Seeking a girl band

The name Danity Kane might not be particularly familiar to UAE record buyers, but the girl band have already had a number one hit album in their native United States — and now are gunning for success overseas.

A few weeks ago Trax profiled Cherish and suggested they were vying to succeed Destiny's Child as the world's new R&B queens.

However, Danity Kane look much more likely to be taking the world by storm thanks to their self-titled debut long-player. Released in the US in August, the album sold more than 200,000 copies in its first week and took the number one position on the Billboard charts.

The girls must have breathed a big sigh of relief at finally achieving success, as they had endured a gruelling and nerve-wracking selection process run by rapper Sean “P Diddy'' Combs.

Before the band line-up was finalised, the girls — and their rivals for places in the group — had to perform in front of tens of thousands of fans at a Backstreet Boys concert. A reality television show, Making the Band, tracked their progress.

Danity Kane's album

Danity Kane is a slick, polished record which, unlike many other albums in the genre, does not lose sight of melody in pursuit of an authentic R&B sound. It is catchier and probably more radio-friendly than Cherish's debut album Unappreciated.

Show Stopper, which was a top 10 hit in the Billboard Hot 100, is one of the strongest tracks and conjures up images of the band cruising along in an open-top car.

Other highlights include Heartbreaker and Want It.

The album certainly doesn't display the unwelcome excesses of, say, Paris Hilton's new record. One slight gripe is that, like a lot of R&B, the production is a bit on the thin side. An impressive record nonetheless.