by Belly
1995, Warner Bros

the sound: Belly’s first album, “Star,” was pop with a twinkly, fairy tale spin. The CD made Belly a huge hit on college radio and MTV and earned the band two Grammy nominations in 1993. “King,” released in 1995, has a more mature, thicker sound. Where “Star” sounds haunting and plinky, “King” grinds and kicks out catchy, jangly tunes. Gone are lyrics about dolls and squirrels and demanding frogs—replaced with a feeling of raw sexuality. “Where should I not touch? / What should I not kiss?” purrs lead singer Tanya Donnelly. You get the sense that Donnelly has outgrown her baby doll dresses and now uses combat boots to pin her love to the floor by the throat while she sings to him.

the background: Newport, R.I., native Donnelly, formerly of Throwing Muses and The Breeders, formed Belly in 1991. The minor success of the group’s EP “Sweet Ride” was followed by the colossal hit “Star.” Belly’s main audience consisted of college students and fans of MTV’s “Buzz Bin.” Heavy metal bassist Gail Greenwood replaced Fred Abong shortly after the release of “Star,” and her presence is heavily felt on “King,” with harder riffs and more jarring beats. Greenwood also contributed to many of the lyrics, which may account for their more mature content. There are fewer anthropomorphic animals and more talk of relationships and lust. “Honey on your breath /  Heaven in your head,” Donnelly sings on “Red,” cooing over a driving drum beat that eventually rips the song from her. She innocently sets you up with her sweet voice, right before Greenwood kicks you in the face. The mix makes for a dizzying, fun combination.

the significance: “King” is definitely a more grown-up album. On it, Donnelly sounds more sure of what she wants. Unfortunately, maturity is a hard sell when your core audience is all about beer bongs and hooking up. With lyrics like “Baby, I can’t fake it / I’d like to see you naked / I’d like to see you take it,” Belly seems to have alienated the majority of its fans, most of whom were expecting more fluffy candy to twirl around to. “King” achieved only a fraction of the success of “Star,” and Belly disbanded shortly after its second release. Greenwood went on to play with heavy metal ladies L7. Donnelly has since been enjoying a modest career as a solo artist. A Belly greatest hits album was released in 2002.