Consumer Guide Album

Now That's What I Call Party Hits! [Capitol, 2007]
By "now," if I'm not infringing their copyright, this 2007 special edition of the endlessly uneven series has turned into That's What They Called Party Hits Back in the Day! But since it cherry-picks back through the six preceding years to preserve all one need ever hear of Shop Boyz, Dem Franchize Boyz, Mims, Chingy, and, sad but true so far, Amerie, that just brightens its classic aura. The other 15 artists are more auspicious--in fact, "Gold Digger," "Get Your Freak On," and "Hey Ya!" may strike sticklers as insufficiently cheesy. But to my ears these actual great records tone up such instamatic hits as the Pussycat Dolls' "Don't Cha" and Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend." Fittingly, the sole stinker is by Chris Brown. Making me even sorrier that Soulja Boy was too young to attend. A-