Music Review: A Very Special Christmas: Vol. 7
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that many of today's top tween stars
appear on this holiday benefit album featuring traditional
Christmas carols and holiday pop songs. There's no coal in this
stocking as all the tracks are appropriate for any age. And
because this is a charity album and everyone on it contributed
their time and vocal skills to the project, kids can be
inspired by the spirit of giving. They can also learn about the
Special Olympics, the organization that benefits from this
decades-old musical tradition.
Like mistletoe and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, this iconic Keith Haring Nativity album cover has become a familiar image of the holiday season. And this year is no exception with the new A VERY SPECIAL CHRISTMAS 7 being released. In the past bands like U2, Bon Jovi, and No Doubt have performed on the benefit compilations. But this year, the album takes a decidedly tween twist with Disney fan favorites like Miley Cyrus, Ashley Tisdale, and Vanessa Hudgens lending their voices in support of Special Olympics. Other pop favorites include Sean Kingston, Carrie Underwood, and Colbie Caillat, along with Gossip Girl and emerging vocalist Leighton Meester.
Young holiday cheer-seekers should find a musical present in this album. With some of today's hottest pop stars providing their take on holiday standards, there's no shortage of timely fun here. Colbie Caillat applies her breathy surfer sound to "Have Yourself a Merry Christmas," The Carter Twins offer up a nice country interpretation of "Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!," and Miley Cyrus presents a perfectly pop "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree." Sean Kingston turns "The Little Drummer Boy" into a jammin' reggae track, while Kristinia DeBarge energizes "Do You Hear What I Hear?" with a hip-hop flavor. A few tracks suffer from a bit of over-singing, such as Charice's "The Christmas Song" and "Last Christmas" by Ashley Tisdale, but it's Christmas time, so a little flamboyance is forgivable.
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