At her Penn State appearance earlier this month, Ani DiFranco devoted one of her characteristic between-song rants to the kind of corporate cross-marketing events where she said you can't exactly tell what the most important thing on sale is.

New hair products? Stylish fashions? Or just catchy music?

DiFranco might've had someone like Debelah Morgan in mind.

On Aug. 16, the pop/R&B artist embarked on an 11-city fall tour. Each venue just happens to be a shopping mall.

While listening to Morgan perform cuts from her album Dance With Me, fans will be able to take in a fashion show, see hair-styling demonstrations, enter contests and even get makeovers, according to an Atlantic Records release.

You can only wonder how much faith record executives have in the salience of her music if they choose to feature her as only one product among many.

On the other hand, maybe mid-afternoon mall appearances are the best way to experience the tunes of this former beauty queen.

Most songs on the 14-track album sound as if they were actually watered-down versions of hits by some of her admitted influences, such as Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin. The lyrics are sparse and repetitive.

The rhythms and textures don't stay with the listener long after the 53-minute CD is done spinning. One of the few memorable songs on Morgan's latest outing is the first track, which shares its name with the album. But even this first single, at No. 41 this week on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, relies on someone else's music for its best part. Its hook grooves on a traditional tango melody called "Hernando's Hideaway."

Dance With Me isn't entirely horrible; there are just other more talented artists out there who sing very similar songs much better. Morgan turns 23 today.

Maybe her birthday wish should include something about originality.