By Eric Fung
Pop music has never been so bland. Velvet Empire and their self-titled debut are products of the Canadian reality TV series Popstars, which follows “the creation of a male/female pop super-group.”
Average in every respect, Velvet Empire has no chance of attaining popstar status. There is no doubt they sing and dance decently and their image is carefully construed. What they lack, however, is a mark to set them apart from the rest. There is no sign of Britney Spears’ innocent nastiness, Mariah Carey’s vocal ability or Jennifer Lopez’s crossover joints. As hard as it tries, the package is boring. Velvet Empire serves up standard fare that will appeal to pop music’s usual audience, but don’t expect them to be more than another blip on the radar.