has an "R'n'B feel." "One Step Closer" credits band members Danny Foster and Kym Marsh as co-writers. "Make It Happen" has a "disco style." The song credits Myleene Klass, Suzanne Shaw, and Noel Sullivan as co-writers. The final two tracks on the album are covers of "Monday, Monday" by The Mamas & the Papas and "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon & Garfunkel. Both songs were performed on Popstars during the auditions stage. Critical reception Music critics gave generally negative reviews to Popstars, noting the artificiality and genericness of both the band and the music. Ian Youngs of BBC suggested that "apart from a few modern beats in the background, this album could have been recorded at any time in the last four decades by any photogenic, teen-aimed group who are in it more for the stardom than the musical credibility." Youngs continued, "Musically, it is unadventurous factory-farmed fodder - which is obviously what they wanted. Something sweet, sticky and safe." In another review for BBC, Natalie Cassidy gave the album a "thumb ups," commenting that it "never tries to be too complicated or pretentious." However, Cassidy commented that "this is not a greatly original album - there are echoes of the Steps/S Club 7 vibe and sometimes you are not sure whether you are listening to the same song or the next one." The Daily Telegraph was the most positive, writing, "As it is, of its kind, it's a rather decent record." The Guardian unfavorably compared the album to Stock Aitken Waterman, suggesting that Hear'Say were stuck in the late 1980s. The Independent wrote, "Heaven knows, there's precious little musical interest to be found on the quintet's debut album." The Times remarked, "As soon as the album ends, you'd still be hard pushed to remember how more than three of the songs sound. The real question is, how much do you care?" entertainment.ie gave the song just two out of five stars. Commercial performance Popstars charted at number one on the UK Albums Chart. Having sold 306,631 copies in its first week, the album broke the record for fastest-selling debut album in UK chart history at the time of release. Track listing Charts and certifications Weekly charts Year-end charts Certifications Personnel Chris Hilton – artwork Michael Labica – artwork Richard Dowling – mastering Sandrine Dulermo – photography References 2001 debut albums Polydor Records albums