Now That's What I Call Music 16

Review

Common Sense Media says

Unimpressive collection with a few great songs.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this is the 16th in the series of compilations of recent hits geared to younger teens, and it continues the grand tradition of cheerfully danceable misogyny.

  • Positive messages0
    "Now That's What I Call Misogyny" on several of the songs.
  • Violence3
    A couple of unsettling images.
  • Sex4
    There's a lot of innuendo, some explicit sexuality.
  • Language3
    Edited songs allow omitted words to be very obvious.
  • Consumerism0
    "As Seen On TV" sticker on shrink-wrap; a brand name or two.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking3
    A couple of references to specific drugs, drinking, and getting high.
CloseExpand to see more details

What's the story?

NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL MUSIC! 16 contains a couple of terrific songs that happen to be huge hits, but we've all heard "Hey Ya!" so many times by now that its only purpose in this context is to make the others sound weak by comparison.

Is it any good?

 

The song order is as thoughtless as ever: Dreary ballads by Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson, the two least capable singers on the album, are next to each other, a terrible setup for Hoobastank's "The Reason," also a ballad. Dead center in the mix, this sequence alone will send all but the most diehard fans either to snoozeland or the "skip" button.

The predictable hip-hop and pop tracks that follow are familiar and unremarkable, cheerfully misogynistic and mostly danceable. Things pick up somewhat at the end with a couple of interesting choices: "Heaven" by Los Lonely Boys boasts a wonderfully bluesy lead vocal, and "Redneck Women" by Gretchen Wilson is catchy and fun, one of the few country hits to be included in this series. Despite a couple of gems, all of which would be easy to find elsewhere, this compilation is pretty weak. It might be more fun to find some more interesting dance tunes and make your own compilation.

Sign Up Message
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.
Please enter an email address.
Please check your email address for possible typos.
Sorry, you must be 13 or older to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sign me up!

What families can talk about

Families can talk about what makes a good dance mix. Come up with a list of your favorite dance tracks and arrange your own mix.

This review was written by Kathi Kamen Goldmark
Artist:Various Artists
Release date:August 3, 2004
Label:Utv Records
Genre:Hip-hop
Parental advisory:No
This review was written by Kathi Kamen Goldmark
 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.
About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors

For kids who love
Browse more music
 

vote now

Will you add Now That's What I Call Music 16 to your playlist?

Absolutely
Maybe
No way

Already listened to it? What do you think?

I recommend it
It's a pass
 
More from Common Sense Media
Age-appropriate reviews
Top advice and articles

Been There? Tell us about it