Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely - Backstreet Boys
Incomplete - Sisqo
I Wanna Be With You - Mandy Moore
Doesn't Really Matter - Janet
Back Here - BBMak
Absolutely (Story of a Girl) - Nine Days
Kryptonite - 3 Doors Down
Wonderful - Everclear
It's My Life - Bon Jovi
The U.S. version of the Now That's What I Call Music series is often pegged as strictly kid stuff. There's no denying that many or most of the singles collected on volume 5 are beloved teen and preteen faves; even with a t... more »itle cleanup, though, Mystikal's James Brown tribute "Shake It Fast" provides plenty of grownup kicks. As do Destiny's Child, Mya, and Kandi, whose delicious pop-R&B tracks trump the over-30 rock of Everclear's "Wonderful" and Bon Jovi's "It's My Life" for sheer radio wisdom. At the same time, the CD's reliance on cuts stamped from a small handful of templates suggests that a new mainstream revolution is just about due. Till then, the likes of "Don't Think I'm Not" and "Jumpin' Jumpin'" will do just fine. --Rickey Wright« less
The U.S. version of the Now That's What I Call Music series is often pegged as strictly kid stuff. There's no denying that many or most of the singles collected on volume 5 are beloved teen and preteen faves; even with a title cleanup, though, Mystikal's James Brown tribute "Shake It Fast" provides plenty of grownup kicks. As do Destiny's Child, Mya, and Kandi, whose delicious pop-R&B tracks trump the over-30 rock of Everclear's "Wonderful" and Bon Jovi's "It's My Life" for sheer radio wisdom. At the same time, the CD's reliance on cuts stamped from a small handful of templates suggests that a new mainstream revolution is just about due. Till then, the likes of "Don't Think I'm Not" and "Jumpin' Jumpin'" will do just fine. --Rickey Wright
"NOW 3 had a bunch of songs and bands that I never heard of, and NOW 4 was heavily on the pop side with very little rock (thanks for at least putting "All the small things" in there). NOW 2 was a little too much on rock in my opinion. That being said, NOW 5 has a great balance of pop (N'sync, 98 degrees, ect.)and rock (three doors down, nine days). The only thing I would do to this CD was give it a couple of rap songs (incomplete instead of thong song?????). But, since i know that the CD is aimed toward kids as well as adults, I can live with what they give us. I woudl also like to say that if I could, I would rate this CD a 4.5, not just a 4.OVERALL: NOW 5 is a good CD with a nice balance of pop and rock and is worth your money. Go buy it."
Guilty pleasure
K. Stuckey | Port Huron, MI USA | 04/08/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Most of these songs are (or were) WAY overplayed on the radio and having them on CD to listen to whenever I want is sort of a guilty pleasure, especially the tracks by Aaron Carter, NSYNC and Britney Spears. I hope that no one that I work with ever finds out I own this CD - I would be lashed 1000 times with a wet noodle. My favorite songs are "It's My Life" by Bon Jovi, "Incomplete" by Sisqo, "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" by Nine Days, "Jumpin' Jumpin'" by Destiny's Child and "Kryptonite" by 3 Doors Down. I do not like Jessica Simpson's blantant sampling rip-off and sugar coating of John Mellancamp's "Jack and Diane" and calling it "I Think I'm In Love With You". GAG! This is a great collection for anyone with eclectic music styles like I have, it runs the gamut from bubblegum (Britney) to alternative (Nine Days) to R&B (Mya). The only question I have is where is the Christina Aguilera?"
I WOULD have loved it-three months ago!
Michelle | Indiana | 11/27/2000
(2 out of 5 stars)
"The idea of putting out a mix of music by great artists is of course a good one. However, this CD faces the same problem as many of the other NOW collections. By the time the CD is available in the stores, many of the "hip" songs are extremely overplayed. Either I own them on their original CD's, or I am so sick of them I can't handle hearing them one more time! This may not apply to everyone, but I've had this problem every time I've bought a NOW CD, even when I've done it right when they come out. This isn't a problem that can easily be solved, because obviously it takes a while to put a CD like this together, but before you buy this CD because it has has popular music, I would recommend looking at the list of songs and asking yourself how many you already have on other CD's and how many of the other ones you still WANT on CD!"
