By Emily Senger
Hilary Duff, emulated by many a tween, was almost enjoyable as Lizzie McGuire. The syndicated Disney children’s series was witty and entertaining, and Lizzie’s stubborn quirkiness provided a positive role model for young girls. Alas, if only Hilary Duff had stuck to children’s entertainment instead of making the jump to recording and producing actual records.
Most Wanted is Duff’s latest effort to cross the genre from cutesy Lizze McGuire actress to intense grrrl rocker. Duff tries so hard to rock out with tracks like “Girls Can Rock” and “Rock This World,” she almost deserves some credit. As much as Duff tries to convince listeners with the lyrics “Hey boys/Are you ready for the shock/I’m living proof the girl can rock,” she only rocks about half as hard as Avril Lavigne, and is not nearly as catchy as Brittany Spears in her “Oops I Did it Again” days.
In addition to failed rock attempts, Most Wanted also contains remixes of three classic Duff songs, and presents die-hard Duff fans with a new version of the already overplayed “Why Not,” which sounds curiously like the original but with an even more annoying bass line.
Duff gets an A for her effort to convince listeners girls can rock, but all she can muster on Most Wanted is bubble gum pop, complete with easily rhyming lyrics and intensely annoying bass. This being said, it contains just the upbeat, poppy formula guaranteed to delight tween girls everywhere.