Emma Bunton, or that pretty little blonde girl from the Spice Girls who was also known as Baby Spice, just released a brand new single. And by 'new' I obviously mean a new cover, Emma opting for the classic 'Downtown', by Petula Clark.

The single was recorded for charity, for the Children In Need organization and all proceeds will go straight to this foundation. That means that Emma did a very laudable thing by recording 'Downtown', something not all celebrities do.

But, leaving aside for just one second the charitable point of view of Emma's latest move in what regards her singing career, one must not forget that this track is her first since 2004, when she enjoyed three top 10 hits from her gold selling 'Free Me'. Taking this into consideration, maybe she should have gone for something more original or, if not, maybe she should have tried more with this cover so as to make it memorable for her fans.

No doubt, Emma's voice is good, she can easily stand apart from all those so-called singers (be they British or American) and her experience would definitely allow her to sing a full range of musical genres. Before releasing 'Downtown', Miss Bunton said that she enjoyed 'putting my own stamp on it', meaning on the original track. Barely, one could say; she barely did that.

Then there's another thing that doesn't quite make sense in the video: why is she constantly pointing towards her genitalia every time she sings 'Downtown'? Is there a hidden message here that we just don't get? Do the lyrics refer to anything else than to that part of a city called 'downtown'? After all, she is singing about bars and stuff like that... What does this have to do with that part of her body?

Anyway, be that as it may, I would say that both the video and the cover are... well, they just are. Nothing more and nothing less. They do not shine or stand out, they don't suck, they just are. And it's a shame that, with such a wonderful voice, Emma wastes her time on impersonal covers.

CLICK HERE for the video of Emma Bunton's rendition of 'Downtown'.