13 Fascinating KIDZ BOP Facts (Including the Worst Lyric Change)

It’s a phenomenon that has been around for nearly 25 years, and surprisingly there are no signs of slowing. Yes, we’re talking about KIDZ BOP. Whether you love it, hate it, love to hate it, or hate to love it, we’re willing to bet you have a strong opinion about the ever-rotating cast of child performers. As we close in on the launch of their latest summer tour, we thought we’d revisit some of the more remarkable and perhaps little-known facts about this grand-slam children’s music franchise — including the general consensus about the worst lyric swap in KIDZ BOP history.

Two Decades Strong

It all started with the first KIDZ BOP album, which was released on October 9, 2001. The OG CD featured pop hits like “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer, “Livin’ La Vida Loca” by Ricky Martin, and “Bye Bye Bye” by *NSYNC — all sung by kids.

Celebrity Launchpad

KIDZ BOP has had several KIDZ BOP Kids go on to enjoy larger celebrity status, including Ross Lynch, Olivia Holt, and Zendaya (pictured), who appeared on KIDZ BOP 15. She also had a song of her own, “Replay,” appear on KIDZ BOP 26.

Record Sales

Since its debut, KIDZ BOP has had more than 4.5 billion streams and sold more than 21 million albums.

Award-Winning

KIDZ BOP was Billboard’s #1 Kids’ Album Artist for 10 consecutive years starting in 2010. In fact, according to Billboard, “In 2013, the franchise’s albums accounted for 18.8% of all children’s music sales.”

KB Tours Galore

The KIDZ BOP Kids perform more than 60 live shows in the U.S. each year.

KB Goes Global

KIDZ BOP was strictly an American craze until February 2017, when the project launched in the UK. Since then, KIDZ BOP Germany was added in 2019, and KIDZ BOP France and KIDZ BOP Mexico in 2021.

Question of Appropriateness

KIDZ BOP is known for swapping inappropriate lyrics for more kid-friendly versions, which many argue isn’t effective at all. In fact, Christopher Bell, an associate professor of media studies at the University of Colorado calls Kidz Bop “an abomination.” “I don’t need a sanitized version of ‘Despacito‘ (sung by Luis Fonsi and Yankee Daddy, pictured),” he’s stated. “I need 8-year-olds not to be singing ‘Despacito’ because that [song] is super dirty. And KIDZ BOP doesn’t always make that distinction.”

Prolific Producers

On average, four KIDZ BOP albums are released each year. To date, more than 75 KIDZ BOP albums have been released.

KB in Fashion

A KIDZ BOP fashion line is launching in the third quarter of 2024 in partnership with IHL Group. This is the second fashion collaboration. The first was with the now-defunct children’s clothing line Crazy 8.

Getting Schooled

KIDZ BOP Kids, who are between the ages of 9-12, are homeschooled. When they’re on tour, their teacher travels with them to keep the education consistent.

Massive Subscribers

The KIDZ BOP YouTube channel has nearly 4 million subscribers and nearly 2,000 videos.

KB on Tour

The KIDZ BOP Kids are heading out on a 45-city US tour starting on June 27. Click here to find a show near you.

And the Worst Lyric Swap Is …

And finally, according to our unofficial research, it appears that when it comes to lyric changes, the most ridiculous of all the KIDZ BOP songs is the KB version of Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop.” Listen here and decide for yourself.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Courtesy of Razor & Tie.