Disney: The One That Got Away

Vanessa Hudgens and Corbin Bleu aren't the only "High School Musical" cast members with solo albums coming in 2007. Ashley Tisdale—best-known for her work as Sharpay Evans in "HSM" and Maddie Fitzpatrick on the Disney Channel TV series "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody"—also has a debut on the way.

But unlike Hudgens and Bleu, Tisdale's crossover bid, "Headstrong," won't come via Hollywood Records. Instead, the album, due Feb. 6, will come from Warner Music Group's Warner Bros. Records.

Hollywood Records executive VP/GM Abbey Konowitch says that the label decided to back one male and one female from "HSM." "We didn't want to be competing with ourselves," he says.

The artist's manager Bill Perlman says that Tisdale, 21, also wanted a more adult-leaning record—a vision that may not have worked with what Disney was seeking. "Headstrong" features production from Jonathan "JR" Rotem (Britney Spears, Destiny's Child, Rhianna) and the Matrix.

But even though Tisdale is recording outside the Disney system, she is still benefiting from her associations with it, performing three songs from the new album each night as part of her role in the "HSM" tour. She will also be featured in "High School Musical 2" and the upcoming season of "The Suite Life."

The downside is that Tisdale is left with little time to promote the new record, which is why Warner Bros. will promote her heavily online through MySpace and a channel on YouTube. The label is also releasing "Be Good to Me" as a dedicated Radio Disney single complete with a video for airing on Disney properties, because that was the track they preferred. The urban-flavored "He Said, She Said" is the official single.

Warner Bros. senior VP of strategic marketing Lori Feldman says, "You take your support where you can get it." —BG