VANESSA HUDGENS
IDENTIFIED
When Vanessa Hudgens released her 2006 pop debut, V, she was — like her High School Musical character, Gabriella — the consummate teen good girl dating the ultimate teen heartthrob (Zac Efron). But fast-forward a year, and Hudgens was suddenly the focal point of a very un-Disney-friendly scandal when risqué pictures of her surfaced on the Net. ''I learned from everything,'' says the 19-year-old California native. ''And I'm still here with my head on my shoulders. For that, I'm proud.'' This newfound confidence has trickled its way into her more grown-up sophomore release, Identified. ''It's definitely sophisticated,'' she says. ''But it's also funky and fun — something that I would, like, actually listen to.'' (Scheduled release: July 1)
''Sneakernight''
The thumping first single ''is a fun song about hanging out with your
girlfriends and wearing sneakers,'' says Hudgens, who's no stranger to
stiletto-induced red-carpet cramps. ''When I shot the video, I was like,
'I cannot believe I'm wearing sneakers for the first time in a music
video!' It was awesome.''
''First Bad Habit''
Hudgens enlisted producer Dr. Luke (Kelly Clarkson, Pink) to pump synths into this sassy anthem ''about when you like a guy so much but know he's a complete a--hole.'' Is said rapscallion like any particular man in her life? ''It hasn't happened to me, but a lot of my friends have gone through so much crap.''
''Gone With the Wind''
''And now I'm standing my ground/And who I am/For that I'm proud,'' she declares in this stripped-down ballad. ''I just kind of went for it....
The song basically means: I know a lot more, and that timidness and
naïveté is gone with the wind.''
