| ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. | |
| OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Parents need to know that this CD is another plastic product of the American Idol craze. Specifically, it's a group of talented and cute young singers, ages 6 to 13, created by ABC television and pushed hard by sister company Disney on Radio Disney. Is it wholesome? You bet. There's nothing obviously offensive on this CD, except, perhaps, the entire concept of using these kids to churn out disposable music that's making someone a bunch of money. Nonetheless, for kids and tweens, the CD is a peppy introduction to wholesome pop music, via classic cover songs.
The kids on AMERICAN JUNIORS can sing, to be sure, even if they're merely following in the faux-soul footsteps of pop princesses like Christina Aguilera. The content is harmlessly lite, though it may be a bit much for adults hearing elementary school kids singing clichés about lost love and wanting to be "back in your arms where I belong." This CD isn't a bad way to introduce your kids to safe pop music -- at least it's the kids doing the singing. And so what if the cover of Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors" sounds like a television commercial? The vocal production is decent, much better than the synth-heavy music.
Content is safe on the album, but don't look for anything resembling depth. Lyrics are pretty indicative of star-crossed culture; for example, they tackle paparazzi and driving to parties in a Hummer in "No Matta What (Party All Night Long)." But why have a 6-year-old singing about partying all night long? It's not in-your-face offensive, but just seems weird. The best song is a cover of the Jackson 5's "ABC," which landed the group in the Top 30 at Radio Disney, for what's it's worth.
Families can talk about materialism and the media. How does the media try to manipulate young people into becoming consumers?
| Artist: | American Juniors |
| Release date: | October 26, 2004 |
| Label: | Jive Records |
| Genre: | Children's Music |
| Parental advisory: | No |