Rockell

Produced by Adam Marano (Lil' Suzy, Collage, Debra Michaels), What Are You Lookin' At? cleverly merges the old with the new. It opens with the emotional dancefloor stormer "When I'm Gone" and closes with the mid-tempo r&b/pop jam, "I'll Be There." Cradled between these two "sides" of Rockell are quite a few surprises. Peter Frampton's anthemic rocker, "Show Me The Way," becomes a dance floor anthem, while Dan Hill and Vonda Shepard's (you may know her name from "Ally McBeal") 1987 soft rock classic, "Can't We Try," which will be the set's next single, is pumped up with a freestyle vibe that features Rockell dueting with Collage. Rockell also duets with Collage on an update of the freestyle hit, "Dream Boy-Dream Girl," which was originally recorded by Cynthia and Johnny O.

According to the singer, it was not the easiest song to cover. "You know, the original version of the song is still heard on the radio. It's considered a true classic by many, which made it even more challenging for me. But Adam and I thought it would be fun to bring the song back with a new and fresh sound. It was a success the first time around and I hope by bringing it into the late-'90s it will be a hit all over again." The real discovery, though, is Rockell's faithful rendering of the Major Harris soul classic, "Love Won't Let Me Wait." Says Rockell proudly, "I sang it in the exact key as the original version. At first, I remember thinking, there's no way I can sing it like that, but once I got into it and started feeling it, there was no turning back. I realized that I could sing it in that key...that really made me feel good." Rockell, who was born on Long Island-Port Jefferson, to be exact-and raised on Staten Island, was discovered while hanging out with friends at a local bar. While singing along to a song the DJ was playing ("It was 'Killing Me Softly,'" she giggles), she was approached by a man. "He told me that I had a great voice and that he was recording an album," remembers Rockell. "I'll be honest with you. My initial thought was, well, this is probably complete bullshit. But then I thought, what happens if it's not? What happens if he's telling the truth.

Being a part-time rebel, I took the chance." The man in question brought her to Ewart A. Wilson, Jr., who immediately wrote and produced Rockell's first single, "I Fell In Love." Wilson sent the tape to just one label (Robbins Entertainment), and within a week, Rockell had a record deal. "Sometimes in life, you just gotta go with your gut feeling and take a chance. Fortunately, this chance has given me the opportunity of a lifetime. I thank God everyday."