THE MAJORITY OF THEIR SALES ARE PHYSICAL CDS, WHICH IS UNUSUAL. “There’s no way we can do a song like ‘Blurred Lines’-it’s just too suggestive,” COO Victor Zaraya said. One of them: "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke. Though the company is able to change most suggestive lyrics into words that are more kid-friendly-sometimes to hilarious effect-there are some songs that just won’t work. That was the case with "The Fox" by Ylvis, which was rushed onto the Kidz Bop 25 album just days before it was manufactured. The quick turn means it's not unheard of for albums to be nearly complete when a song unexpectedly takes off, causing producers to scramble to get it included. To take advantage of the most current chart-toppers, Kidz Bop albums currently come out at the rate of four per year, up from the previous schedule of two per year. LAST-MINUTE ADDITIONS TO THE ALBUM AREN'T UNCOMMON. For example, when Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” was rewritten to exclude words like “gay,” “lesbian,” “transgendered,” and “bi,” people took note. THERE HAVE BEEN CONTROVERSIAL LYRIC CHANGES.Įven though the whole point of Kidz Bop is to be inoffensive, sometimes the fact that certain lyrics are deemed “offensive” is offensive in and of itself. Other Kidz Bop successes include singer-actress Becky G and actress Spencer Locke. The singer-actress-model-designer was a member in 2009, along with fellow future Disney Channel star and boy band member Ross Lynch. These days, several talented tweens are chosen to be the Kidz Bop Kids every few years (Jezebel refers to it as the "Menudo Model") they’re marketed as full-blown personalities, even being likened to this generation’s Mouseketeers. The “Kidz Bop Kids” were originally just a variety of anonymous singers, likely low-cost talent as the company was finding its footing. The 22 albums that have hit the Billboard Top 10 make the Kidz Bop Kids more successful than Madonna and Bob Dylan (who have had 21 albums each) and Elton John and Bruce Springsteen (who have 18 albums each). THE KIDZ BOP KIDS HAVE HAD MORE TOP 10 HITS THAN MADONNA.
#KIDZ BOP KIDS KIDZ BOP TV#
Investing in TV commercials paid off: The first Kidz Bop album sold 800,000 units-and it wasn't even available in stores. So they hired some kids to sing 20 songs, cut a record, then marketed the crap out of it. Nearly 10 years later, both founders had families, and they noticed a void in the music offerings available for children too old for Barney but too young for Britney Spears. THE IDEA FOR KIDZ BOP CAME A DECADE LATER. (You may remember seeing the kitschy infomercial above.) " Monster Ballads" was another big hit for Chenfeld and Balsam, with more than 3 million copies sold. They started with " T hose Fabulous ‘70s ," a record of hits from the likes of the Partridge Family, the Bay City Rollers, and Starlight Vocal Band. THE COMPANY STARTED BY SELLING OLDIES COMPILATION ALBUMS.Ĭliff Chenfeld and Craig Balsam, the men who launched Kidz Bop, started their first music company out of Chenfeld’s apartment in 1990. And if you don’t have kids, you’ve almost certainly seen the commercials and wondered who in their right minds would willingly listen to children singing sanitized, high-pitched versions of pop songs ranging from "Uptown Funk" to "Bad Blood." But there's more to Kidz Bop than meets the ear-here's what you don't know. How cool is that?! Ross Lynch of R5, Olivia Holt and Noah Munck (AKA Gibby on iCarly) have also taken their turns as Kidz.If you have kids, they've likely forced Kidz Bop upon you. Looks like Kidz Bop was just the leg up she needed! Then there’s Becky G, who sang on Kidz Bop 19 in 2011…and her song “Shower” later appeared on Kidz Bop 27 in 2015. She went on to be cast as Rocky Blue in Shake It Up! just one year later, along with Bella Thorne, of course. Our favorite is Zendaya, who sang on Kidz Bop 15 back in 2009. Click through the gallery to see pics of Zendaya, Becky G and more celebs who lived every child’s dream: getting to be part of the Kidz Bop Kids! Let’s take it back to the 2000s! KIDZ BOP 35 rolls out on July 14, and we’ve rounded up all of the stars who you didn’t know got their start singing covers back in the day in honor. Remember seeing ads for ‘Kidz Bop’ on TV when you were little and listening on long car rides? We’re taking a look back at the brand’s most famous alumni, and some of them might surprise you.