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"Hilary Duff" - Best Of
- Hilary Duff's contract recently ended with her record label, Hollywood Records. In an attempt to cash out on the Hilary Duff property, they released a greatest hits album instead of letting Duff attempt a new album. The album lacks a few singles and fills the void with remixes. Any fan of Duff will be disappointed since they would only need to download two to three tracks and they wouldn't miss anything from skipping the rest of the album.
There are only two new songs on the album, "Reach Out" and "Holiday." "Reach Out" samples the phrase "Reach out and touch me" from the Depeche Mode song "Personal Jesus" in a successful manner. The song is catchy and produced well, mixing synthesized voices with Hilary's singing. "Holiday" is a mid-tempo pop/hip-hop song that is a little redundant, but is also very catchy. Both songs are a good addition to the album and shows an evolution in Duff's sound and maturity level.
The only remix that is good is "Come Clean" since it channels any popular techno song. It has a similar Lady GaGa/Kylie Minogue sound, but unfortunately they couldn't fix the childish lyrics sung at a then 17-year-old perspective. The "Reach Out" remix is just a lengthened version that doesn't add much, but makes it sound more like Depeche Mode song without Duff's voice in it as much. The "Holiday" remix sounds similar to the original and makes the song sound more generic than the original was.
The album was clearly rushed. The album cover is taken straight from her photo shoots for her last album "Dignity." The exact photo on the cover is used for the Japanese Deluxe Edition of "Dignity" and may also be included in the UK version. Hollywood Records didn't even attempt to Photoshop glitter, some paintbrush tool design, or even change the color of the cover. That's a great way to treat your artists.
There is a larger Hilary Duff discography to choose from. The album does not include "Beat of My Heart" and "Our Lips Are Sealed," both of which were singles that she released. It also lacks popular soundtrack songs "Crash World" and "Now You Know" from "A Cinderella Story" or even "Material Girl" from "Girl Next." She also released some promotional singles like "Supergirl" that could have been included. This record would have been great if it added a few live acoustic versions of her hits as well, since it would help dispel any lip-syncing rumors and help create a mature sound on some of her younger hits.
With other pop artists like Enrique Iglesias, and Christina Aguilera releasing greatest hits albums, Hilary Duff's attempt comes off as rushed and short. Iglesias album has 18 tracks, while Aguilera has 17. Duff's 12 looks short in comparison. Especially with the fact that Duff released "Most Wanted" in 2005, another greatest hits album which had 13 tracks, her latest album probably wouldn't appeal to fans that bought all her albums already.
It is obvious that Hollywood Records wanted to end Hilary Duff's five record contract. They didn't want to spend any more money in an artist that they must have believed was past her prime. Not only does she have two greatest hits albums in the five, "Best of" doesn't provide a lot of new music. The whole album is recycled, from the cover art to the track selection. It's a shame because "Reach Out" and "Holiday" aren't bad and shows a lot of potential for Duff.
Reviewer: Michael Pascua
new
Reviewer's Rating: 7.5
Reader's Rating: 8.41
Reader's Votes: 12
Added: 9-Dec-2008
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