Hannah Montana Albums (6)
'Hannah Montana 2: Sing Along'
Release Date 10/27/2008
Tracks 16
Label Walt Disney
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Disney's Karaoke Series: Hannah Montana, Vol. 2'
Release Date 9/16/2008
Tracks 16
Label Walt Disney
See Album Tracklist and Review
'The Best of Both Worlds Concert'
Release Date 4/14/2008
Tracks 31
Label Disney
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
The Hannah Montana train -- which is ever so slowly turning into the Miley Cyrus train as the years go by -- continues with Best of Both Worlds Concert, the CD/DVD set to accompany the Hannah/Miley concert film of the same name. To be clear, the DVD in this set does not contain the concert film; it has a pair of live performances and some miscellaneous behind-the-scenes footage (thereby necessitating the purchase of the film separately). Instead, this is a soundtrack containing 14 songs from the movie split evenly between the fictional Hannah character and Miley herself, although anybody who doesn't follow the show can be forgiven for not noticing the difference between the two personas, as they do sound pretty similar on the surface. Of course, Best of Both Worlds Concert isn't for anybody who doesn't follow the show; this is another souvenir for those fans who can't live without the show, and in that regard it's perfectly fine -- a nice, polished piece of product that will tide them over until the next new Hannah/Miley album comes along (the safe money is on speculation that it will be the first full-fledged Miley Cyrus album at this stage). ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Lo Mejor de Los Dos'
Release Date 1/1/2008
Tracks 14
Label Universal
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus'
Release Date 1/1/2007
Tracks 22
Label EMI
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Next to the High School Musical phenomenon, Hannah Montana is probably Disney's most popular musical act of the late 2000s. Unlike High School Musical's all-star cast, however, Hannah is just one girl -- well, actually, two: even though it's Miley Cyrus who gives a face and a voice to Hannah Montana's schoolgirl-by-day, pop star-by-night adventures, she's in danger of being overshadowed by the role she plays. The first Hannah Montana soundtrack tried to differentiate Hannah from the young lady responsible for her existence by including a handful of tracks credited to Miley Cyrus; Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus goes one better and gives Cyrus and her alter ego one disc each. Hannah still gets top billing, however, and the first disc feels like the second volume of almost any soundtrack -- it's not bad, but it's also not as interesting as what came before it. "Nobody's Perfect" and "Make Some Noise" sound like less-inspired versions of the shiny, synth-driven pop and strummy acoustic ballads that made the first Hannah Montana soundtrack a hit. However, there are some songs that don't feel like also-rans, most of which dig deeper into Hannah's new wave influences: "We Got the Party"'s fizzy keyboards and chugging guitars sound a lot like Kim Wilde's "Kids in America"; "Life's What You Make It" sets bright, cheerleadery vocals to a riff that sounds like a reconfigured "My Sharona"; and "Rock Star"'s glittery pop fantasy recalls Avril Lavigne's new wave pastiche without any of the faux-punk attitude. "Old Blue Jeans" is another standout, a danceable track that shows that this volume of the Hannah Montana soundtracks actually does groove-oriented songs better than the original album did. Moments like these balance out the watered-down and downright schmaltzy songs, such as "One in a Million," a ballad with a twinkly, earnest piano melody that sounds like equal parts of Vanessa Carlton's "A Thousand Miles" and Bruce Hornsby's "That's Just the Way It Is" fused together. Even though the title Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus seems a little self-defeating, it's true that the songs Cyrus sang as herself on the first soundtrack weren't especially memorable, so in a way her part of the set is a second chance to make a first impression. This time, the sound and the songs are better -- several tracks, such as "GNO (Girls' Night Out)" and "I Miss You," could easily be Hannah Montana songs, but Cyrus' singing is lower and throatier, and the arrangements are more organic and rock-oriented. She gets to sing the soundtrack's best song, an I'm-so-over-him number called "East Northumberland High," as herself, and dabbles in sounds that would be too eclectic for Hannah: "Let's Dance" has Latin dance-pop flair that is edgy compared to the Hannah Montana sound, while "Clear" pairs Cyrus' twangy voice with a laid-back reggae rhythm, making for a slightly strange but sweet combination. Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus would be just as strong as the first album if it were a single disc combining the best songs from Hannah's and Miley's albums, but Hannah Montana fans will no doubt enjoy having more music from their favorite fictional pop star and the real young woman who portrays her. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
One of the most appealing Disney pop confections in some time, the Hannah Montana soundtrack features the show's star Miley Cyrus singing cute, well-written songs that nod to teen-pop, rock and country. Tracks like "Just Like You" borrow every gimmick that producers like the Matrix have perfected in the early 2000s: acoustic guitars that give way to big, crunchy electric ones, shiny synths and backing vocals that sound like they were sung into a megaphone. However, Hannah Montana has some sharper-than-average songwriting going for it, especially on "If We Were a Movie"'s clever, catchy chorus: "If we were a movie"/You'd be the right guy/And I'd be the best friend that you'd fall in love with in the end." Songs like "The Best of Both Worlds" allude to Hannah Montana's double life as a pop star and a regular girl transported from Nashville to Malibu ("This is the Life"'s soaring country-pop sounds decidedly more like the former city than the latter), and the themes of having fun, being yourself and following your dreams wind throughout the album, especially on the spunky, new-wavey girl power anthem "I Got Nerve." Fittingly, though, Cyrus is the star of Hannah Montana. Her voice is surprisingly rich for a girl in her early teens, and she has more personality than many pop starlets her age, especially those in the Disney stable. Aside from the slight stumble of "Pumpin' Up the Party" -- a groove that ends up going nowhere -- the album does a great job of showcasing her charismatic vocals with strong melodies. Cyrus also performs a track as herself, "I Learned From You," a duet with her dad, Billy Ray, that has an earnest vibe that's more Vanessa Carlton than Hannah Montana. The soundtrack is rounded out with a few like-minded songs, such as Everlife's "Find Yourself in You" (which seems to be the template for Hannah's rock-edged pop) and the sparkly power pop of the Click Five's "Pop Princess." Hannah Montana is a sweet, starry-eyed, utterly charming soundtrack. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide
