Just when it seemed the Now That's What I Call Music! series was getting mired in an over-abundance of minor, uninteresting releases by no-name performers, the franchise comes charging back with one of the best collections yet. Evenly balanced between pop and r&b with a nod to country, Now! 19 is a strong representation of the current state of popular music.
Packed With Hits
The Now That's What I Call Music! 19 collection features 15 top 40 pop hits among its 20 tracks, and 2 that have not made the top 40 still might make it there. 6 tracks have reached the pop top 10, 6 have made the r&b top ten and Keith Urban's "Making Memories Of Us" has topped the country chart.
Definitive Songs
Chart statistics only tell part of the picture that makes this a quality package. The hits that are included are among the most definitive in the sound of pop music 2005. Kicking off Now That's What I Call Music! 19 is Gwen Stefani's ubiquitious "Hollaback Girl." Other key hits include Will Smith's family-friendly "Switch," Ciara's sexy "Oh," and Shakira's Spanish language "La Tortura."
Long Live "Now!"
When the first Now! compilation appeared in the U.K. in 1983, no one expected it would continue through 60+ volumes there and 19 and counting in the U.S. These collections are not grand artistic achievements, but instead are a marker of the times in pop music. Seen in that light Now That's What I Call Music! 19 is a success.
