Billy Gilman Dare To Dream Lyrics

It's easy to take a full-brush swipe at Billy Gilman, who recorded his first album--as well as this follow-up--by the age of 12. His voice is predictably girlish, his inspirational material goes treacly, and his country-pop offerings are usually embarrassingly lame. But technically, Gilman is a fine little singer, with an easy approach and impressive control. The problem is, his producers don't know whether to present him as a child or as a knowing young adult, and in doing both, they make him look foolish. "She's My Girl," a fluffy, pop-radio confection, has him taking a hipster stance, calling the object of his affections "a 24/7 piece of heaven." Gilman finally breaks out on the big band/rockabilly number, "You Don't You Won't," which should be a lesson to his producers: find him the best songs, forget his age, and just let him sing. If that happens, he'll attract the right audience and transcend his boy-wonder image. Otherwise, enjoy this future Catskills attraction while you can. --Alanna Nash