kidz bop and rap, an abridged retrospective (i dare you to fact check me yourself)
Let’s Get It Started (2005) - back then they did the songs with the kids only doing the backing vocals sometimes. practically no lyric changes. times they've had to censor the word 'retarded' (in this list): 1, technically
1, 2 Step (2005) - left almost completely unaltered, and in fact the sexual undertones of the song are pretty much completely maintained. times they've had to censor the word 'retarded': 2
Pump It (2006) - they REMOVE THE VERSES COMPLETELY AND JUST LEAVE THE ADLIBS. this is already a pop-rap song people can't you just do your job
Superstar (2008) - left almost completely unaltered, which is impressive because it's like a full on rap song. reference to christianity KEPT
Let It Rock (2009) - left mostly unaltered, but rap verse(s) REMOVED (not that they were on topic). references to christianity REMOVED, even though that's the main conceit of the song
American Boy (2009) - left mostly unaltered. 'five-foot-seven guy' changed to four-foot-seven guy which is funny. first kanye verse kept, second (main) kanye verse REMOVED
Club Can't Handle Me (2011) - lyrics fairly unaltered
The Time (originally The Time (Dirty Bit)) (2011) - lyrics somewhat unaltered. lines like 'do it' are being altered now. 'maggots' is also censored
Price Tag (2011) - mostly unaltered. unsurprisingly 'low blows and video hoes' does not make the cut. B.o.B's guest verse maintained
Party Rock Anthem (2012) - all rapping removed, which is a darn shame. it just goes from the chorus to the drop to the chorus to the drop (admittedly like a proper anthem would)
Starships (2012) - somewhat altered. the central line 'we're higher than a motherfucker' is replaced with 'we're kidz bop and we're taking over'
Thrift Shop (2013) - lyrics quite altered. 'pop some tags' is censored?
Let's Get It Started (2013) - a redone version with kids this time. more alterations than last time - 'break your necks', 'twist and bang your spine', 'bugged out drill', and 'pull your weave out' are all now gone (but 'get stupid' remains). the kidz are in fact bad at rapping and the first verse is the worst. times they've had to censor the word 'retarded': 3
Timber (2014) - first verse REMOVED and replaced with the second one, saving them from having to change 'she says she won't but i bet she will'
Fancy (2015) - first verse REMOVED completely, second verse fairly unaltered, bridge and third verse REMOVED completely. times they've had to censor the word 'retarded': 4
Hey Mama (2015) - verses 1 and 2 KEPT but highly altered, of course, and third verse removed. if you were to remove all the verses from any song, this would have been the pick. tradwife context forcibly excised as best as they could
Worth It (2015) - rap verse fully removed
Downtown (2016) - macklemore's second verse removed, otherwise lyrics somewhat altered. anti-cop lyric changed. 'she a big girl / ain't a big deal / i like a big girl' changed to 'smart girl' which is odd.
My House (2016) - lyrics mostly unaltered
Work (2016) - lyrics mostly unaltered, drake's verse (verse 3) shortened. politics of having these kidz bop kids sing in full jamaican patois - unclear
One Dance (2016) - lyrics fairly unaltered, 'she love me long time' reference kept
Ride (2016) - lyrics mostly unaltered except for the second verse which they brutally massacre: 'i'd die for you' is 'i'd sing for you', and 'bullet' becomes 'song'. that doesn't make any sense, but you'll just have to live with it. fun that they attempted it though
Don't Wanna Know (2017) - kendrick lamar verse removed
Gold (2017) - the way i was BEGGING they would do the chorus chop correctly. i can't actually tell if they did but it sounds fine. lyrics mostly unaltered - 'your brother was a good substitute for you' and 'bodies on the pavement' removed.
Cold (2017) - future verse removed
I'm The One (2017) - first two rap verses REMOVED, replaced with lil wayne's rap verse, highly altered
Congratulations (2017) - both rap verses shortened, fairly altered
Finesse (2018) - Guest rap verse kept, lyrics mostly unaltered
End Game (2018) - future verse removed, ed sheeran verse shortened, lyrics mostly unaltered, 'your eyes are liquor' removed which isn't unusual but thought i should mention
Havana (2018) - rap verse removed
All The Stars (2018) - both verses shortened, lyrics mostly unaltered, reference to religion removed
I Like It (2019) - lyrics quite altered, both non-english verses REMOVED
Girls Like You (2019) - Guest rap verse removed
In My Feelings (2019) - somewhat altered, second breakdown removed. 'Two bad bitches and we kissin' in the Wraith' changed to 'all of us kids and we hangin' in the Wraith' which i think is very funny
Sunflower (2019) - lyrics mostly unaltered
Lucid Dreams (2019) - lyrics fairly unaltered, but some funny changes: 'i love and i hate you' becomes 'i love and i miss you', 'you want me dead' is 'you know i'm sad', 'better off dead' is 'better off sad', etc.
