It would be easy to mistake
Kids Picks -- Hit Mix for
Kidz Bop, Vol. 4 -- aside from the concept of kids singing along to pop hits that they both share, the albums share very similar track listings. Both sport versions of "Sk8ter Boi," "Miss Independent," and "Jenny from the Block," along with many other songs. However, the kids actually sing more on
Kids Picks -- Hit Mix, and their singing is better integrated into the mixes of the songs. As befitting its later release, this album also has a kid-sung version of one of summer 2003's biggest singles,
Beyoncé's "Crazy in Love." While the omnipresent chorus of kids detracts from the song's fairly decent
Beyoncé-alike, it also takes the attention off of the rather weak
Jay-Z impersonator. While
Kids Picks has its share of questionably kid-friendly songs, such as "Bring Me to Life" and "Cry Me a River," most of the tracks are OK for kids to sing along with. "Flying Without Wings" and "Damaged" seem a little dull for kids' tastes, but aren't objectionable; the perennial "Miss Independent" and "Sk8er Boi" are certainly kids' favorites, but seem a little stale by now. Like the Kidz Bop series,
Kids Picks -- Hit Mix doesn't really offer anything that Now That's What I Call Music doesn't, but it's still an adequate collection of pop singalongs. ~ Heather Phares