Sneak Peek: Emma "Free Me"

Emma's getting lucky

The first time I met Emma Bunton I made the mistake of calling her Mel. The name of two other Spice Girls. Grrr. It was one of those spur-of-the-moment, pop culture brain farts that was terribly embarrassing. Emma took it in stride. The ex Baby Spice grabbed my hand, looked deeply in my eyes and corrected the mistake. "My name is E-m-m-a," still echoes through my mind.

So with that said. I'm more than happy to give Emma some proper attention. On January 25, Emma will be releasing "Free Me" in the US. The disc is her second solo album after the break up of the infamous Spice Girls. The CD was first released in the UK in February 2004. The British blond hooked up with a slew of hit makers to crank out this record, including Cathy Dennis, Yak Bonide, Simon Ellis and Henry from Zero 7. The CD counts 14 tracks including two remixes of the title song.

Lush and fluffy, "Free Me" is as unpretentious as Emma herself. Whereas many popsters either look for a hip hop hook (Britney, Lindsay) or punky angle (Ashlee, Avril), Emma's tunes are refreshingly straightforward. She mixes up Motown-flavored tunes ("I'll Be There," "Tomorrow"), with sweeping Latin rhythms ("Crickets Sing for Anamaria," "Breathing") and horn-driven, retro '60s pop ("Maybe," "No Sign Of Life").

Emma's bittersweet vocals and carefree music make "Free Me" a sunny delight on any gray winter day (Click here to purchase the "Free Me" EP from iTunes.)

Watch the video for "Free Me"

Stream an exclusive "Free Me" medley mix (with the songs "Maybe," the delicious "Crickets Sing for Anamaria," "I'll Be There" and the single "Free Me")