Various Artists - Now, Vol. 30 (CD)

All Music Guide

The lineup of artists on Vol. 30, covering the biggest hits from the tail end of 2008 and beginning of 2009 along with the occasional ringer, like Miranda Cosgrove's teen pop single "About You Now," which just barely scraped the Top 50 of the Billboard Hot 100 looks like the Now series' version of selfparody. The gang's all here: Nickelback ("Gotta Be Somebody"), Britney Spears ("Womanizer"), Christina Aguilera ("Keeps Gettin' Better"), and Pnk ("Sober"), all of whom have appeared on roughly a third (or more) of the Now discs. And Keith Urban is here, of course, with his ninth appearance since Now, Vol. 12, and it's the sixth time he has closed out a volume. That said, a fair amount of the inclusions such as NeYo's "Miss Independent," Taylor Swift's "Love Story," Rihanna's "Rehab," and "Keeps Gettin' Better" will likely remain among the artists' most enduring hits. While several tracks are, naturally, more likely to become flashes in the pan (Lady GaGa and Katy Perry come to mind),... they are, after all, a major driving force behind the series, part of what makes it a revisionistproof reflection of popular music. - Andy Kellman, All Music Guide Read more Less