Most Wanted (by Hilary Duff, Pop)

Hilary Duff's latest tribute to self-absorption (aka a "greatest hits" album with a couple of new tracks thrown in) offers one bad song after another, performed with so much electronic ambiance slapped on the vocals that it's impossible to hear what the Disney megastar's real voice sounds like. The cliché-laden lyrics seem innocuous at first, but the message is, in some ways, as scary as the most explicit gangsta rap, because MOST WANTED is nothing more than a celebration of Hilary herself.

Repetitive lyrics alternate between lovesick and preachy. Vocals are processed within an inch of their thin whiny life and mixed way above lackluster instrumental tracks. The songs are downright awful; most are remixes of past hits. The "me-me" message becomes quite irritating. The one bright spot -- a cover of the Go-Gos' "Our Lips Are Sealed" seems perfectly suited to Duff's vocal stylings. The rest of the songs, boring as they are, stretch her limited range to the max.

Released on: August 16, 2005
Label: Hollywood Records
Genre: Pop