Vanessa Hudgens

We have to admit: We have a hard time taking romantic ballads and lovelorn slow jams seriously when they come from teenagers. Which is kind of illogical, considering teenagers spend a lot of time obsessing about their broken hearts. But thankfully, Vanessa Hudgens doesn't devote too much of her second album to puppy love, although "Don't Ask Why" is pretty sweet and the Dr. Luke-produced broken-heart-with-a-beat jam "First Bad Habit" is compelling. Ms. High School Musical's best tracks -- like the Fergie-fied "Hook It Up" -- are all about going out, having fun and flirting.

History teaches us not to dismiss kiddie pop. Stevie Wonder was once Little Stevie Wonder,
just as Lil Wayne was once little Lil Wayne, child gangsta rapper. And let's not forget
ex-Mouseketeers Britney and Justin. Purists disdain teenybopper music as cynical pap,
foisted on the young by Svengalis who lurk in the shadows, counting money. But
bubblegum can be a great farm system, honing skills that pay dividends in later lif... More >