UPDATE: Juice dropped two new tracks since the publication of this article. Scroll to Melvira’s Review below to hear them!
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Wow. We just had a listen to something very different…and amazingly rockin’. Here’s our review of the new kids’ Halloween collection from Julius J. Davis Jr.
(Psst! Want to hear the tunes? Scroll down to Melvira’s Review to listen right now.)
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Kid-geared Halloween songs are a longstanding tradition, making their way into grownup playlists and sometimes, onto the pop charts.
But let’s be real. Halloween playlists and albums made just for kids can be…a little cheesy. (Yeah…I said it. Sue me.)
Enter the new and rockin’ kids’ Halloween tunes collection from Julius J. “Juice” Davis. We listened, we reviewed, and we spoke with the legendary Mr. Davis…and here’s what we thought of this amazing new collection.
Making Rock Appropriate –– and Fun –– for Kids
No stranger to the world of music, Davis has been composing pop, R&B and dance tunes since 1979 and is known for writing the Gloria Gaynor hit Strive.
So why kids’ Halloween songs?
“I chose this genre out of what I felt was a pronounced lack of new, original, ‘kid-friendly’ Halloween songs,” Davis told Halloween Alliance.
Davis has taught kids up to grade 7 for the past seven years, he told us. At a certain point at that most wonderful time of the year (no, not that time of year!), he began noticing a trend.
“There weren’t a lot of popular, kid-friendly Halloween songs on the pop music market,” Davis revealed. “(And) while I would have many requests from my students to play Michael Jackson’s Thriller video, I certainly knew that would be inappropriate for (kids ages 5-12).”
That sparked an idea. “I said to myself, ‘Self! You’re a lyricist, composer, and songwriter. Why don’t you write some original Halloween songs for this age group?’”
Success, and More to Come
With that characteristically upbeat and creative attitude, Davis has already watched his Halloween selection for kids rise to #5 on the iTunes UK Children’s Music Charts.
Even better: the songs “universally appeal to all ages,” Davis noted, an assertion that’s backed by the near-instant success of all three tunes.
And we’re giddy with gruesome excitement to announce that there’s more on the horizon from this talented lyricist, vocalist and composer.
“I have already begun to write new Halloween songs for 2025, and hope to have an entire album of seven to ten new songs ready for Halloween 2025,” Davis revealed.
Melvira’s Review
Music is a matter of personal taste, and let’s face it, Melvira might not always taste all that great. But she does know a great song when she hears one. Here are her thoughts on these three fun, all-ages-friendly tunes.
Genre: Rap/Hip Hop
“This is the ‘Electric Slide’ of the song grouping. It gives plenty of directions to kids: shake their badonka-donk (pretty funny), scream, throw their hands in the air, shuffle their feet, grit their teeth, get on the floor. The lyrics are repetitive enough on the refrain for kids to remember and to follow the motions, but there’s enough variety in between that they’ll listen up, at least if they haven’t had too much Halloween candy.”
Genre: Dance/EDM
“The voice on this track is very unisex and techno, but there are enough girly fashion references that you know Zeena is, in fact, a zombie girl. Everybody loves to pretend to be a zombie, and a dancing zombie is all the more awesome; just look at Thriller. There are some clever takes here, including old-school pop references (Madonna) and newer catch phrases like ‘fashionista.’ Good crossover for adults/kids, but the voice may get wearing to grownups after a while.”
Genre: Rock
“Hands-down: this one was my absolute favorite. I admit to listening to it several times just for fun. (I am NOT ashamed!) With the vocals, it easily crosses over into tween party territory, in my opinion. At the same time, it does deliver on the “go crazy” factor. There’s howling, and it gives a full story delivered rap-style with memorable lyrics. However, there’s zero cheese factor beyond what an adult enjoys on Halloween. There’s also a screamin’ guitar and some impressive synth brass backgrounds. Solid pick.”