"NOW" Is Stickin' Around
GMac | Anywhere, USA | 04/02/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It was with "NOW 5" that the American version of the "NOW" series cemented itself as a driving force in the music industry. On the sales side, it went quadruple (4x) within four months, and was Billboard's #4 Album of 2001 (although it was released in November 2000). The series had slowly been growing and, despite the less than brilliant "NOW 4", this was the breakout edition. That aside, the album is a victory as both a complilation of quality musuc, and a time capsule of the big hits from Summer 2000. Everything flows with perfect ease; as almost every song satisfies (Aaron Carter being the large exception). This also serves as an example of how great as compliation can be, and demonstrates how compilation albums are a solution to the downloading epidemic. The 19 Top Chart Hits:
(1) *N Sync "It's Gonna Be Me" A. Just like "Bye Bye Bye", this is another track that works because of it's massive, slick production. The song doesn't really have much meaning, but the hook is very catchy and the energy is vibrant throughout. "Teen pop" is just like any type of music: there is a right and wrong way to do, and this is a flawless piece.
(2) 98 Degrees "Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche)" A. They may have lacked the push that *N Sync and the Backstreet Boys had, yet they were just as good. Wheras "Because Of You" and "The Hardest Thing" had an R&B edge, this has a stylish latin flavor for it's flow. Two very different styles to work with. The end result hear is light and simple, yet it's a lively, stormin' and highly enjoyable track.
(3) Destiny's Child "Jumpin' Jumpin'" B+. As it is, this is a very catchy, energy filled club dance song which is impossible not to enjoy. The problem is that it's a small step down from the relevance of "Bills, Bills, Bills", "Say My Name", and even "Bug-A-Boo". Still, you can't complain too much when the production is this stormin'.
(4) Kandi "Don't Think I'm Not" B. Xscape was always a good R&B group, without achiving the greatness of TLC or En Vouge. Kandi's solo project is the same way; entertaining, but not very groundbreaking. The material on "Don't Think I'm Not" is nothing to rave about, yet Kandi brings her skill and zest to give it some life.
(5) Jessica Simpson "I Think I'm In Love With You" B. Jessics Simpson arrived in late 1999 as a "adult teen pop singer". She jeered away from the flashiness of Britney and Christina, and instead ventured into love ballads. The material here is a pleasant, sartisfing listen, that just doesn't offer much new material. It's a well done song, but she held her true talent in til later (2003's "In This Skin" LP).
(6) SoulDescision "Faded" A-. 2000 was a strange year for dance; the styles examplified extremes, yet only some of them fully succeeded. "Faded" is a very good dance song that got lost amongst giants like Eiffel 65's "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" and Moby's "Natrual Blues". It's a quite breezy infusuon of dance and hip-hop that is flowing with energy and production. No depth, yet you can't get it out of your head.
(7) Mystikal "Shake It Fast" B-. For every good quality about this song, there is a bad quality. As an angrier version of James Brown's style; it's sorta entertaining, but that is only the surface. In the end Mystikal's voice is not very appealing to the ear, and the material, while fun, is really about nothing. There was much better rap than this in 2000.
(8) Mya "Case Of The Ex" A. For some reason, Mya doesn't release to much music, but whenever she does it's always terrific. This is no exception; "Case Of The Ex" is a fiery, passionate, sorta striking modern R&B tune. It's glitzy on the suface; although there is real substance underneath it all. A very underated gem.
(9) Aaron Carter "Aaron's Party (Come Get It)" F. Here is a song that fails in EVERY musical level. The beats, the production, the lyrics; NOTHING works on this disaster. The song the same effect on nails on a chalk board. It goes nowhere, has no appeal to the listener and has no purpose for it's existance at all. Other than to take money away from simple people.
(10) Britney Spears "Lucky" C+. No that good, but anything sounds good after track #9. That aside, this isn't good Britney, but it's not awful either. There is some meaning in the lyrics, and a message about celebrity life attempting to be expressed. The song just never pulls together, and lacks the the impact that could have been achived.
