Listen to Alvin and The Chipmunks’ music
I love those songs by the squeaky squirrels is no doubt a thought that four-year-old me once experienced.
Remember when you were a kid sitting at home on the floor, eyes glued to the television as you watched the beautiful squeak of Alvin, Simon, and Theodore’s voices gracing your ears for the first time? Perhaps you even got your groove on or went to funky town in pure childhood adoration and complete enjoyment. No matter what you were doing you were enjoying the sweet serenades by Alvin and the Chipmunks either on the big screen or through some music streaming platform.
What is the first thing you think of when talking about Alvin and the Chipmunks now, looking back reflectively on your younger years? Maybe you feel a sense of nostalgia, or you resist the urge to allow a deep cringe shudder through your frame, or—maybe—you do not know who they are or what in the world I am going on and on about. In that case, you are sorely missing out.
Most children from the post-chipmunks era seem to carry with them a sentimentality towards the trio, and many question why. We may never truly know, however, I theorize that it is the same reason children tend to prefer cartoons to most live-action television options. This type of media features characters that are almost human, just realistic enough, but still existing in that anthropomorphized uncanny valley that echoes more traditionally adult genres like Reality TV or Sci-Fi movies.
I feel many people believe that because The Chipmunks are from a “kids’ movie,” we as adults cannot enjoy their tunes or movies, and those who might disagree are banished to a life of silent shame. I find, though, that when you look at the discography of The Chipmunks you realize that at the end of the day, they are just song covers; while there will always exist debates surrounding the quality of the cover as opposed to the original—Adele’s version of Make You Feel My Love versus Bob Dylan’s original comes to mind. This though, is a whole other realm to be explored some other time.
I want to make it clear that this is not to take away from the musical talents of the singers who choose to pay tribute to artists they adore and admire by equating them to doing the same work of Alvin and The Chipmunks, but consider that the songs they cover are by no means easy songs to sing. Take Single Ladies by Beyonce or Put Your Records On by Corrine Bailey Rae for example; it becomes even more complicated when you factor in the work the voice actors must do to achieve the right effects for the voice in post-production, with the actors having to sing in a much slower tempo and lower pitch. This is done so that songs can later be properly sped up to achieve those iconic voices we all know and love. This then brings us back around to our core question: are The Chipmunks exclusive to children's enjoyment? I am here to tell you—no!
Music is subjective and it's made for everyone to relish in. Enjoyment doesn’t care about your age, and returning to the things we appreciated as children can be very healing and peaceful for some individuals. So, if you have not listened to the talented trio in a while: check them out! Or, if you listen often—like me—keep rocking out!
Thumbnail via WikiMedia Commons