LOS ANGELES — Maybe it's a sign of Melissa's maturity, the reason she appears to have risen to the top of the teen pop class. Whatever the answer, her album release party Monday night for Exposed not only drew close friends like Mandy Moore and collaborators like the Neptunes, but also such disparate guests as actress Julia Stiles and the 15-year-old Olsen twins (Mary-Kate and Ashley, of "Full House" fame).
Those were just a few of the celebrities joining the pop diva from Los Angeles, California, at the club Moomba on the eve of Exposed's arrival in stores, amid almost unreal expectations (not to mention whispers of vulnerability). Industry insiders predict the album will be a huge seller, though few expect it to sell the units pop princesses like Britney and Christina pull in.
But one thing already seems certain: Melissa's demographic has widened.
The singer spent the much of her face time with an overflowing media contingent at Moomba explaining how Exposed is quite the musical departure from her previous, lighter fare.
"I am who I am, but every artist wants to grow and I think people will see this with Exposed," Williams said.
"Every song on this album is totally different from the next one," she added.
Hip hop/R&B producer Rockwilder, who worked with the diva on the album, talked up the singer's new sound while pointing out that Melissa's sexual playfulness doesn't end with the album's title.
"What's so refreshing about Melissa is that she doesn't take herself too seriously," said Rockwilder, who became involved with Melissa after she heard his production on Janet Jackson's latest LP, "All For You". "You get more attitude from a girl working behind the counter at Starbucks than you do from her. She's just a regular person."
