New Inside

New Inside
Studio album by Tiffany
Released	October 2, 1990
Recorded	1990
Genre	New jack swing[1]
Length	50:41
Label	MCA Records
Producer	Phillip Damien, Maurice Starr
Tiffany chronology
Hold an Old Friend's Hand (1988) New Inside (1990) Dreams Never Die (1993)

New Inside is the third regular studio album by Tiffany, released on October 2, 1990 (see 1990 in music). Tiffany had broken with manager/producer George Tobin soon after her 18th birthday, and signed with manager Dick Scott and producer Maurice Starr. Starr was the producer responsible for putting together the group New Kids on the Block, who had risen to teen popularity by opening for Tiffany in 1988, and who had since eclipsed Tiffany in degree of pop success (she even opened for them in 1989). This album came out on Tiffany's 19th birthday, and she hoped it would revive her faltering career.

New Inside was not a commercial success, and neither the album nor any single released from it made it onto the pop charts, though the title track "New Inside" got a little bit of airplay in some areas and reached some local radio stations' request-based countdowns thanks to the efforts of fans, who were starting to get organized on bulletin board systems and online services. In Japan, the album was a Top 20 success, where it peaked at #17, and staying in the Top 100 for a total of 6 weeks.^[2]

An attempt was made to take advantage of current events by rededicating the song "Here in My Heart", written by superstar songwriter Diane Warren (who is responsible for many pop hits for other artists), to the troops serving in the Gulf War. Previously, the song had been dedicated to AIDS victim Ryan White.

Ultimately, Tiffany broke with Scott and Starr, and returned to George Tobin for her following album (released three years later).

"Dennis Cheese", credited with the rap in the title track, is Donnie Wahlberg of the New Kids.

Background

The release of the album showed Tiffany with a new look, a new dance-oriented/R&B sound with an urban influence, as well as the singer's new management. During the past year, Tiffany developed her new image, got reacquainted with her family after two years of constant recording and performing, and sang on the soundtrack of the Jetsons film.^[3]

In a December 6, 1990, Chicago Tribune article/interview with Tiffany, by Los Angeles Daily News author Bruce Britt, Tiffany spoke of the album and the new direction, stating "It's a completely different sound. The change came about with new management. I wanted to show I could do new things. I've always listened to R&B music, so I was delighted to do it on the new album. I had more input on this album than any other. The first album I'd had some input, but I was 14 years old then, and I really didn't know what I was talking about. But I've experienced more things, and the more experiences you have, the more you can contribute."

In regards to her split from manager/producer George Tobin, she stated "We weren't in sync anymore. Basically, I wanted to do R&B music, and he wanted a certain other sound. When I first signed with George, I was 12 years old and thankful to be fulfilling my dream. I appreciate that, but now the game is at a different level. I needed a manager who understood the R&B and pop markets, and who understood my wanting to become more involved in the making of the music. So, I never told anyone I was looking for a new manager. I just sat back and observed everyone I could. New Kids on the Block manager Dick Scott really stood out as the best."^[3]

Following the commercial failure of the album, no songs from New Inside were used in Tiffany's 1993 live performances, and some media reports at the time referred to her fourth studio album Dreams Never Die as her third album, discounting New Inside.^[4]

In a 2012 article based on Tiffany by Audio Video Revolution, the singer spoke of the idea behind the New Inside album. She stated "I think that you grow as an artist, and for me, I'm so inspired by a lot of different artists. I think probably being a young artist, there were a lot of things I wanted to do. And then it took me in a different direction with "I Think We're Alone Now," and then all of a sudden I was a pop star. But I loved it. My dreams had come true, but then there was also that side of, "You're a young teen," and there were so many people telling me, "You can't do that now. You can't dress like this. You can't date boys." It was like all of a sudden the world was watching, but it was mainly the corporate world, the business side of it, and it was very frustrating, because my fans were changing; they were growing up. The girls were dressing more sexy; music was changing. Now I'm in a semi-pop dance world, and I'm singing a lot of ballads, which are beautiful, well-written songs, but that's not why people buy tickets to come and see me, and that's not how I came out of the box with people. So that's kind of where "New Inside" came from. I definitely wanted to write. I had changed management at that time, because I was saying, "It's time to grow up. It's time to be a little more edgy. It's time to be a little bit more tuned-in. If we're going to do dance music, then let's really do dance music." I come from a dancer's background. We're not even tapping into a lot of this stuff that would be a lot of fun for me, and I'm surrounded by a lot of great, talented people. I'm very lucky with that; why don't we use some of this and grow a little bit? A lot of the people I was working with didn't want to do that, so I found a whole new camp."

In regards to the title track and the message behind the album/song, Tiffany explained "When New Kids On The Block started opening for me on the first round of the tour, I think that opened my eyes a lot, too, because I saw so much how they would nurture their ideas rather than squash them. Sometimes their ideas were outlandish and it was, "We will get there, but we're not there now. But that's a good idea a year from now." A lot of people around me made me feel silly to be saying things, or just didn't listen. So I kind of knew that wasn't going to work in a long-term career. When I finally started working on the New Inside project and "New Inside" itself, that's exactly what the song is about. Of course, we made it about a love relationship, but the song is really more about busting down those walls, changing things, being open-minded, pushing yourself a little bit and being a little "new inside."

