{"id":136,"date":"2011-08-29T10:06:03","date_gmt":"2011-08-29T15:06:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.frowl.org\/whyablog\/?p=136"},"modified":"2011-08-29T10:46:39","modified_gmt":"2011-08-29T15:46:39","slug":"music-monday-who-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.frowl.org\/whyablog\/?p=136","title":{"rendered":"Music Monday: Who Says?"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’ve mostly been posting about YA books here, but I also love a lot of music targeted at tweens. I’ve received a fair amount of flak for my iPod full of Disney Channel stars, but I don’t even care. Tween music is where it’s at, you guys! Well–some of it, anyway. I’ve decided to post a song here every Monday, a hand-picked tween pop hit from me to you. The fact is, the best tween music makes me happy! Really happy! It will probably make you happy too! <\/p>\n

Tween pop is primarily differentiated from mainstream pop in two main ways, as far as I can tell. First: age of the artist. Tween pop is generally sung by teens, for tweens. (Mainstream pop is sung by teens and twentysomethings, for teens and adults.) Second: content. Tween pop is generally free of any overtly sexual content and naughty language.<\/p>\n

Tween pop songs generally come in three different flavors: love ballads, “partying with your friends” dance music, and “Be Yourself” self-esteem boosters. (Note: “breakup songs” can be subcategories of all three of these types!) I generally steer clear of the ballads, for they are generally too saccharine and slow for any non-tween to tolerate. (Although I did once put “You Are the Music in Me” from High School Musical 2<\/em> on a mix CD for my now-ex-boyfriend. I’m pretty sure that’s not the reason we broke up, though.) Party songs and Be Yourself songs, though, are generally awesome for working out, dancing, or just perking yourself up.<\/p>\n

I’m starting off Music Mondays with a song by my current favorite tween pop singer, Selena Gomez. At the moment she may be best known as Justin Bieber’s death threat-receiving girlfriend, but she’s definitely a star in her own right. I have all her albums and they are great. Also, Wizards of Waverly Place<\/em>, the Disney Channel show that started her tween idol career, is actually pretty funny. She played Beezus in the recent Ramona and Beezus<\/em> movie (which I actually haven’t seen, so I can’t comment on its quality.) Apparently, she’s also slated to star as Hannah in the movie of Jay Asher’s lovely YA novel Thirteen Reasons Why<\/em><\/a>, which I look forward to seeing.<\/p>\n

\"Selena<\/a>
Love. Her.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I dare you to listen to this song, “Who Says,” without feeling at least a little bit better about your day. <\/p>\n