Title: Kids Do The Darnest Things
Date: September, 2001
Source: MtvAsia.com
Source: http://www.mtvasia.com/Music/OffTheRecord/20010928001/index.html
Topic: Other
Author: LENNAT MAK
Who wants to be a pop star? Kids of course!
And these days, the younger you are, the better. Think America's sweethearts like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, the *NSYNC dudes (Justin and JC), Mandy Moore, R&B girl group Dream, and Swedish pop act A*Teens who all started young and have already made quite a name for themselves on Planet Pop.
But the kids phenomenon is definitely not a current trend. Long before Britney and her other teen cohorts decided to invade the charts with their bubble gum pop, there were names like Debbie Gibson, Tiffany, New Kids On The Block who shaped the '80s. But as the 90s drew near, these 80's pop stars just made way for the next generation of kids.
Although some of them -- Joey McIntyre, Jordan Knight, and Tiffany -- have returned from the past with new materials, it is nothing but growing pains. The lukewarm reception of their new albums is nothing like the mayhem they were able to incite of the yesteryears.
And past pop history has shown that the teen pop life is not all sugar and spice. King of Pop Michael Jackson, who maintained a highly successful solo career throughout the years, confessed that he has lost his precious childhood since he started touring with his brothers as The Jackson Five when he was four. And recently, AJ McLean of the Backstreet Boys went into a rehab for depression and alcohol abuse due to personal problems and possibly the toil of fame. Glamorous pop life? Not quite.
Still, the teen pop music trend proves its staying power with new kids coming out every year for a share of the pie. Why start young? Isn't 14, 15 an age too young for them to don tattoos? Shouldn't they dress less provocatively and more their age? What do they know about relationships to sing about the subject? And what about school?
It seems the worries are unfounded. Says 15-year-old teen star Mikaila, "A lot of adults underestimate teenagers these days -- we know more and have been through more than they may want to think."
And in most cases, it's the parents who are the driving force behind their kids' career. Acts like Mandy Moore and Mikaila have always aspired to be performers when they were six or nine. Without their parents' support from an early age, Mandy and Mikaila might still be dreaming over the rainbow. Britney's mum, Lynne Spears, who co-wrote her daughter's autobiography "Britney Spears Heart To Heart" with her daughter relates how family support was vital to Britney's success. The same went for Aaron Carter. Other than advice from his famous Backstreet Boy brother Nick, Aaron also had his mum Jane, his manager, to thank for his success.
Don't worry about them kids not having enough education to perform, and being bad role models for their young fans. Most have private tutors on the road with them ("I am privately tutored and I love it!" says 13 year-old boy wonder Billy Gilman) or have decided to return to school when the time's right.
Says Marie from A*Teens, "Right now, we are not in school except for Amit but I think all of us will probably go back in some kind of way, studying in the future when we have more time to focus on it. Like what Amit says, we think it's important. We are not trying to inspire kids to quit school. I would never ever quit school if it wasn't for A*Teens. We have sacrificed so much now."
That's probably another reason why kids have to start young -- they have to strike the iron while it's hot. As the old saying goes, "time and tide wait for no one."
"Unfortunately right now, you have to just hit while you're hot," explains teen pop princess Jessica Simpson in a HoustonChronicle.com article. "You never know what's going to happen a year from now, you know what I mean?"
And starting out young certainly has its advantage -- kids have more than enough energy and stamina to belt out those fanciful high-flying dance steps that than their older competitors. They've got the grooves, the looks and are fun, enthusiastic, cheery and positive. Their music is simple enough for the fans -- as long as the kids are entertaining enough.
Says Alexandra Yap, aged 6 and a boy band fan, "I like Aaron Carter 'cos he's cute and his songs make me wanna dance. And I only like Westlife's "Uptown Girl" and "I Lay My Love On You" -- not the slow songs 'cos they are quite boring."
And let's not forget we all had our share of teen idols once upon a time. If you are a parent, wouldn't you like your kids to look up to sugar sweet kid acts than angry, profanity sprouting acts like Limp Bizkit or Eminem?
Sure these kid acts will grow old one day but if they are innovative and know how to reinvent themselves year after year, staying alive in Planet Pop will pose no problem at all. Take a look at *NSYNC who are way past their teens and yet their fan base is still growing strong.
"We see our audience evolving, but we don't want to leave anyone behind,'' says Chris Kirkpatrick of *NSYNC. "We won't say, 'We're done being a kids' act now,' so that we can get more respect. Our music is high-energy and fun, and little kids pick up on that. And older kids can say, 'You know what? The music's still great. I'm not into the whole teenybopper thing anymore -- I won't buy T-shirts with (*NSYNC) on it -- but I still love their music.'''
Boy band godfather Lou Pearlman shares the same sentiments. "Music styles will change and if you don't change with the flow, you'll end up with a limited timeline. You can be a teen band for no more than five years on average -- after that, it's all about music and longevity.''
So to borrow Justin's lyrics, "what's the deal with this pop life and when is it gonna fade out?" Never! According to a recent survey compiled by VH1 and Money Magazine *NSYNC, Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys and Christina Aguilera are among the biggest earners in the music industry, grossing £184 million, £139 million, £102 million and £65 million respectively. Get this. The kid pop explosion is far from over. As long as there are little kids, the teen pop phenomenon will continue to boom in a never-ending cycle. In the words of Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue, "Jump on board...Kids are alright!"
Who: Aaron Carter
Age: 14 (b. December 7, 1987)
Famous for: Being the youngest male solo artist to have four Top 40 singles, juvenile antics like pushing his tour manager into the pool and the kid bro of the most BSB teen heart-throb, Nick Carter.
Success Story: Originally in a band called Dead End (which he later left due to musical difference), Aaron has his first taste of fame when he opened for the Backstreet Boys in March 1997. A record deal soon followed and the world finally had a taste of what kiddy pop is all about. This little wonder boy boasts two successful albums, two sold out tours and a brief stint in the Broadway musical "Seussical The Musical" as Jojo The Who.
Image: Started as a hyperactive kid with floppy hair and over-sized tees. Remember? The release of his latest album "Oh, Aaron," which according to his website, is "time for Aaron to show the world how much he's matured," Aaron is indeed trying for the sexy, grown up image.
Music style: Aaron started out by singing to typical pop tunes with his tiny, squeaky voice on his earlier stuff like "Crazy Little Party Girl," "Crush On You." Now older, Aaron is giving rappin' a go.
Famous Songs: There aren't many huge hits from this little dude but you might have heard tracks like "Crush On You," "Crazy Little Party Girl," "I Want Candy," "This Is How I Beat Shaq," and his latest "Not Too Young, Not Too Old" featuring his big bro Nick Carter.
Albums: "Aaron Carter" (1998), "Surfin' USA" (1999), "Aaron's Party (Come Get It" (2000), "Oh Aaron" (2001)
Awards: Favorite Rising Star - Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards (2001), Teen Choice Awards Surfboard for "Choice Male Performer of the Year" (2001)
What We Think: From the looks of it, the idea of Aaron replacing his big bro Nick as the new teen heartthrob is quite possible! But while Nick's in a boy band, what will become of Aaron in the future? The next Robbie Williams? Ricky Martin? We will leave the possibilities open then. With his adorable looks, who knows?
Label/Managed by: Jive Records and his mum, Jane Carter of Spectra Entertainment.
... Profile of Other Young Artistes
