Dance Revolution

1	Countdown 2:55
2	The Texting Song 2:56
3	Bubblegum 3:24
4	Make a Wish 3:05
5	Good Times 2:51
6	I Got Your Back 3:29
7	My Life 2:50
8	Dance with Me 2:44
9	Carousel 3:26
10	Salsa 3:15
11	Summer's Gone 2:57
12	Eavesdroppin' 3:34
13	Back to Basics 2:46
14	The Slumber Party Girls Theme Bonus Track 1:12
15	Dance Revolution Theme Bonus Track 2:36

Barnes & Noble

This is not your mother's slumber party. The Slumber Party Girls were plucked from obscurity by Geffen Records and DIC Entertainment to create the ultimate girl band. Produced by Ron Fair (Black Eyed Peas, Christina Aguilera) and Stefanie Ridel (who was in Wild Orchid with Fergie), the disc ignites a Dance Revolution with its pop-friendly, R&B-infused grooves. Less risqué than all-female pop groups like the Pussycat Dolls or Making the Band alumnae Danity Kane, the Girls sing lyrics that are encouraging and often innocuous. The disc opens with "Countdown" and includes lots of references to "independence" and "haters," but traditional tween themes like loyalty and gossip prevail in songs like "I Got Your Back" and "Eavesdroppin' " -- and, of course, boy troubles linger throughout the disc. The single "Bubblegum" includes one hook-happy refrain ("Boy / you're the one / you got me chokin' on my bubblegum") and a requisite rap (featuring an inventory of bubblegum flavors, sung in rich harmonies). While parents (and English teachers) may cringe at the "The Texting Song" ("We're so H-O-T / that you'll be saying OMG, BTW / this is all for you"), young listeners are sure to text their buddies posthaste. Ever upbeat, the SPGs pay homage to "Good Times," with smooth vocals interspersed with a TLC-inspired rap. The catchiest songs, however, break out of the dance mold to incorporate rock overtones ("My Life") and salsa beats ("Salsa"). The vocals on "Salsa" echo the styles of Gwen Stefani and J-Lo, with Spanish lyrics to help drive the point home. But these Girls aren't relying on one disc to make their name -- they host the CBS Saturday morning TV block Secret Slumber Party as well as being the house band for the show Dance Revolution. This Revolution has just begun. Amy Barkat

All Music Guide

Yet another teen pop group that was formed after a big-name producer started a search to find members, causing agents nationwide to call their young clients, telling them to fly out to L.A. as soon as possible. The producer in question in Ron Fair, the man who brought Christina Aguilera to fame, and accordingly, there's a lot on the Slumber Party Girls's debut, Dance Revolution, that very much resembles the former Mickey Mouse Clubber's records, to the extent that there is even a song on it called "Back to Basics," a Latin pop rousing closer encouraging listeners to "come join the [dance] revolution." But unlike Xtina, the Slumber Party Girls ditch sexuality and aim instead for fun, generally positive messages about friendship, boys, school, dancing, and hanging out. There is still a certain amount of sensuality in the music, as much as any club-oriented rhythm section provides, but SPG are much more kid-friendly than Ashlee Simpson or Britney Spears or most of the rest of the artists that pop radio listening youngsters may find. The album is expertly produced, moving gently between genres, presumably in an attempt to attract as large of an audience as possible, as well as to reflect the ethnic diversity of the group (representing Asian, Latina, Anglo-European, and African-American cultures), from the rock of "My Life" to the salsa, complete with Spanish lyrics, of the aptly named "Salsa," but stays mostly in the super-clean dancey pop/R&B realm, with good beats and hooks. It's absolutely nothing that hasn't already been done a million times before, but for what it is, it's done pretty well. The five girls in the group, Lina, Mallory, Cassie, Karla, and Caroline, all have great voices and sound much more mature than the 15- and 16-year-olds they were when they recorded Dance Revolution, and the songs are catchy in that fun and unmemorable way, a decent nice combination for kids who are too old for something like Kidz Bop but not quite mature enough for Christina or Britney. Marisa Brown