If there was one actress who best personified the late '90s, who would it be? Is it Parker Posey, who became huge because of the surging clout of independent film? Perhaps it would be Katie Holmes, who starred in one of the era's most talked-about teen shows. Maybe you think it's one of the women from "Friends," who all managed to pull off the difficult transition from prime time television to films in one way or another. But isn't it impossible to deny Jennifer Love Hewitt? She managed to make her way into just about every aspect of our entertainment lives, starring in a hit TV show ("Party of Five"), headlining major films ("Can't Hardly Wait," "I Know What You Did Last Summer") and dabbling in pop music. On this day in 2002, Hewitt released her second album BareNaked, one of the most underrated gems of the past decade.
Hewitt's performance roots actually began in music, as she got her first big break as a cast member of the Disney Channel hit "Kids Incorporated." The pop world first got a taste of Hewitt's singing chops when the song "How Do I Deal" appeared on the soundtrack to 1999's "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer" and became a minor chart hit (and became an absolute smash in Australia and Japan, making Hewitt a huge music star in those countries). Hewitt followed up the success of "How Do I Deal" with her most high-profile album in BareNaked. With a handful of assists from Meredith Brooks (of "Bitch" fame), BareNaked is actually a sharp pop construction that was a few years ahead of its time, delivering buoyant melodies and crunchy arrangements for a rock-tinged groove.
But BareNaked represents the last album Hewitt put out. She has since focused on television (namely her hit "The Ghost Whisperer"), but she should know that she is welcome back in the music world at any time, just as long as she keeps churning out stuff like the title track from BareNaked, a sweet little tune that is perfect for a Friday morning.