Best Of (Vanilla Ninja album)

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Best Of

Studio album by Vanilla Ninja

Released

December 2005

Recorded

2003-2005

Genre

Pop-rock

Length

68:38

Vanilla Ninja chronology

Blue Tattoo
(2005)

Best Of
(2005)

Love is War
(2006)

Best Of is a best-of album by the Estonian girl band Vanilla Ninja. The album was released in December of 2005, and consisted of thirteen songs from their Traces of Sadness and Blue Tattoo albums. The album was released in several countries in Central Europe, failing to make the Top 100 in Germany and Austria, and peaking at #70 in Switzerland. The album also ended their run of three straight album chart number ones in Estonia, failing to chart there also.

Best Of was a controversial album because the group had left Bros Records when it was released by the label. The album was released without consulting the girls, who were unaware that the album existed until it was released. Best Of is generally considered as a money-making venture on the part of their former manager David Brandes, who has been widely reported as now having an unpleasant relationship with the group. In interviews during the weeks around the album's release, Vanilla Ninja member Piret Järvis asked fans to not buy the album, as it would be supporting the Bros label. Due to the high-profile nature of the interviews, especially in Estonia, the album's sales and chart positions were probably lowered due to this.

The album was, as the name suggests, essentially a greatest hits album of the group's releases since from 2004 international breakthrough. The album contained no new material, with the tracks recorded between late 2003 and early 2005. Included on the album were most of their single releases, including "Tough Enough", "When The Indians Cry", "I Know" and their Eurovision Song Contest 2005 offering "Cool Vibes".

No tracks from their self-titled debut album were included, almost certainly because their debut album was released by TOP TEN, and not Bros Records. This meant that their debut single "Club Kung Fu" was missing. The album was generally criticised by critics, mostly because the girls had not had a long enough career to warrant a "Best Of" album.

Notably, the album cover for Best Of featured the original Vanilla Ninja line-up, with Maarja Kivi shown instead of Triinu Kivilaan, despite her leaving the group in mid-2004. This was most likely because Kivi is signed to Bros as solo artist, with her inclusion on the cover helping to promote her then-upcoming single "Could You".