Sparks Fly

 Review

Common Sense Media says

So-so bubblegum pop about young love is fine for tweens.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this is a harmless album full of bubblegum pop. Although there's a lot of talk of love and relationships, there's nothing sexual. For tweens filled with puppy love, this should be an appropriate soundtrack to their infatuation drama; parents, you'll be thankful for the invention of the earphone.

  • Boy crazy? Pretty much all the songs revolve around some aspect of crushing, falling in love, or breaking up. That said, Cosgrove keeps things clean and demands respect from her loves.
  • There's no real bad images on the album, although Cosgrove does make falling in love her main priority and seems to allow her whole world to be consumed by her love life: "My life is changed. Bam! Can't concentrate. Bam! I was okay until we that day, then bam!...I am obsessed."
  • Not applicable.
  • The lyrics are all super innocent, even though they mainly focus on boyfriend/girlfriend topics. Only the song "Kissin' U" discusses any real physical contact, then there's this line: "He's gonna walk like you, exact same anatomy."

What's the story?

iCarly star Miranda Cosgrove began working on SPARKS FLY two years ago, way back when she was just 14 years old. Now at 16, her debut studio album has been released and even made it into the top ten on the Billboard chart. The idea for an album first got started when Cosgrove caught the singing bug while working on the iCarly soundtrack.  Look for a few tracks from pop heavyweights, with Avril Lavigne having co-written "Daydream" and Ke$ha getting writing credit for "Disgusting."


Is it any good?

 

Formulaic at best, painfully predictable at its worst, Sparks Fly could only be appealing to the youngest of ears, not jaded by hundreds of similarly-sounding releases. Miranda Cosgrove does bring a unique sincerity to this bubblegum love-in, and despite the forgettable accompanying pop instrumentals, her message comes through loud and clear. With a dash of spunky attitude she saves the CD from completely drowning in a sea of sweetness.


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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about tween TV stars and their emerging music careers. Can you think of any other stars who play both roles: actor and singer? Why do you think the two careers go hand in hand? Do you think it's easier to market someone who is already famous and known for her TV personality than someone who is an unknown?

  • Do you think young stars are more likely to make public mistakes or do inappropriate things?

  • Talk about role models for adolescents. Who do you admire on TV today? Why? Who are some popular teen figures who don't make good role models?


This review was written by Jacqueline Rupp
Parent of 19 year old
June 22, 2010
 
LOVE IT I LOVE YOU MIRANDA COSGROVE

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Kid, 13 years old
September 16, 2010
 
Yay, Cosgrove!
Very fun and nice tune. Recommend for all ages.

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Teen, 14 years old
August 5, 2010
 
Clean Album From Popular iCarly Star Is Fine For Kids Age 8+
This Album Is Fun,Squeaky Clean And Is Fine For Kids Age 8+

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Teen, 14 years old
June 15, 2010
 
eh, it was OK. a few of the songs were pretty good. Defiantly not an extremely talented artist, but she still has an OK voice. NOTHING bad about this album.

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Teen, 15 years old
May 23, 2010
 
Okay.
I have to say that this album is okay, but JUST okay. There are a few songs that I happen to like, like "Bam" and "Shakespeare", but otherwise, this album is nothing new. You would only buy it if you really like predictable, auto-tuned sung-by-a-teenager-with-no-talent pop.

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Parent of 8 year old
September 26, 2010
 
Not good for 4 and under
AAAAAAAAAAAh!!!!!!!!! I LOVE IT I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!

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Kid, 11 years old
May 6, 2011
 
love it!!
i love this album!!I said it was ok for 8 and up but i think it would be ok for younger kids but they probably wouldnt like it.Miranda cosgrove is 1 of the few tween and teen stars who are actually good role models.In her songs it sounds a little boy crazy but she still doesnt let them walk all over her.

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Kid, 12 years old
March 21, 2011
 
I have it and I love it!
Miranda Cosgrove is the best celebrity ever! I exploaded once I got this CD!

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Teen, 14 years old
November 7, 2010
 
Good
I like this CD. Most of the songs revolve around boys, but Hey You is a friendship song. I think. I love Shakespeare and Daydream.

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Teen, 15 years old
January 28, 2011
 
Stole "Disgusting" from Ke$ha :-(((((

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This review was written by Jacqueline Rupp
Artist:Miranda Cosgrove
Release date:May 4, 2010
Label:Columbia
Genre:Pop music for kids
Parental advisory:No

This review was written by Jacqueline Rupp
 

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About our rating system
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.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

 

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