Peter Andre: 'Revelation'

Rather ironically, music has never been the defining factor behind Peter Andre's popularity. Despite topping both albums and singles charts in the mid-'90s, it's those rippling abs that kept him in the public consciousness before a trip to the jungle turned him into a tabloid favourite. So in the light of recent events, it's no surprise that he's relying on his tumultuous private life - rather than any musical credentials - to flog his latest effort.

Revelation, Andre's first release since that duets album, is utterly dominated by references to his life as one half of the UK's favourite reality TV couple. "She was my girl, my closest friend, my honey," he bleets on 'Call The Doctor', before titillating listeners with claims of an adulterous affair: "I saw her at the Beverly Center with another dude... I saw her talking and holding his hand." It's a theme that crops up time and time again, and one that quickly grows tired.

On 'Distance' - a Shayne Ward-style midtempo pop track - Andre reveals that "every time we have a disagreement it always ends in a fight", while on 'Go Back' he laments: "Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I'd be on TV talking 'bout you and me." The stomach-turning icing on the cake comes in the form of 'Unconditional', a ballad dedicated to stepson Harvey: "Wish I was there for your first breath, I wish I could've helped with your first step, but I'm here now."

And the music? Well, much of the album trundles along in fairly derivative fashion, alternating between '90s pop throwbacks and Auto-Tune-laced R&B; numbers. However, there are moments when Andre succeeds in creating an appealing and contemporary sound. 'Ready For Us' and 'Outta Control', with their clubby beats and swirling synths, hold their own with album tracks by several bigger and hipper artists. The emotional conviction he shows is also impressive, even if some self-editing wouldn't have gone amiss. But if - as is so obviously the case - Andre really wants to be taken seriously as a popstar, it's less a case of Revelation wanted than one of revolution needed.