Billboard single reviews: Danity Kane, Jakob Dylan

ARTIST: DANITY KANE

SINGLE: DAMAGED

NEW YORK (Billboard) - With its release last month of second album "Welcome to the Dollhouse," reality TV girl group Danity Kane -- the mother lode of Sean "Diddy" Combs' "Making the Band" -- became the first female group in Billboard history to debut at No. 1 with its debut and sophomore sets. That certainly sets things up nicely for first single "Damaged," hand-picked by fans on the group's MySpace page. The sexy, breathy opening line is enough to grab attention: "Do-do you got a first aid kit handy?" From there, a notable shift from its previous hip-hop signature to dance/pop showcases strong vocals bouncing along a finely produced pop gem that sparkles and blips over blended harmonies.

ARTIST: JAKOB DYLAN

SINGLE: SOMETHING GOOD THIS WAY COMES (COLUMBIA)

With the Wallflowers on hiatus, Jakob Dylan has been flying solo for a while, and something clicked when he opened as an acoustic artist for T-Bone Burnett in 2006. The first single from his Rick Rubin-produced solo debut, "Seeing Things" (June 10), recalls the minimalist storytelling of country blues masters like Robert Johnson, while offering a modern, latte-friendly sound. Over a spare, finger-picked acoustic guitar, Dylan dreams of picture-perfect Americana ("Got sweet apple pie on the stove/The birds are all flying low"), with a relaxed, Springsteen-esque vocal.

ARTIST: SARAH BRIGHTMAN AND PAUL STANLEY

SINGLE: I WILL BE WITH YOU (MANHATTAN)

Sarah Brightman has never been much of a radio presence in the United States, but the recent No. 13 debut on the Billboard 200 album chart of "Symphony" shows she has quite a captive following. "I Will Be With You," a duet with Kiss vocalist Paul Stanley, is pure bombast, but its journey to the peak is seductively melodic with a decided edge, meshing pounding percussion and a cascade of heavenly strings. Brightman's skyscraping soprano vocals are a given, but the addition of the surprisingly earnest Stanley is pure guilty pleasure.

ARTIST: JOSH GROBAN

SINGLE: AWAKE (REPRISE)

Josh Groban's last studio album, "Awake," relegated its namesake track to a special edition of the 2006 release. With his performance on upcoming "Awake Live," a CD/DVD combo that also promises a PBS special, the adult-contemporary staple brings the tome about an uncertain relationship to the forefront. As an anthem, it is less immediate than hits "You Raise Me Up" and "You Are Loved (Don't Give Up)." The studio version ably delivers Groban's pure passion, but the live edit amps up instrumentation a notch and is actually preferred.

ARTIST: DISTURBED

SINGLE: INSIDE THE FIRE (REPRISE)

There was little question that Disturbed would rile the airwaves when it dropped its next single, and the hot reception at radio for "Inside the Fire" proves that the nu metal survivor has an audience awaiting new album "Indestructible," out in June. Frontman David Draiman is still inserting demonic chuckles into his repertoire, giving over to syncopated word play that he flicks off his tongue. Guitar licks are taut, the sound is sparse yet full, and the lyric is a tale of plunging into the afterlife in hopes of reuniting with a child taken too soon.

Reuters/Billboard