Handpicked by Our Editors

What a Ride
Age 5+
4

What a Ride

Why We Recommend It

Eric Herman's quirky, funny CD encourages kids to chase their dreams. Bonus: Parents like humming along, too.

Read our full review
From Elmo to Eminem you can trust our children's music reviews.

Kids of all ages love music. For our littlest children, music helps build vocabulary and coordination. For our older kids, music expresses passions and angst. But finding kids' music that has messages you feel comfortable with can take some homework on parents' part. Luckily, our reviews give you what you need to know to choose and manage kids' music.

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New Music Reviews

showing: country
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Fearless Platinum Edition by Taylor Swift
Parents Need to Know...

that like all of Taylor Swift's music, her new FEARLESS PLATINUM EDITION CD/DVD is great for tweens: it contains nothing offensive, yet it's relevant enough for young adults to like. read more

Age 12+
Fearless Platinum Edition
4
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Jessie James by Jessie James
Parents Need to Know...

that this album is filled with mature content. James sings about infidelity (as a good thing!), making love, and looking hot. In one song she advocates arson as a way of getting back at an ex. The flirty singer keeps things somewhat PG-13 ... read more

Age 14+
Jessie James
4
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Fearless by Taylor Swift
Parents Need to Know...

that the songs on this album are mostly about being young, in love, and let down in love. There's a mix of joy and despair, but even the more angst-ridden songs have an empowering message and put the pain of breaking up or being ... read more

Age 12+
Fearless
4
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Greatest Hits: Vol. 1 by Rascal Flatts
Parents Need to Know...

that this is compilation features material already released on the band's earlier albums. A limited number of first-edition copies include a bonus disc with three Christmas songs. Rascal Flatts' sometimes-saccharine ballads are their ... read more

Age 9+
Greatest Hits: Vol. 1
3
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Why Wait by Kristy Lee Cook
Parents Need to Know...

that this is the second album from American Idol finalist Kristy Lee Cook. It's typical pop country music with themes about God's love and grace, family, leaving home, and finding love. read more

Age 10+
Why Wait
3
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Do You Know by Jessica Simpson
Parents Need to Know...

that this is a country-esque album from the famous pop princess that's suitable for most young listeners. It does cover a few mature themes: waking up next to a presumed lover and a recount of a boyfriend using hurtful words and pushing ... read more

Age 12+
Do You Know
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"15 Minutes of Shame" (CD single) by Kristy Lee Cook
Parents Need to Know...

that this song from former American Idol finalist is about a relationship gone bad -- and one woman's attempt to warn other women about her wrong-doing man. The song does tend to veer to the negative side, with Cook calling her ex a ... read more

Age 11+
"15 Minutes of Shame" (CD single)
3
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Love on the Inside by Sugarland
Parents Need to Know...

that Sugarland knocked off the unstoppable Miley Cyrus from the number one Billboard spot. Their accomplished CD contains a little sexual innuendo here and there, but is basically family-safe -- and very, very good. Tweens trying to find ... read more

Age 10+
Love on the Inside
4
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`Come On Over` (CD Single) by Jessica Simpson
Parents Need to Know...

that this is the first single from Jessica Simpson's new country album, scheduled for release in September. The song reflects the anxious anticipation of wanting a guy you're into to come over, but is safe for kids with references only to ... read more

Age 10+
`Come On Over` (CD Single)
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Julianne Hough by Julianne Hough
Parents Need to Know...

that Julianne Hough, known for her appearances on So You Think You Can Dance, delivers garden-variety, family-safe country songs. One track deals with the issue of helping a friend deal with substance abuse. The others address themes of ... read more

Age 9+
Julianne Hough
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35 Greatest Hits by Toby Keith
Parents Need to Know...

that these 35 mega-hits are so familiar to country-music fans that there will be no surprises. As far as lyrics go, songs like "A Woman's Touch" and "You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This" manage to be a little sexy without crossing any ... read more

Age 13+
35 Greatest Hits
4
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Phil Stacey by Phil Stacey
Parents Need to Know...

that on this American Idol finalist's debut CD, family-safe, family-values messages abound -- at the expense of subtlety, originality, and imagination. Stacey does reference Christianity, praying, and God. read more

Age 8+
Phil Stacey
3
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Taylor Swift by Taylor Swift
Parents Need to Know...

that Taylor Swift, a teen country sensation, writes from the heart about subjects of interest to other tweens and teens -- mostly the tricky business of negotiating relationships when you don't have a lot of experience and can't help ... read more

Age 11+
Taylor Swift
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`I'm Only Me When I'm with You` (CD single) by Taylor Swift
Parents Need to Know...

that this single from country teen sensation Taylor Swift is playing on heavy rotation on Radio Disney. It's an innocent song about love with nothing to worry about for tweens and teens. The music video is just as harmless with shots of ... read more

Age 8+
`I'm Only Me When I'm with You` (CD single)
3
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Carnival Ride by Carrie Underwood
Parents Need to Know...

that this American Idol winner's naughtiest lyrics are quite tame. "Last Name" talks about drinking too much tequila, going to bed with someone, and waking up married to them. There are some minor classic stereotypes such as dads going ... read more

Age 8+
Carnival Ride
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Family by LeAnn Rimes
Parents Need to Know...

that this country album is about love and relationships. Both the warm and the ugly feelings between a husband and wife, between mother and daughter, and between friends come into play, but the "adult" themes contain nothing genuinely ... read more

Age 10+
Family
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Still Feels Good by Rascal Flatts
Parents Need to Know...

that the new Rascal Flatts album delivers gorgeous harmonies, exquisite production, and nice-guy lyrics that spend a lot of time in boy-gets-girl/boy-loses-girl/boy-regrets-losing-girl/boy-gets-girl-back territory. Though the songs will ... read more

Age 10+
Still Feels Good
4
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Home at Last by Billy Ray Cyrus
Parents Need to Know...

that there isn't anything objectionable on this CD if all you care about is the content of the songs' lyrics. But unless you have an incredibly high tolerance for schlock, you'll find these tedious, overblown versions of "You've Got a ... read more

Age 7+
Home at Last
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Lost Highway by Bon Jovi
Parents Need to Know...

that the lyrics on this CD are pretty mild, except for a couple of bottles of wine, one cigar, and just a touch of sexy innuendo on "Stranger" ("Make love with me baby, 'til we ain't strangers anymore"). The sound is loving tribute to ... read more

Age 11+
Lost Highway
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Big Dog Daddy by Toby Keith
Parents Need to Know...

that several songs seem to celebrate drinking, and "Burnin' Moon Light" is a fairly graphic description of a couple's first sexual experience. Liberal, urban, and/or non-Christian families might have a bit of trouble relating to ... read more

Age 13+
Big Dog Daddy
4
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Bucky Covington by Bucky Covington
Parents Need to Know...

that this American Idol finalist's first CD contains nothing offensive -- unless you are offended by cloying country sentimentality. Cynics will have trouble making it all the way through "I'll Walk," a song about a girl crippled in an ... read more

Age 12+
Bucky Covington
3

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