Most Wanted (Hilary Duff Album) - Critical Reception

Critical Reception

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic gave a mixed review of Most Wanted, 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". Although he wrote that Most Wanted "isn't a terrible album by any means, it's not particularly a good one, since Duff's two pop albums have distinctive personalities that don't necessarily mesh together, and are both more fun than this." Bill Lamb of About.com noted that the three new songs "seem to be marking time instead of finding a new direction" but said that " remaining bulk of this collection is strong." Anthony Miccio, from the Baltimore City Paper, wrote that the album "doesn't signify the closure of a brief career" but is "meant to satisfy an audience that won't be offended by the opportunity to buy their favorite songs again and again." He noted that Duff's voice was not strong enough and stated that the "rock tracks are surprisingly sluggish." Talia Kraines of BBC Music commented that " ... 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."

Spence D. of IGN stated that "the only draw for this album are the three new tracks and the three remixes." He further commented that Most Wanted is a "filler album" and that "he new songs that are served up still show Duff chasing trends rather than setting them and actively searching for her own voice and image." Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine was critical of the album writing he "literally laughed out loud when I heard the Duffster was releasing a best-of album titled Most Wanted." He praised the Dead Executives produced tracks and concluded the review by writing that "apparently there aren't even enough bearable moments in Duff's recording career to fill one CD". Gabriel Leong of MTV Southeast Asia started the review by writing "A greatest hits album seems a tad flagrant when you've only had two albums so far. So let's call this one a compilation album instead." Leong noted that the title fitted the album perfectly and that it proves "its innocuous appeal of infectious bubblegum pop." David Hiltbrand of The Philadelphia Inquirer commented that it was "a little early in the career" to release a greatest hits album and that it showcased that "Duff is more product than talent." Aidin Vaziri of San Francisco Chronicle also commented that it was premature as it was too early in Duff's career to release a greatest hits compilation. He commended the new tracks produced by the Dead Executives writing that they "help alleviate the feeling that this is a total cash grab." In 2006, Rolling Stone included the album in their Lamest Greatest Hits Albums Ever list.