Most Wanted

Hilary Duff is going to be turning 18 on September 28th. How many singers release a Greatest Hits album at this age? It may seem premature given she's only had two albums however this album collects all of her popular tracks from her various soundtracks along with her singles and album cuts. Looking at the track listing of Most Wanted Hilary has been a very busy girl indeed. She will probably never be a music critics' darling but that doesn't stop her from making infectious bubblegum pop music that becomes everyone's guilty pleasure.

Three of the teen queen's biggest, brightest hits (Come Clean, Rock This World, and Why Not) get the remix treatment. Impossible though it seems, each remix is still zippier than the original. Perennial favorite So Yesterday is squished between the hard-rockin', deeply satisfying Mr. James Dean from 2004's Hilary Duff and the too-girlie-for-its-own-good Metamorphosis from the same-named 2003 disc. There are three originals to entice fans who already own her first two albums including opener Wake Up, a slightly self-pitying look inside the celebrity glass bubble, but to a great beat, the danceable Beat of my Heart, and emo-esque Break My Heart. The new songs are collaborations with Hilary Duff's boyfriend Joel Madden of the band Good Charlotte and his twin brother Benji. The collection also includes Duff's duet with sister Haylie on their remake of Go-go's 1980s hit Our Lips Are Sealed which is unavailable on either album.

After the bubblegum pop of Metamorphosis and then the rock-edged Hilary Duff, it was intriguing to see in which direction teen star Hilary Duff would head. It seems likely that as long as the relationship between Hilary Duff and Joel Madden holds together, he is likely to have a significant impact on the direction of her music. But Hilary Duff has not suddenly become a punk pop singer. Her most recent music may be rocking a bit harder than where she began, but it is still a far cry from the intensity of even the most mainstream punk pop bands. Her voice is relatively thin meaning, she is incapable of belting a song in the fashion of Avril Lavigne's, but she projects charm and a sense of self that wins over the listener. Duff's music does not seek to be adult before her time. Instead, it is unmistakably the music of a teenager finding her way in the world. Overall Most Wanted is a good mix of pop songs and a great package for those who passed on Hilary's first two albums. A fun collection and must buy for anyone who likes good pop music – whether they want to admit it or not.