Freak of Nature, the second album from former wedding singer Anastacia Newkirk, continues the late-1980s funk pop revival that her debut Not That Kind started. And in true 1980s style, everything's big. From the striding groove of the title track to the flag-waving chorus on "Paid My Dues" and the aerobic workouts of "One Day in Your Life" and "Don't Stop (Doin' It)", her larger-than-life vocals are matched at every turn by feisty attitudes and pounding tunes. As before, sincerity-challenged power ballads are the only sticking point; although this time they're kept to a minimum, and while it may be hard to tell her apart from Mariah and company on "I Dreamed of You", it provides ample opportunity to secure fragile crockery before her ferocious wail revs up again. Sticking to the anthemic Chaka Khan formula makes Freak of Nature a dependable follow-up album, but when it charts the middle ground between ballad and bombast--as with "Overdue Goodbye" and "Secrets"--it betters its predecessor. With lingering melodies and tender funk struts, Anastacia prooves she doesn't have to positively belt out a tune in order to soar. --Mark Daniels

1 - Freak Of Nature
2 - Paid My Dues
3 - Overdue Goodbye
4 - You'll Never Be Alone
5 - One Day In Your Life
6 - How Come The World Won't Stop
7 - Why'd You Lie To Me
8 - Don'tcha Wanna
9 - Secrets
10 - Don't Stop (Doin It)
11 - I Dreamed You
12 - Overdue Goodbye (reprise)