The soundtrack to A Cinderella Story should tide
Hilary Duff fans over until the release of her second album:
Duff and her sister
Haylie contribute almost half the songs on the album, including their cute duet version of
the Go Go's' "Our Lips Are Sealed." This song and
Haylie's solo spotlight, "One in This World," showcase the older
Duff sister's slightly richer pipes, but -- not surprisingly, since she is the film's Cinderella --
Hilary gets the more ear-catching tunes. "Anywhere But Here," which comes from her debut solo album, presents the sugary-sweet persona of
Metamorphosis, but newer songs like "Girl Can Rock," "Now You Know," and, especially, "Crash World" display a little more edge and depth while still remaining appropriate for a teen pop singer like
Duff and her audience. Kaitlyn's "Friend" and
Mya's "Fallen" add to the album's frothy sweetness, which is complemented by sensitive-boy tracks like
Jesse McCartney's "The Best Day of My Life,"
Josh Kelley's "To Make You Feel My Love," and
Edwin McCain's "I'll Be."
MXPX, who seem determined to replace
Sugar Ray as the most ubiquitous soundtrack band, round out the album with "First Day of the Rest of Your Life."
A Cinderella Story is an admittedly lightweight but solidly entertaining soundtrack that delivers exactly what its audience wants from it. ~ Heather Phares