Music Review: Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel Soundtrack
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that the Chipmunks sing a whole new set
of pop songs that are all fairly age-appropriate for kids,
although there are a few references and moments that parents
should note. For example, the Beyonce hit "Single Ladies"
discusses dancing seductively with men, and the Black Eyes
Peas' "I Gotta Feeling" is all about going to the clubs to
party. These songs don't have an excess amount of inappropriate
content, though, and everything stays clean. "Hot 'n Cold," for
instance, has its lyrics cleaned up, with the word "bitch"
replaced by "girl."
ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE SQUEAKQUEL ORIGINAL MOTION
PICTURE SOUNDTRACK revisits the shtick that has made the
musical rodents a household name for over 50 years. That means
plenty of ultra-high-pitch singing and reinterpretations of
popular tunes. This 2009 holiday release movie sees the
introduction of the Chipettes, a trio of female singing
chipmunks that rival the Alvin and the boys. These little
ladies get numerous tracks on this album, which includes pop
hits like "No One," Beyonce's "Single Ladies," and "Put Your
Records On" from Taylor Swift. But it's not all contemporary
hits, as oldies like "Stayin' Alive" and "We are Family" also
get the Chipmunk treatment.
The inclusion of the Chipettes raises the high-pitch bar
even further on this album, to the point where if their voices
were engineered any higher, the songs would only be audible to
dogs. But this album does its job, putting the Chipmunks'
unmistakable squeak in oddly funny contexts, singing fast-paced
tracks with pounding beats that offer an instant dance party to
receptive kid ears. Some infectious pop songs that kids might
have missed get cleaned up and appropriately tailored to their
level. Though it might surprise some, tracks like "Stayin'
Alive," "No One," and "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" work
especially well with the Chipmunk sound.
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