Cheetah-licious Christmas

When it comes to Christmas cheer, things don't get much cheerier than The Cheetah Girls' Cheetah-licious Christmas. The group, which has been pared down to a trio with the departure of Raven (of The Cosby Show and That's So Raven fame), began as the plot of a Disney Channel movie. With this album, they go beyond the movie's storyline of trying to find stardom and put out a delightful teen-oriented Christmas disc.

Cheetah-licious Christmas is a sunny pop blend of the old and the new; fresh tracks are mixed with holiday standards to bring an easy-on-the-ears array of seasonal tunes. The peppy pop begins with "Five More Days 'til Christmas," a new song that counts down the days until the big event with enthusiasm. The girls capture the excitement of the season with lighthearted cheer and immediately set the tone for the entire album.

The customized holiday song "Cheetah-licious Christmas" is an R&B-flavored celebration of the band. It has an upbeat, positive message about helping others and having confidence in yourself, not just during this time of year, but all year round.

Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You" gets a Cheetah makeover and absolutely shines on this disc. Although the Cheetah Girls specialize in delivering their holiday sentiments with a pop beat, here they slow it down and linger over each verse. One would expect them to turn their beautiful harmonies loose on this song, but they deliver it instead with a restrained gentleness. The results are delightful and make this song about longing and desire during the holidays a standout track.

Their takes on holiday classics are refreshing and new. Rather than simply singing the same old standards, they put some fresh twists on beloved classics like "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" and "Feliz Navidad." On "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," they add a cute narrative as a backdrop to the vocals that lends a genuine sense of innocence to the track.

"Last Christmas," which gave Wham! its second No. 1 single back in 1984, gets dusted off and revisited by the Cheetah Girls. Delivered with a much more upbeat attitude, the song seems less pained than its original version. Although it's a song about having lost one's love over the holidays, what shines through on this version is the determination to move on and find someone new with whom to enjoy the holidays.

Cheetah-licious Christmas is geared toward the teen set, but it's probably one of the few albums that parents and teens can agree upon this holiday season. This is a fun disc, regardless of your age.

By Paula Felps