Kidz Bop is an American children’s music group that has become a music brand. They make family-friendly versions of popular songs and produce related media.
Kidz Bop puts out compilation albums with children singing clean versions of modern pop songs that have done well on the Billboard Hot 100 or played a lot on contemporary hit radio stations in the months before the album comes out. Critics have pointed out that even though Kidz Bop filters and changes obscene lyrics, this doesn’t mean that the songs don’t still have adult themes.
What is Kidz Bop?
The idea for Kidz Bop was thought up over 20 years ago, and it has not only stood the test of time and music but has also grown a lot. The first CD came out in 2001 with the idea that co-creator Craig Balsam said was pretty simple. Balsam told Billboard, “It’s a straightforward idea.” He explained how and why he and Razor & Tie co-owner Cliff Chenfeld developed it. “We both have children. And we thought, “Wouldn’t it be great for kids to hear other kids sing popular songs?” “It would take the edge off them and make parents and kids feel more at ease.”
This formula has done very well, which was a big surprise. Who would have thought that taking famous rock, pop, country, and yes, even Christmas songs, changing some of the more “adult” lyrics, and then having kids sing the songs would be so big? How big, you ask? The idea, which started in 2001 and turned 20 last year, has sold more than 22.5 million CDs and been streamed more than 6.5 billion (with a “B”) times. There’s a good chance you have a Kidz Bop CD since they sold so many.
“I think it gets kids interested in new music, which is also fun,” Balsam said. “Kids feel more connected and involved when they listen to current events and can talk about them with their friends.”
Who is Kidz Bop’s owner?
Songs for kids, sung by kids. This is how Kidz Bop keeps getting its name out there. It’s not the fact that these songs are for kids that make them fun and exciting. You won’t hear children singing nursery rhymes on the Kidz Bop CDs, not that there’s anything wrong with nursery rhymes. Instead, you will listen to many kinds of music from today, which is sung by young children. So, let’s talk about what Kidz Bop is all about before we figure out who owns it. Concord Music Publishing owns the rights to more than 600,000 works by artists from all over the world. Kidz Bop’s CEO is Sasha Junk.
Kidz Bop’s leader is Sasha Junk.
Junk joined the company in July 2009, and in April 2020, he was made president. She works out of the company’s office in New York and reports to Tom Whalley, who oversees the Concord label label. Junk took over for Victor Zaraya, who became Concord’s chief revenue officer. Junk was the global head of publicity at Classic Media, which is now part of DreamWorks Animation. Before he joined Kidz Bop, he worked there. She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to study international relations and communications.
Do kids sing on Kidz Bop?
Now that we know who owns Kidz Bop, we must answer one more important question: Do kids sing on those Kidz Bop CDs? Yes is the easy answer because it’s the only one. Since the first CD came out, kids have been singing these popular songs, and that won’t change any time soon, if ever. If you have Kidz Bop CDs, you know they have always been the same.
The kids on the CDs are usually between 12 and 15 years old, so the lineup has changed over time. CDs are by far the most popular with kids. Since its first release, they have grown in popularity and now has commercials, videos, YouTube channels, and streaming services. They even have their live tour, where the kids sing and dance to all the most popular songs. It’s not just about who owns Kidz Bop CDs since this brand is everywhere.
One of the most popular Kidz Boppers
Grant Knoche is one of the Kidz Bop family’s most popular singers. When he was only ten, he made a YouTube video to answer the Kidz Bop casting call. This got him to the semifinal round, where he was asked to sing and dance during a Skype call. Success! He then went to a two-day boot camp and audition, where he did well again. As a result, Kidz Bop gave Knoche a three-year contract. Now that Kidz Bop is over, the 19-year-old continues his music career. His songs are all over social media and streaming services.
Back then, though, it was exciting for the young Knoche to tour with Kidz Bop. “They’re jumping up and down, and we sing to them.” At the time, he told the
Austin American Statesman, “Sometimes we bring them up on stage.”
Knoche was not allowed to discuss money, and none of the Kidz Boppers can now. People have said the kids make between $68,400 and $95,500 annually. These are rough estimates, so don’t take them as firm numbers.