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http://music.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id= 126658&print=tr

Yeah, yeah, yeah...

Before you turn up your nose and cough up all the usual lazy criticisms, Stephanie Mclntosh has already heard them all before, plenty of times. "Yet another Neighbours star makes a record, blah blah; Ramsay Street to the pop chart, blah blah blah."

But it's time to put your preconceptions on hold and listen without prejudice. Music is more than a hobby or merely an opportunistic diversion for Stephanie Mclntosh. It's her calling and it's in the blood.

"I'm not just doing this because I can," Mclntosh says of her move into the music world. "I'm doing this because music is my passion. I love music so much. I love singing. I take it very seriously.

"Sure, Neighbours is a great launching pad into music, there's no point denying that. A lot of people who act can also sing and dance, it comes in the one package a lot of times. But it's what you do with it. From Kylie to Delta to the Natalies (Imbruglia and Bassingthwaighte), they've all had success and they've all got different styles and I'm different again. I know I'm the latest in the line, I know its like 'Oh, here's another one', I know there's a lot of expectations so I want to make sure it's right."

As first impressions go, Stephanie Mclntosh's debut single 'Mistake' is a doozy. A high-octane collision of pop and rock, it literally jumps out of your speakers with angst, attitude and a chorus that'll knock your head off the first time you hear it. "It's not as poppy as people are going to expect, which is exactly what I wanted," Mclntosh says. "I know everyone's going to have their preconceptions and I want them all to be wrong."

Written by Tom Nichols (Kylie's 'Fever', All Saints' 'Black Coffee') and Rami & Amthor (JLo's 'Play'), the song has been given the unmistakeable production touch of Max Martin's team Maratone, who has sent hits for everyone from Britney Spears to Kelly Clarkson to The Veronicas hurtling up the charts.

"I'm so honoured to have him working on my music," Mclntosh says of Max Martin. "He's had some huge hits so I'm so thrilled to have him as part of my record."

Mclntosh, who plays hippy chick Sky Mangel in Neighbours, may only be releasing her first single now, but her debut album Tightrope has been two years in the making. Recording sessions have taken place all over the world (LA, NY, Miami, London and Sweden), with Nichols steering the bulk of the material.

'Mistake', one of the last songs recorded for Tightrope, announced itself as a debut single as soon as it was finished.

"Its a really powerful song," Mclntosh says. "We got a vibe from it as soon as it was done. We spent a long time getting it right and it really worked. My voice changed so much since we started recording. It's like sport, the more you sing your voice gets fitter and fitter so I was really able to belt it out"

The single is a perfect introduction to the world-class pop-rock highs of Tightrope.

"A lot of people say 'pop' as if it's a negative thing," Mclntosh says. 'To me, I dont see any negative aspect with pop. It means popular. I wanted my album to be pop/rock with a bit of an edge, thafs exactly where I'm at. I feel we've really nailed it."

Stephanie Mdntosh: she will, she will rock you