2000 Billie Piper: Day And Night

With added 'Piper' and smouldering look at the cover, all that's missing is a 'Ms' pre-fix to seal the deal in confirming that our Billie has grown up a bit since we last met. And sure enough, 'Day And Night' is more than one step away from the sunshine rebellion of 'Because We Want To' and one into harder pop territory with an eighties American rock edge where Laura Branigan meets Britney Spears in a desperate game of catch-up with an original fanbase growing older by the day. Which is fine, or at least it would be if the juddering template wasn't lifted wholesale from Spear's own signature tunes and, as Piper 'does' sensual about as well as Britney does (i.e. not very) then an opportunity to at least partly trump her at her own game goes begging. No one can really blame Billie from wanting to grow up, but it's a pity it had to be in such a cynical and charmless way.