Barnes & Noble
Having won the battle for teen pop supremacy against her party girl rival, Lindsay Lohan -- whose debut album, Speak, was a flop -- multimedia darling Hilary Duff is in the mood to celebrate with this greatest-hits-so-far package. It may seem a bit presumptuous of the 17-year-old to release Most Wanted -- given that she's only recorded two albums -- but the flaxen-haired cutie's fans will be pleased that the hits compiled, such as "Fly," have been remastered. For added value, the disc also features three remixes: a danceable "Come Clean," an extra-rockin' "Rock This World," and a bubbly "Why Not." Other highlights include the Metamorphosis chart-topper "So Yesterday" and Duff's cover of the Go-Gos' "Our Lips Are Sealed," with sister Haylie, originally from the soundtrack to A Cinderella Story. There's plenty to want here. Tracy E. Hopkins
All Music Guide
Arriving about a month before Hilary Duff turned 18 and presumably right around the time her record contract was coming to an end, 2005's Most Wanted is a tossed-off hodgepodge of seven previously released songs (including the hits "So Yesterday" and "Fly"), three new remixes (including one of the hit "Come Clean"), and three new songs. Nothing screams contractual obligation quite like this kind of grab bag, and hardcore fans will be hard-pressed for a reason to add this to their collection, since they not only have nearly everything here, the new songs -- the single "Wake Up," which sounds like a sweet-natured, slightly listless spin on Gwen Stefani's "Cool"; the persistent electro-pulse of "Beat of My Heart"; the lightweight Ashlee Simpson-styled rocker "Break My Heart" -- sound a bit like leftovers. While this isn't a terrible album by any means, it's not particularly a good one, since Duff's two pop albums have distinctive personalities that don't necessarily mesh together (2003's Metamorphosis is unabashed teen pop, 2004's Hilary Duff is a post-Ashlee/Avril rock makeover), and are both more fun than this. If all you're looking for is the two hits on one disc (and you don't really mind that one is remixed, not in the version that you heard on the radio), Most Wanted suits the bill. Stephen Thomas Erlewine