Not many singers would dare touch Donna, Whitney or Celine (even fewer have the genuine ability to even pull a vocal delivery off - on that scale).
It’s a true testament to Claire’s golden vocal chords that she truly has it in her to go there (whilst also making it sound and look like it’s a walk in the park for her to do so).
I’ve secretly always preferred the vocal timbre in Claire’s voice (over that of big glory grabbing U.S singers like Christina Aguilera).
Whilst I secretly wish it was an album of original bops, I believe there is potential for the album to act as a showcase for Claire’s voice, one that makes the writers behind these songs sit up and take notice.
I’m not saying Atomic Kitten’s “Love Doesn’t Have To Hurt” was a bop - but if they had never covered “Eternal Flame” (or rather, if Natasha never had the opportunity to demonstrate her vocal prowess on that track) - then AK would never (subsequently) have been presented with a (then) brand new original cut (written decades later) by the same (now classic) writing team behind both of those tracks.
I hope that many (or at least some) of the writers behind the tracks that Claire presents on this album, similarly sit up and take notice.
What an optimal foundation that would create for Claire solo album number three (after Steps have had another album era/ tour cycle/ break, in-between of course).
Although Claire does not cover Anastasia on this album, it is worth noting that the writer’s behind Celine’s “I Surrender” (link to Claire’s video for this track, above) - are the same writers that wrote “I’m Outta Love” with Anastasia (and several other of her hits). So they are well used to augmenting their writing/ production style around the talents of big-lunged diva vocalists.