(11) Backstreet Boys "Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely" A-. Another example of the BSBs' mastery of the pop ballad. The song is touching. heartfelt and filled with beautiful images. More of an adult contemporary song than teen pop one. Delivery is a very crucial part of any song; and this song has a graceful one.
(12) Sisqo "Incomplete" A. After the terrific "Thong Song", it's nice to see Sisqo flexing his R&B side. He succeeds with ease here in creating a beautifulo, heartfelt contemporary R&B ballad. The lyrics slowly develop and let the emoition pour out at a regular pace. At the end, we are left feelimg rather sad and thoughtful.
(13) Mandy Moore "I Wanna Be With You" B-. A standard pop ballad that lacks the juice needed to liven it. It's well crafted, and competently made, but Mandy's voice doesn't have much of an impact, and we've heard all of this before. She has had much better songs, including the touching "Crush".
(14) Janet "Doesn't Really Matter" A. One of the best songs Janet has ever recorded, and that's saying something. The beat is catchy and energenic, yet the single's real strength is the heartfelt, meaningful lyrics. Everythingb about it is sweet an lovable; it really is a relief to hear a song this positive and entertaining.
(15) BBMAK "Back Here" B. A well made teen pop track, that lacks the skill and zest that *N Sync and the Backsteet Boys bring to their music. It is a decent listen, just instantly forgettable afterwards. The group doesn't push any limits, thus the song doesn't really have much impact.
(16) Nine Days "Absolutely (Story Of A Girl)" B+. Not a great rock song by any means, yet one that is very enjoyable and made with alot of skill. Although the material is nothing new; the group brings some style and energy to the song. It's good enough to make you wonder why they disappeared right after.
(17) 3 Doors Down "Kryptonite" A. Such a promising debut single, that you wonder why they couldn't "keep up the pace". The production is very memorable, and the lyrics are original and differnt. The content is standard, but they give new life through their writing and style. It wasn't until 2005's "Let Me Go" that came close to equaling it.
(18) Everclear "Wonderful" A-. "AM Radio" is good fun, yet this has so much more substance to it. They never try to hard, and just relax to let their powerful lyrics and "images" seep into your mind and soul. This really is a beautiful, meaningful rock song. One of the group's best.
(19) Bon Jovi "It's My Life" A. This is what rock music SHOULD be. Yes, it has great insturmentals, and is made with joy and professionalism. But the content is the most remakable thing about it; a message that any listener can relate to, as it is very universal. It's too bad there aren't more rock track like this out there.
Bottom Line: ***1/2. A very good, highly entertaining compilation that would be great if it wasn't for that terrible Aaron Carter song. It's a shame that it's even on this on album; we could use some more rap/hip-hop in place of it (LL Cool J's "Imagine That" or Nelly's "Country Grammar (Hot...)" would have been much better). That aside, this is an excellent collection of music in 2000. Definetly worth a buy."
Lots of Variety!
Kristen | SoCal, USA | 05/16/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I was actually surprised to see *Nsync on this compilation because they were on the Totally Hits Series before. But "It's Gonna Be Me" is a great way to start off the CD. I was happy to see Britney Spears' "Lucky", Destiny's Child's "Jumpin' Jumpin'", BBMak's "Back Here", Jessica Simpson's "I Think I'm In Love", and Bon Jovi's "It's My Life" on this CD as well. There are some really good songs on here that are worth getting NOW! 5 for. The ones I just listed are the best in my mind. It's also great to see one of music's greatest Pop/R&B singers on NOW! 5: Janet Jackson and her song "Doesn't Really Matter". The song kicks butt and you can't help dancing to it. I am sorry to say that there are two songs on this CD that are tired and somewhat annoying to me: Nine Days "Story Of A Girl" and 3 Doors Down "Kryptonite". But given the fact that there are songs I don't particularly care for, Now! 5 still gets 5 stars because of the variety of music it provides us with; ranging from Pop to R&B to Hip-Hop to Rock."
Track Listings (19) - Disc #1
