So here’s the latest instalment in the popular “Now that’s what I call music” series and it’s yet again loaded with the biggest songs from the last 2 months. Okay, actually it’s loaded with some of the biggest songs from the last 5 or 6 months. Which in my mind kind of defeats the object of calling it NOW.

Lionel Richie is not only the oldest artist featured on NOW 45, but his “I call it Love” is also the oldest song on this compilation having charted quite a few months ago already. Still a great song, but not very NOW. The same goes for one of the biggest songs of 2006, “Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars.” Huge song. But again, not very NOW. Ditto The Killers’ “When you were young.” Don’t get me wrong, if the purpose of including three slightly older songs was to act as fillers, the compilers could’ve done a hell of a lot worse. So let’s move on to more NOW-ish songs. Now 45 kicks off with Robbie Williams’ “Lovelight,” a song that restores one’s faith that Robbie hasn’t lost his mind completely after the luke-warm response he got from music lovers after releasing “Rudebox.” A cover of Lewis Taylor’s unknown soul-anthem, this song kicks butt and should set dance floors alight. Apart from Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars,” the single biggest other song on NOW 45 is Nelly Furtado’s “All good things (come to an end.)” It’s got to be one of the sexiest and coolest tracks ever and Nelly would really have to outdo herself with whatever she comes up with next.

Patience payed off for all the Take That fans all over the world when they regrouped and released their “Beautiful World” album at the end of 2006. First single “Patience” was a world-wide hit and this powerful ballad sets the mood for most of NOW 45’s tracklisting… it’s a softer NOW, focusing more on love songs and ballady type hits than the last couple of NOW releases. Proof of this is the inclusion of hits like Christina Aguilera’s “Hurt,” Shayne Ward’s “All my life” and Rihanna’s “We Ride.” Jamelia shakes up proceedings with “Beware of the dog,” a song that samples Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus,” in the process creating a song of blistering intensity. Jojo’s “Too Little Too Late” is a welcome inclusion on NOW 45… a song that seems to grow on this reviewer and certainly a track that establishes her as an artist to watch.

Then on to the three oddities on NOW 45. Gwen Stefani’s “Wind it Up,” Lily Allen’s “LDN” and Fergie’s “Fergalicious.” Yes, they’re catchy, but all three songs will sound seriously outdated by the time NOW 46 comes out. In the end, it’s worth the money to get NOW 45. It offers a great mix of musical genres and NOW-ish hits and will in all likelihood still be on the TOP 20 sales chart by the time volume 46 hits the shelves.