Ashley Tisdale is "Headstrong"

If you have a preteen girl in your home, chances are you've heard of Ashley Tisdale. With a starring turn in "High School Musical" and a recurring role on "The Suite Life of Zach and Cody," she's the Cameron Diaz of the elementary school set. With the success of the "HSM" soundtrack and Vanessa Hudgen's single on the pop charts, it was inevitable that Disney would eventually shuffle her into the studio for the requisite disposable pop album. What's surprising is how good it is.

Admittedly, "Headstrong" isn't Grammy material, but for light, bubble gum pop, Tisdale's debut CD is exactly what it is supposed to be-light, airy and infectious. The lead off single, "Be Good to Me," is a dance oriented, girl-power anthem that makes effective use of Tisdale's charisma and pop ready voice. It is already making waves at Radio Disney and will probably cross over to Top 40 like fellow "High School Musical" alum Vanessa Hudgens "Come Back to Me."

Tisdale channels pre- Keven Federline Britney Spears on "Over It" with techno enhanced vocals and a club-ready beat. "Not Like That" ups the tempo with a middle eastern vibe and "Positivity" takes the pop star as chameleon act one step further with a dance R & B sound. Tisdale handles the changing styles with the aplomb of a more experienced artist. Her only misstep on an otherwise strong set is the saccharine ballad "Unlove You." The song only serves to emphasize the weaknesses inherent in Tisdale's voice. Another slow tempo number "Love Me For Me" is much stronger and has a great message for young girls about self acceptance. "Suddenly" joins "Unlove You" as a disappointment vocally, but is a glimpse of what Tisdale has gone through in the last year with her star making role in "High School Musical." It also cleverly incorporates the names of the other songs on the CD. Kids should enjoy picking out the various references.

Taken as a whole, this CD is strong on positive girl power vibes, but "He Said, She Said," pushes the boundaries of kid friendly lyrics with racy innuendo and Donna Summer-like moans that will probably sail over the heads of the tweens that will have this CD on their iPods. It makes a good case for a career in dance music when Disney decides to move on to the next big thing.

If you're not a parent of a tween girl, don't rush out and buy "Headstrong," but if your daughter is begging you for Ashley Tisdale's CD, it is money well spent. You may even find yourself singing along.