Before signing a record deal with Virgin Records, Hope Partlow was an typical farm girl growing up north of Memphis, Tenn. Partlow went to a public school, and did chores around her 100-acre farm. She started singing gospel and country songs with her father at the age of 5. And she received her first record deal when she was 14 years old. Now at 18, she has traveled the country performing music from “Who We Are,” her finely-written pop album.

The album has many soft songs: she is not screaming in a way that you cannot understand what she is saying. The fast beats and instruments in her songs really bring out the rock influence in her music. Because of this, Partlow’s songs would even appeal to those who are not usually very fond of country-pop music.

The feel of “Who We Are” is very smooth, and the songs move from fast to slow without being choppy. Although when she was younger, she focused more on country music, in this album she experiments with different songs and styles to fit everyone’s taste. “I love country music, but I feel I am at a place in my life where I can better express myself through pop music,” says Partlow on her Web site:http://www.hopepartlow.com/

There are a lot of fast songs that are really enjoyable, but some of the beats in the music are too fast for me. I like fast music, such as rap, but not fast pop music. Other than that, the songs are great. Her voice complements all of the music because she knows when to go high or when to stay low.

Many of the lyrics on this album are about growing up and the importance of friends. The songs that grabbed my attention are “Who We Are” and “Crazy Summer Nights.” “Who We Are” sends a bold message because it talks about how Partlow does not want to be like the other famous singers:

I don't wanna put on my make up
Just like every girl in a magazine
That's not who i am when i wake up
That's not who i wanna be

There's so much more to me than
Meets the eye
In this life
I know one thing

It doesn't really matter what you wear
Let the people stare
Cuz we are who we are who we are who we are
It doesn't really matter what car you drive
It's good to be alive
Yeah we are who we are who we are who we are

Partlow has traveled a long way from working on her family farm. She has performed all over the United States, and in the fall of 2005 gave concerts at 15 different Wal-Mart stores, including Indianapolis. You can also hear her music on Radio Disney.

As of January 2006 Partlow is no longer with Virgin Records but you can still buy her CD from music distributors and Amazon.com.

Partlow has done a great job with her first album. Not only is it filled with great songs, but she has proved that young people can achieve whatever they want.

She has 12 songs on her album, which are:

1. Who We Are

2. Don’t Go

3. Crazy Summer Nights

4. Sick Inside

5. Girlfriend

6. Like You Do

7. I Believe In You

8. It’s Too Late

9. Cold

10. Through It All

11. Everywhere But Here

12. Let Me Try