There has never been an entire CD dedicated to teen idols and Fresh is certainly a breath of fresh air. The 16 track compilation has almost everyone who made it big in the last three years. If you’re wondering what Teen Pop actually is, well Teen Pop is essentially dance-pop, pop, and mushy ballads that are marketed to teens, something that has been around since many decades, but came into prominence in the early 80s and 90s . We have had a slew of boy bands, girl bands and solo acts that have commanded a lot of respect all around the world and have hit the pinnacle on the music charts. A lot many fans go weak in the knees by the very mention of their names. Here’s to all of them, and here’s to checking out what a few have to offer.

On this playlist we not only have bubble gum pop, but also heavy shades of rock, but we open the parade with Carly Rae Jepsen with a mushy pop ballad I really like you, and move to the boy band antics of 5 Seconds of Summer with their pop – rock edged Don’t Stop, who are probably one of the undisputed kings of teen pop. Pop teen diva Selena Gomez who also had a brand new album last month, takes a feather out from her album ‘For You’ and presents The Heart wants what it wants, a mid tempo track, a very bare piece with minimum instrumentation, pretty catchy, adult contemporary ballad that should appeal to many. Her lyrics are sweet and heart touching. "The bed's getting cold and you're not here / The future that we hold is so unclear / But I'm not alive until you call / and I'll bet the odds against it all... / There's a million reasons why I should give you up / But the heart wants what it wants.

Nick Jonas breaks away from his band Jonas Brothers and walks on a fairly successful solo career with stardom on his single Chains. Newcomer Brit boy Shawn Mendes puts you in a spell with his heart warming Stitches. The Vamps, who came on the scene after the immense success of One Direction, set the template for the genre, as they cue into a Paul Simon cover Oh Cecilia. The track is pretty neat and commercial enough to launch them back in 2013. British electronica trio Years and Years come up with their single Desire from their debut album released this year. Another highlight which we loved was Ariana Grande’s pulsating One Last time. Grande’s vocal prowess is best seen in this very simple verse – chorus track. Just known by their initials, RS might not be well known this side of the Atlantic but the all sibling American band that consists of brothers Riker Lynch, Rocky Lynch, Ross Lynch, sister Rydel Lynch and family friend Ellington Ratliff, cannot be given a miss on the playlist, for their give you a pretty good shot at pop rock with Smile. You may’ve seen all these artists on the music channels, so you can now tune into Ella Eyre with her heavy rock accent sets the groove with Comeback, while Nina Nesbitt goes soft on everyone’s favorite pastime that’s now turned into a song, something you’d expect… Selfies. The catchy chorus and attractive lyrics are welcome for such a song. Hear it carefully. Ryn Weaver’s finger snapping on Octanate is passable though slightly loud on the ears, Will.i.am’s protégé Cody Wise fills in with the very popular dance tune It’s my Birthday along with his mentor, followed by Austin Mahone’s guitar strumming on Shadows. In the same vein we have the album closer from well known heartthrob, the darling of the young, cleverly-marketed artist, Justin Bieber who closes the album with his Home to Mama, also featuring Cody Simpson. The guitar plucking is something to listen to.

That’s your list of the playlist and hopefully these songs will bring back some good memories, and if you have never heard them before, maybe you can now create a new playlist to rewind to. One Direction does not feature on the playlist, the only reason being this is a Universal Music release.

Rating: ****

Reviewed By Verus Ferreira