Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that SPG is one of those corporately manufactured groups expressly designed to appeal to tweens. There's no objectionable content on the album, and despite the hit-you-over-the-head "diversity" and "uplifting" messages, the music and performances are pretty darn good.
Families can talk about the difference between music groups put together by corporate executives and those that grow organically among neighborhood friends. Can you tell the difference in the finished product? Which would you rather be a part of?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Kathi Kamen Goldmark
The Slumber Party Girls consists of five 15- and 16-year-old girls recruited in an exhaustive nationwide talent search. Their press kit emphasizes their "diversity" -- and if that means a Puerto Rican/African-American, a Mexican/El Salvadorian, a Memphis Southern belle, a Long Island Italian, and a Chinese/Japanese/Hawaiian/Filipina, all gorgeous and slim, then diversity was indeed achieved. Their album also offers gently wholesome messages of self-esteem and girlfriend-power that seem designed to put parents at ease while imparting positive messages to young girls.
Normally projects like this sound pretty lame, despite (or maybe because of) the heavy weight of good intentions. But the surprise here is that the Slumber Party Girls' debut CD, DANCE REVOLUTION, is a lot of fun. The songs are clever and well-produced, and the singing is energetic and appealing. Arrangements allow the vocals to be heard loud and clear, and there even appears to be some fun-loving personal chemistry among the five young women, who gamely strut their diversity stuff on 15 hip-hop, R&B, dance, reggae, and rock-tinged pop confections.
Highlights are "Eavesdroppin'," a tune that promotes truthfulness and criticizes gossip, and "I Got Your Back," a girl-power friendship anthem. For pre-teen dance-party fun you -- and your kids -- could do a whole lot worse.
But the whole concept of the Slumber Party Girls begs the question: What about real groups of talented girls who start out as friends, write their own songs, and play their own music, yet might not all have the slender, movie-star good looks enjoyed by Lina, Karla, Caroline, Mallory, and Cassie? It would be wonderful to see a group of ethnically diverse real-life friends who look like regular people receive the attention (and corporate record-label budget) now being lavished on the Slumber Party Girls. Now that would be diversity. ...
Fans of the Slumber Party Girls will also enjoy Raven-Symone's This Is My Time and The Cheetah Girls Soundtrack.
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Social BehaviorGently positive messages about friendship, integrity, and honesty. |
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CommercialismInternet and Saturday-morning TV tie-ins make this a given. |
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