Kidz Bop Kids

The Kidz Bop juggernaut keeps on keeping on with Kidz Bop, Vol. 9, another collection of kid-friendly reinterpretations of of-the-moment songs. This volume continues the eclectic trend set by Kidz Bop covers of alternative rock hits like Modest Mouse's "Float On" and Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out" on previous albums with versions of Weezer's "Beverly Hills" and Gorillaz's "Feel Good Inc.," and once again, Kelly Clarkson reigns supreme with the kids, even with the dour "Behind These Hazel Eyes." Weirdly enough, the album also features a rendition of Crazy Frog's inescapable "Axel F (The Frog Song)"; since the vocals on the original are mostly helium-laced gibberish, the only reason for covering it must be that it's fun to babble along to (and that's probably reason enough). Covers of "Wake Me Up When September Ends," "Just the Girl," "Cool," "Pon de Replay," and "We Belong Together" ensure that this collection is just as effective a mid-2000s time capsule as the slightly more grown-up Now compilations are. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide