Christmas 2011 ~ Pop Goes Christmas! (Joe McElderry, Justin Bieber, Go Go Go!)

Teen pop is ace at any time of year. It does (for me anyway) take on a certain je ne sais quois mixed with joie de vivre during the holiday period. Here are some albums and music by current teen dreams, along with a playlist of essential festive teen pop from days of "yore"...

Joe McElderry ~ Classic Christmas:


Aw. Little Geordie Joe. It's almost like the world has watched him blossom from a boy into a fine young fella you could take home to your mom. After winning the X Factor, it's true his career didn't pan out the way he probably thought it would (though I still maintain his debut album is a poppy delight), but went on to win Popstar to Operastar and endear himself to a whole new audience. His Classic Christmas album (see my review of his Last Christmas single here) successfully balances styles for fans of both shows. At times he is a traditional popstar, in other places his voice soars with his operatic training (particularly on the duets). Joe manages to put a fresh spin on the tunes that are wheeled out by music acts across the world this time as year, as well as doing some lovely interpretations of the lesser known tunes. While Last Christmas remains my favourite, his vocals really shine through on tracks like When A Child Is Born (one of my favourite carols ever) and his dreamy rendition of White Christmas. Perfect music for decorating the tree to and then rewarding yourself with a peppermint hot chocolate. Ah Joe :)

Justin Beiber ~ Under The Mistletoe:


Oh my. I am actually writing about a Justin Beiber album. I did quite like that Baby Baby Baby track (even in Little Mix format) and I am prone to being 3D and shouting "Never. Say. Never!", which is a bit of an oxymoron when you really think about it. However, even acts I'm lukewarm on can chuck out a festive album and before you know it I'll have (in this case) BeiberFever! There is a mix of Justin penned originals, as well as teaming up with Christmas veterans like Mariah Carey, Boys II Men & The Band Perry. It's quite a likeable collection of tunes (not sure the word "shawty" works for me in a Christmas song, but i am quite old now :D), with FaLaLaLaLa (with Boys II Men) being a sumptuous highlight alongside his suprisingly addictive Christmas Song with Usher. It's nice to have an upbeat, modern take on the Christmas season :)

Go Go Go ~ A Mistletoe MashUP:


Blimey! Those Go Go Go boys are quick off the mark aren't they? While entertaining the kiddies at Alton Towers (alongside West End shows), you can tell that the heart of a pop band beats under the children entertainer exterior. This has started to sparkle forth in some of their youtube clips and non more so than their frankly quite delicious take on the aforementioned Justin Beiber song. The stripped back, stark yet gentle acoustic version by Steve and Carl is quite lovely to behold; I like how sincere they are about the vocals before they seamlessly blend into the romantic I'm Yours by Jason Mraz. The songs weave over and through each other and both boys' vocal delivery really stand out. But when they harmonise? Oh, so engaging :) Do check out their perky cover of 10,000 Nights by Alphabeat too! Hurrah!

My top ten pop into Christmas classics:
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