Barbie Hit Mix 2 – Barbie

Songs popularized by an assortment of contemporary pop artists shortly before this 2006 release are sung by children on Barbie Hit Mix 2, a CD meant for youngsters to sing along with, rather than discriminating consumers buying the album under their own purchasing power. Since the original performers of these tunes -- including the likes of Gwen Stefani, Ashlee Simpson, Hilary Duff, Bow Wow & Ciara, Jesse McCartney, Kelly Clarkson, and Faith Hill -- themselves largely appeal to the younger end of the pop music listenership, it's not hard to imagine that even some pretty young kids listening to this CD might wonder why they shouldn't just be listening to the original versions. Certainly the tracks, encompassing styles from light dance-pop to rock and country, are arranged and sung in a professional manner that's faithful to their prototypes. You can't help feeling, however, that in later decades this will be viewed much like those old exploitation records that offered reproductions of the original versions by anonymous vocalists and session musicians, especially as neither the musicians nor the children singers involved in this album are credited on the release. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide