Who owns KIDZ BOP? Peak behind the curtain of this tween pop machine.
Depending on your proximity to tweendom, you might be well-acquainted with a record label known as "KIDZ BOP." Genre-birthing in itself, KIDZ BOP has been around since 2001, providing the country's young people with remixed alternatives to popular radio singles.
The music produced is not only family-friendly but it's also sung by kids − literally. Plucked from national casting calls to record albums, perform on tour, and appear in advertisements for the KIDZ BOP brand, some of the artists are as young as 12 years old.
KIDZ BOP has sold over 23 million albums and remained on Billboard's Top 100 Artists chart for over a decade. Here's a peek behind the brightly colored curtains at what makes music's adolescent-powered hit machine tick.
Who is the KIDZ BOP CEO?
KIDZ BOP has a president, rather than a CEO. Current KIDZ BOP president Sasha Junk has been with the company for 13 years. When we caught up over the phone in late April she had plenty to say about the brand's enduring success.
During her tenure, Junk has overseen the launch of the brand's touring division and an important partnership with Live Nation. She has also watched the business transform with the music industry itself. “When I started we were making the transition from KIDZ BOP being a physical CD product to streaming,” she says.
For a label perhaps most recognized for its CD covers, that shift may seem startling. Junk says it opened up a lot of doors. The “barrier to entry was less” she explained.
Who are the KIDZ BOP kids? Read our full length profile.
Who founded KIDZ BOP?
KIDZ BOP was founded by Craig Balsam and Cliff Chenfeld in 2001. Each had three kids, Junk says, and while on the birthday party circuit, they started to notice a lack of music for school-aged kids.
There was stuff for preschoolers, like the Wheels on the Bus, but the five to eight-year-olds didn't have much. To bridge that gap, Balsam and Chenfeld used their label Razor & Tie to launch KIDZ BOP.
“They came up with the concept of taking pop music and having kids record it … and it worked,” Junk says.
Who owns KIDZ BOP?
KIDZ BOP Enterprises LLC is part of Concord Music Group, which also includes labels like Fearless and STAX Records.
Why doesn't KIDZ BOP get sued?
The name of the game at KIDZ BOP is covers. Sure, the profanity has been papered over (sometimes rather colorfully), but the melodies are the same. So how are they not being hit with lawsuits constantly?
Anyone can record anything, Junk says, as long as you are paying mechanicals and publishing, a form of royalty checks, on it. "We’ve been established for so long that we have really great relationships with the publishers,” she explains.
How old are the KIDZ BOP kids?
There is a range of ages, though most of the artists are in their preteen years. Among the current crop, the youngest member is 12 years old while the oldest is 14.
Who is the oldest kid in KIDZ BOP?
There is no real age limit, Junk says.
Typically they cast performers between the ages of 10 and 12 and they stay on for a few years. That way they age out by the time they are 13 or 14, occasionally 15. “There’s no hard and fast rule we’re just looking for the most talented kids that we can find,” she explains.
What age should kids listen to KIDZ BOP?
The target demographic for fans is five to nine years old, Junk says, so it works best when the performers are a bit older but not too far off.
“We are aspirational but attainable,” she says. As opposed to watching another pop star on stage, who may be in their 30's, fans at a KIDZ BOP concert "can relate and identify with that kid on stage.” It brings their star power back down to earth.
Who is the most famous KIDZ BOP kid?
An ensemble this famous was bound to have spawned at least a few music legends over the years.
As it turns out, Zendaya — now a two-time golden globe winner — is a KIDZ BOP alumni. Former Disney star Ross Lynch who is now making a name for himself playing serial killers was also once a KIDZ BOP star. Becky G, whose song 'Shower' became the ultimate synth-pop earworm, also first cut her chops at the KIDZ BOP music factory.
Not all the KIDZ choose a life of entertainment though, according to Junk. “We’ve had kids decide that they just want to go back and be a regular kid,” she says. She's written several college letters of recommendation for former members and watched them go on to get married and have kids (or ahem, KIDZ.)
Do KIDZ BOP singers go to school?
Yes. The kids have a team of teachers who are with them for all parts of the process: recording, touring, music video shoots, etc.
“I’d like to think that they get a really great education, it’s really one-on-one,” Junk says. The young performers switch to online school once they are cast, but have a teacher to guide them along. They typically start each day with classes, Junk explains, and are required to keep their grades up to remain in the troop.
How popular is KIDZ BOP?
Pretty popular. The SiriusXM-dedicated KIDZ BOP channel has over 34 million subscribers, and the brand has been sitting atop Billboard's Kids Artists chart for over a decade.
In what can be a somewhat volatile industry, Junk attributes KIDZ BOP's enduring success to the universal appeal of pop music. “I think it just boils down to, KIDZ BOP is fun,” she says, "it taps into something that’s sort of universal.”
It's for the hairbrush singers, Junk argues, singing at the top of their lungs to the radio in the back of the minivan.
How many KIDZ BOP albums are there?
There have been 74 total albums released since 2001. The label releases on average four albums a year.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: KIDZ BOP: Everything you never knew about the tween music phenomenon
