We've moved from an era of artists trying to impersonate Taylor Swift to an era of young artists heavily influenced by Taylor Swift. Maggie Sajak -- the 16-year-old daughter of 'Wheel of Fortune' host Pat Sajak -- shows potential with her first single 'First Kiss,' but it's not likely to break her as the next teen sensation a la Swift, or to a lesser extent, Katie Armiger.

Sajak has a voice capable of turning a mediocre song into something memorable, but she hasn't yet figured out how to emotionally sell her experience just yet. With muted tears, laughter, or anxiety, this style satisfies like a bag of Skittles fills an empty belly.

"Friday night, football lights, backseat, so polite / Blue eyes, butterflies, heart beats, I should say good night / I don't wanna blow it / Just could be the moment," Sajak sings over guitars and a precise but unnecessary drum-machine. The courtesy slide guitar later in the song isn't going to be enough to convince purists that 'First Kiss' is a honest-to-goodness country song.

"We let it fly / We let it go / All the stars align, the moon it shines so much I wanna know / This is the time / To good to miss / Not on the check, but on the lips / The first kiss," she adds in the chorus.

Great songs from teen artists not only please the bubblegum crowd, but they stick to the ribs of the more mature country audience, too. The stories dig up specific emotions and vivid memories from 10, 20 or 30 years ago. Sajak will become more adept at doing this as she grows older.

2.5 Stars
loading...

Listen to Maggie Sajak's 'First Kiss'

More From Taste of Country