’s told by someone who has genuinley learned the things she’s singing about. Tiffany is a wise storyteller and ‘Just Me’ is an album that we can all learn a little something from – no matter what age we are.