Revisiting the Music of Webkinz
and making some new album art for these classics
I don’t like or watch many music videos. But in the late 2000s? When I was a kid? I watched the HECK out of the Webkinz music catalog. Why did a web game about caring for your ever-growing menagerie of animals also include over 30 original pop songs, EACH one with its own music video? Well, the Webkinz team at Ganz always had a knack for going the extra mile - to earn your money, the cynic might say. But from my point of view as an optimist (and now an amateur historian of the Ganz company, for some reason) - they went the extra mile to provide a fun user experience with plenty cause for celebration. Every month, Webkinz would celebrate a different pet as their Pet of the Month - with prizes and special events for owners of that pet. For the incredibly specific (and some may say all too brief) period of time between April 2009 to December 2011, each Pet of the Month was ALSO honored with a song that extolled their virtues, favorite foods, romantic mishaps and more. The genres ranged from cool jazz to Ed-Sheeran-esque ballads but usually settled in a bright, poppy range.
I must admit for my numerous nostalgia-free readers - Time hasn’t done these tunes much favors. The videos are pretty basic flash animation, and lyrically, they are limited - not the least by the fact that they typically had to mention whatever random fridge or sofa was that pet’s exclusive item. But like all of Webkinz, there’s a charming, home-made earnestness that seemed unique to that era of the internet, and set Webkinz apart. For example, one of the lead collaborators on the album, Leonidas Kouvaris, was actually just a digital artist at the company who liked music, responded yes when asked if he could sing, and recorded the first “KinzTune” under a Snuggie since the company lacked a recording studio at the time. Does that happen anymore at major children’s entertainment companies? Maybe, but it feels like budgets are too big and leadership to risk-averse to do a stunt like that. But that’s Webkinz. The songs aren’t outsourced, aren’t overly produced, aren’t advertising - they’re just fun, and for the fans. And that’s why I think they’re worth remembering.
The KinzTune videos are all still up on YouTube (and even some are on Spotify) but I wanted to give them additional attention in CURIO. (which I’m just gonna leak for all the free members - is a Webkinz inspired project. Subscribe if you want the full scoop!)
Crew Members: read on to learn about how I reinterpreted these songs visually for the project! Everyone else - thanks for your readership! Let me know what your favorite songs were! Or a different piece of media-attached music that was just as special to ya!
-dh