NEATH'S shining star Katherine Jenkins has been back and forth to LA this year – and now we can hear why.

Her time in the US has seen her in the recording studio with renowned producer David Foster, who has worked with Whitney Houston in the past.

And Katherine has made no secret that this album – her seventh – is her bid to crack the American music market.

But while our friends across the pond will have to wait until April to buy a copy, her UK fans have been buying their copies since Monday.

The 12-track record sees Katherine take steps in an unexpected direction, with some song choices that may shock her die-hard fans.

Whereas her 2008 release, Sacred Arias, saw her return to her classical roots with a religious theme, Believe is far more dramatic and harks back to her fifth album, Rejoice, in many ways.

No Woman No Cry and Bring Me To Life are the most unexpected of her choices, but they both work. In fact the latter has been chosen as the signature track for this release and is available digitally as a single.

And it really works. Katherine's classical style remains, but her seemingly odd choices give her music something new and fresh. After six albums, she could so easily have become tedious.

The Godfather theme brings a dramatic element to the party, juxtaposed with some beautifully mild tracks such as I Believe, a duet with Andrea Bocelli.

Who Wants to Live Forever is undoubtedly one of the highlights, a hidden gem towards the end of the album. And La Vie En Rose, La Califfa and Fear of Falling should ensure her original fans are kept happy.

All in all this album takes Katherine's talents a step further, albeit by crossing over further into pop than ever before. After three or four listens you'll get sucked in and won't want to turn it off.