Now That's What I Call Music! 20 (by Various Artists, Compilation)

NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL MUSIC! 20 sets a new record for the series by not getting sappy until track 11 (Kelly Clarkson's "Behind These Hazel Eyes"). Fans of these compilations will find a much more interesting mix of current hits, with less pseudo-romantic goop and more amazing singing and playing. Most of these songs are hits for a very good reason.

The first 10 songs are well-sequenced and fun, though not for very young kids. Starting with the wonderful "Lose Control" by Missy Elliot (with cameos by Ciara and Fat Man Scoop) and rolling on through tracks by the Black Eyed Peas and Rihanna, among others, this album is a dance party waiting to happen. If you're not in the mood for overblown angst, skip 11, 12, and 13 ... jump right from Natasha Bedingfield's "These Words (I Love You, I Love You)" to the power-perk of The Click Five's "Just the Girl," cruising safely on through Franz Ferdinand, Weezer, and Fall Out Boy. The CD ends with "You & Me" by Lifehouse, "Fix You" by Coldplay, and the one obligatory nod to country music, Keith Urban's "You'll Think of Me."

The content includes a lot of sexual innuendo, mostly playful except for the submissiveness-poster-child pathos of Destiny's Child's "Cater 2 U," a song parents can use to talk to their daughters about self-esteem in relationships. This CD is mostly all in good fun, and more fun than most.