Tiffany also spoke of working on the album and the new vocal technique, revealing "Of course, I come in with dark hair and lipstick and all these different things representing that album to my label, and they were horrified. They were scared to death. I was really thrilled that Donnie Wahlberg became a part of that project, and I worked with some great people. Phillip Damien was awesome. I think he vocally took me to a whole different level. A lot of my fans at first were like, "Oh, I don't know if I like that tone of your voice, and you're hitting notes that I'm not used to, and it sounds a little screechy," but as a vocalist, for me that was such an experience, because I tapped into things I didn't know I could do. Now, I've finessed them more, but just to be able to go, "Let's push it a little bit," unfortunately, you're always exposing yourself in front of the masses. Now, I think if we were to do that project, it’d be totally different. I definitely think that I'd probably even sound better on those songs, but I loved it. It was great. I was 18 in New York City recording an album; I thought I was really cool!"^[5]

Release

The album was released in America, Canada, Germany and Japan via MCA Records. It was largely released on CD, although it also received a vinyl release in Germany and a cassette release in both America and Canada.^[6] In Japan, a limited edition 10" CD Box-Set was released which included 2 prints.^[7] Since its original release, the album has out-of-print however in recent years the album is available as a MP3 Download.^[8][9]

The CD booklet and back cover show "A Moment to Rest" as track number 3, but this brief instrumental interlude is actually on the CD as part of the following track, "Tenderly", shown as track 4 on the cover but actually track 3; all subsequent tracks are confusingly shown with numbers one higher than actually displayed by a CD player.

Track listing

1. "New Inside" (Phillip Damien, Dennis Cheese) – 5:35
2. "It's You" (Tiffany, Kevin Grady, Damien) – 5:22
3. "A Moment To Rest" / "Tenderly" (Nayan, Chris Bednar) – 5:27
4. "Never Run My Motor Down" (André Cymone, Gardner Cole) – 3:58
5. "Here in My Heart" (Diane Warren) – 4:08
6. "Tiff's Back" (Maurice Starr) – 3:52
7. "Our Love" (Damien) – 6:01
8. "Life Affair" (Gardner Cole, Matthew Garey) – 4:07
9. "Back in the Groove" (Starr, Tiffany) – 4:35
10. "There Could Never" (Damien, Mark Wilson) – 7:36

Singles

• "New Inside" - August 28, 1990
• "Here In My Heart" - January 8, 1991
• "Back In The Groove" - April 1991

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[10]
Entertainment Weekly	(C)[11]
Chicago Tribune	[12]
Billboard	mixed[12]

Alex Henderson of Allmusic stated "In the early 1990s, teen idols Tiffany and Debbie Gibson both set out to shed their "teen queen" images by getting away from sugary pop and embracing a tougher urban contemporary sound. The new Tiffany was unveiled with New Inside, which was every bit as radical a departure from her previous albums as she claimed. What the CD isn't, however, is memorable. High-tech cuts like "Tiff's Back" and the new jack swing-influenced "It's You" sound like they were tailor-made for urban radio. They also sound contrived and robotic. The CD bombed, and Tiffany failed to regain her popularity."^[10]

Greg Sandow of Entertainment Weekly stated "Teen star Tiffany truly might feel new inside, just as the title of her latest album, New Inside, says. Now she's free to sing R&B instead of pop, as she told interviewers a year ago she wanted to. Trouble is, the R&B she sings here is the mass-produced kind, electronic and unusually punchy. So yes, she now sounds tough and street smart; she can wail with a vocal strength she never demonstrated before. But the plaintive, even troubled undercurrent in her voice, which was the best thing about her teen pop, mostly gets buried under a barrage of synthesizer effects. The result is an album without much personality — except when Tiffany pours on the passion and nearly goes through the emotional roof, stopping just short of frenzy. It's nice to know she can do that. But she'd be much more impressive if she did it in classier songs."^[11]

Chicago Tribune writer Jan DeKnock reviewed the album for the October 18, 1990 issue. The review stated "Teen queen Tiffany's first album without former svengali George Tobin - the man who masterminded her career rise - finds her exploring a much more contemporary sound, with plenty of pop-funk-dance winners, including the current single "New Inside" and the Minneapolis-styled "Never Run My Motor Down." Throughout, Tiffany shows off a new throaty snarl to go along with her powerful pipes, which, unfortunately, sometimes must fight against too many layers of busy production. The simple charm of the album's only true ballad, Diane Warren's "Here in My Heart," shows that Tiffany's true calling may prove to be country/rock, where her strong, expressive voice (sometimes reminiscent of Brenda Lee) could be shown off to greater advantage."^[12]

Billboard magazine reviewed the album in a somewhat favorable vein, saying "Teen diva gratefully shrugs off the dated sound of former svengali George Tobin and strikes a harder-edged, pop/funk pose on third album. While her matured, raspy vocals would be better served with less formulaic material than she has here, set offers several sterling moments."^[13]

Chart performance

Sales and certifications

References