"Ready or Not" Bridgit Mendler

The bubblegum pop revival foretold by One Direction and Carly Rae Jepsen sadly never materialized. In the second half of 2012, the only disciple of note was 19-year-old Disney starlet Bridgit Mendler, whose debut single "Ready or Not" has been hanging around the top 40 of pop radio and iTunes for months without fully breaking out. Playing off the Fugees classic of the same name, the song follows the perky Mendler in pursuit of a romantic interest. And taking further cues from that unexpected source, there are hip-hop undertones in the heavy drum beat and even the cadence of Mendler's sing-talk delivery that give some edge to the fluffy ear-candy production. (It's very reminiscent of Natasha Bedingfield's "These Words.") While not as undeniable as 1D or Carly's career-launching hits, "Ready" is a solid, if straightforward, first effort that merits further consideration for Mendler. B