Toosie Slide (2020) - lyrics fairly unaltered, verse 1 REMOVED, 'I just can't afford to lose nobody else' is kept, 'i could dance like michael jackson' becomes 'i could dance like i'm a jackson' and if you're going to do that, just use janet
RITMO (2020) - spanish chorus and verse fully kept (if any of it was censored I don't know sorry), english lyrics mostly unaltered
MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name) (2021) - lyrics fairly unaltered, 'cocaine and drinking with your friends' is now 'singing and dancing with your friends', and 'Shoot a child in your mouth while I'm ridin' does not make the cut
Let's Get It Started (Redo Version) (2021) - for the greatest hits. 'break your necks' is back, 'pull your weave out' is still gone, 'get stupid' (and 'let's get coo-coo') is gone, 'bugged out drill' is gone but has been replaced differently this time, 'bang your spine' is back. times they've had to censor the word 'retarded': 5
Astronaut In The Ocean (2021) - mostly unaltered, religious references kept. also i would say their rapping is notably good (for a kidz band)
Mood (2021) - second verse REMOVED, otherwise mostly unaltered
Girl Like Me (2021) - second verse REMOVED, otherwise lyrics somewhat unaltered, spanish maintained (although from watching the video it looks like only two of the kids know spanish), the 'latinas' refrain is kept, also an interesting distinction - here the line 'Like it when I get so bossy is changed', but 'i like 'em sassy' from Downtown was kept, which is curious
Goosebumps (2021) - this is the song that inspired me to do this list: they MASSACRE the song, changing the instrumental fully into a house song, removing everything but the first eight lines of the first verse and splitting that into the two verses, of course heavily altering them. christian reference maintained: the combination of capitalism and religion vis a vis 'throw a stack on the bible' was apparently not considered objectionable to american audiences
Boy's a liar (2023) - ice spice verse REMOVED and the first verse is repeated (even though the original HAD a second verse), otherwise lyrics mostly unaltered, and they pronounce 'liar' correctly which makes sense since young children will be hearing this
Paint The Town Red (2024) - lyrics mostly altered. satanic reference REMOVED
Barbie World (2024) - lyrics highly altered, brand references maintained. i mean I don't like my kids entertainment to glaze a company but they didn't consult ME. the line 'I'm a 10 so I pull in / hang with a Ken' is acceptable here apparently, although similar lines have been cut in earlier songs i swear. also also the line 'And I give the box with no shoes in it' slips through despite the fact i am fairly certain (and Genius corroborates) that 'box' is also meant to refer to vagina in the original and they normally censor lyrics like that. side note: not these writers' fault (it was in the original) but the line 'all the fake barbies' is kinda crazy
Popular (2024) - playboi carti feature kept, lyrics mostly unaltered. satanic reference REMOVED ('selling their soul' is kept though!!!), but christian reference MAINTAINED
Not My Fault (2024) - SECOND AND THIRD VERSE CUT COMPLETELY (a gay girl can no longer get an amen) but remaining lyrics mostly unaltered, 'flight risk' reference kept
MILLION DOLLAR BABY (2025) - lyrics almost completely unaltered, even 'I ain't ever rep a set'. nearly word perfect
GIRLS (2025) - lyrics somewhat unaltered, 'ex' mention removed even though i swear it's been allowed before, kids are no longer allowed to be 'a 10' (Barbie World) nor 'get dumb' (Let's Get It Started)
Anxiety (2025) - lyrics somewhat unaltered, second verse REMOVED, 'unhappy, no homo' did not make the cut but they did ADD the lyric 'got rhymes like Busta' which i think is a believable lyric they wrote all by themself. also side note but i prefer the mix on this song to the original
NOKIA (2026) - drake's final verse REMOVED, lyrics mostly unaltered
A BOP Song (originally A Bar Song) (2026) - lyrics somewhat unaltered, references to alcohol have all been removed (hence the title), religious references REMOVED
yes i listened to all of these songs. side note: they often make sure to change slang references when they have an 'unfit' meaning, so yes, they do know the meaning of what they cut
