Like a version of Now That's What I Call Music overrun by children, the unstoppable Kidz Bop series features youngsters singing pop hits while backed by adult musicians and vocalists. On
Kidz Bop, Vol. 8 the kids get particularly rambunctious on
U2's surging "Vertigo" and, oddly enough,
Franz Ferdinand's post-punk single "Take Me Out," which features enthusiastic shouting at random intervals. For other tracks, the
Kidz Bop crew mellows out a bit, most notably on the
Frankie J slow jam "Obsession (No Es Amor)" and
Gwen Stefani's shuffling "Rich Girl," while
Avril Lavigne's "Nobody's Home" allows the ensemble to take on a sad yet soaring power ballad. For those who thought that the Kidz Bop collections were a passing fad, 2005's
Kidz Bop, Vol.8 shows that these pint-sized vocalists have serious staying power.