Most Wanted

Most Wanted
Greatest hits by Hilary Duff
Released	August 16, 2005
Recorded	2003–2005
Genre	Dance-pop, teen pop, pop rock[1]
Length	48:58
Label	Hollywood
Producer	Julian Bunetta, Haylie Duff, Hilary Duff (executive), Kevin De Clue, Charlie Midnight, Andre Recke (also executive), John Shanks, Ty Stevens, Denny Weston, Jr.
Professional reviews
About.com [2] Allmusic [1] BBC Music (mixed)[3] IGN [4] Slant Magazine [5]
Hilary Duff chronology
Hilary Duff (2004) Most Wanted (2005) 4Ever (2006)
Alternative cover
The Collector's Signature Edition cover
Singles from Most Wanted
"Wake Up" Released: July 12, 2005 "Beat of My Heart" Released: November 9, 2005

Most Wanted is the first greatest hits album by American singer Hilary Duff, released on August 16, 2005 by Hollywood Records. The release comprises of ten previously-released songs (some of which are remixed and some of which were not single releases), as well as three new songs: "Wake Up", "Beat of My Heart" and "Break My Heart".

Album history

Most Wanted is Duff's first greatest hits compilation, following the release of her three studio albums Santa Claus Lane (2002), Metamorphosis (2003) and Hilary Duff (2004). Critics have noted that it was strange for Duff to have released such a compilation so early into her musical career; one stated, "With [three], not hugely successful albums behind her, a greatest hits compilation was certainly not what we were expecting from 17 year old Hilary Duff."^[3]

The release contains ten songs from Metamorphosis, Hilary Duff, and the soundtracks to Duff's films The Lizzie McGuire Movie and A Cinderella Story, three of which ("Come Clean", "Rock This World" and "Why Not") are remixed.^[4][1] In addition, Most Wanted contains three new songs co-written by Duff and the production team Dead Executives: "Wake Up", "Beat of My Heart", and "Break My Heart".

A deluxe version of the album, subtitled The Collector's Signature Edition, was also released and contains additional remixes, and the bonus track "Supergirl".

Critical reception

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic gave a mixed review of the album, stating that "hardcore fans will be hard-pressed for a reason to add this to their collection" and that the new songs – "Wake Up", "Beat of My Heart" and "Break My Heart" – "sound a bit like leftovers." He added, "While this isn't a terrible album by any means, it's not particularly a good one, since Duff's two pop albums [Metamorphosis and Hilary Duff] have distinctive personalities that don't necessarily mesh together [...], and are both more fun than this."^[1] Bill Lamb of About.com awarded the album four out of five stars (though he noted that "[i]t rates 3 if you don't own [Duff's previous albums]"). Lamb noted that the three new songs "seem to be marking time instead of finding a new direction", and while he praised "Wake Up", he criticized "Beat of My Heart" and "Break My Heart" as being "disappointing cookie cutter copies of Avril Lavigne's 'Sk8erboi.'" However, he added, "The remaining bulk of this collection is strong."^[2]

Talia Kraines of BBC Music noted that "[Duff's] voice has neither the spunk of Lindsay Lohan nor the power of Kelly Clarkson, and there isn't enough here to warrant a purchase if you're already the owner of her back catalogue. But if you're after your first taste of Duff-flavoured pop to listen to in the background as you do your homework, then this album can do no harm."^[3] A reviewer for IGN claimed that "the only draw for this album are the three new tracks and the three remixes, causing one to wonder why Duff and Hollywood Records didn't just release a six-song EP or why they didn't just commission a few more remixes and put out a remix/new song album instead."^[4] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine gave the album a negative review, stating that "there aren't even enough bearable moments in Duff's recording career to fill one CD".^[5]

Promotion and chart performance

In its first week of U.S. release, the album sold nearly 208,000 copies, and it became Duff's first album to debut at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart and her second album to reach number one on the chart after Metamorphosis.^[6] It stayed at number one for a second week after a 40% drop in sales,^[7] and the RIAA certified the album platinum for shipments of over one million copies in late September.^[8] Most Wanted spent thirty-five weeks on the Billboard 200, five of which were in the top twenty,^{[citation needed]} and it was ranked 104th on the year-end chart.^[9] In Canada, the album became Duff's third to debut at number one, doing so with first-week sales of 45,000 copies;^[10] it was certified two times platinum by the CRIA, for shipments of 200,000 copies, in December 2005.^[11] In Australia, the album peaked at number three, becoming Duff's highest charting album,^[12] and the ARIA certified it platinum for 70,000 copies shipped.^[13] Most Wanted was Duff's first to reach the top forty on the UK Albums Chart: it entered at number thirty-one with 10,700 copies,^[14] and it was certified gold by the BPI for shipping 200,000 copies.^[15] "Wake Up", the first single from Most Wanted, was released to U.S. radio and television in mid-July 2005.^[16] It received frequent play on Radio Disney^[6] and reached number twenty-nine on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, becoming Duff's highest peaking single on the chart at the time. Though airplay for the song on CHR/Top 40 radio was extremely limited,^[12] its music video was a MTV Total Request Live staple for several weeks.^[17] The single reached the top ten in the UK (where it is her biggest hit), the top twenty in Australia and the top forty in the Netherlands, although it failed to reach the top forty in Germany.^[12]

Video promotion for "Beat of My Heart", the second single, began in November. Its music video reached number one on TRL,^[18] and Most Wanted returned to the U.S. top forty during the same period. However, the single failed to chart on the Hot 100—Billboard magazine wrote "this is a kiddie anthem, plain and simple ... it is hardly a contender for contemporary radio."^[19] It was more successful than "Wake Up" in Australia, where it peaked at number thirteen.^[12] "Supergirl", the album's third U.S. single, was originally slated for a full release as a single,^[20] but instead it was issued without a video as a download-only single in February 2006. In the British Isles, "Fly" was released as the album's second single in March 2006, and it reached the top twenty in the UK. Duff embarked on a Canadian-only concert tour in 2005, titled the Most Wanted Tour, for Hilary Duff, and she later went on the Still Most Wanted Tour in July 2005; the tour came to the British Isles in April 2006. All Duff's full singles were released in Brazil (except for Our Lips Are Sealed and Someone's Watching Over Me), but, as her album Hilary Duff was not released on the country, "Fly" was the first single off Most Wanted, in 2004. After "Wake Up" and "Beat Of My Heart", the "Remix 2005" version of "Come Clean" was released in Malhação's 2006 international soundtrack and as radio single, being the fourth off Duff's compilation album. The album's lead single "Wake Up" was realsed on July 12, 2005. The music video was directed by Marc Webb and the video's MTV premiere was on Total Request Live on July 15, 2005. the second and final single from her third album, "Beat of My Heart," was released on November 9, 2005. The premiere from the music video was on TRL at November 9, 2005. The music video was directed by Phil Harder. Two other singles were released: "Supergirl," which was released as a digital download single in the US, and "Fly." In GB and other different European countries, "Fly" was released as the third single from the album. The same music video from 2004.

Track listing

The Collector's Signature Edition

In addition to the original tracklisting, the Collector's Signature Edition contains the following bonus tracks:

Charts

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Credits

References