Are Boy Bands Making a Comeback?
Where did the boy bands go and will the ever comeback? I sure hope so, I miss the days of the boy band. Go ahead laugh, dis me if you want to, I'm not afraid to admit I loved my boy band music. If you can honestly say you hated Shai, Silk or Boyz II Men, then bounce off this article and read my N-Word & Hip Hop or Creativity Gone Wild blogs. Seriously how can you hate the boy band, please tell me why? The real question is are they ever going to make a comeback? Is One Direction a stand alone group or are there more on the way? Emily Blake from Forbes Media and Entertainment thinks there are few diamonds in the rough about to shine. Is she right? Only time will tell. For now let's have a look of some of the Boy Bands of the past.
New Edition
An American R&B group from Roxbury, Massachusetts formed in 1978. The group reached its height of popularity in the 1980s. During the group's first experience with fame in 1983, its members were Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Bobby Brown, Ronnie DeVoe and Ralph Tresvant. Not as common a fact as you would think, Ricky, Michael and Ronnie later formed the group Bell Biv DeVoe. New Editions early hits included "Candy Girl," "Cool It Now," and "Mr. Telephone Man." Bobby Brown was voted out of the group in 1985 and embarked on what would turn out to be an astonishing solo career. The group continued for a time with its remaining members and eventually recruited singer Johnny Gill, who would be introduced on their 1988 album Heart Break. The group went on hiatus in 1990, while its various members worked on side projects, such as the group Bell Biv DeVoe.
New Kids on the Block
New Kids on the Block aka NKOTB, is an American boy band from Boston, Massachusetts. The band currently consists of brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood. New Kids on the Block gained their fame in 1980s and early 1990s and have sold more than 80 million records worldwide. They won two American Music Awards in 1990 for Favorite Pop/Rock Band, Duo, or Group and Favorite Pop/Rock Album. They disbanded in 1994 but secretly reunited in 2007 and recorded a new record, which they released and went on tour in 2008. The album, entitled The Block, was released on September 2, 2008. NKOTB was listed as number 16 on Rolling Stone's Top 25 Teen Idol Breakout Moments. I personally wasn't a fan but there is no denying these guys had all the ladies "hangin' tough."
Boyz II Men
My personal favorite boy band of all time is Boyz II Men, ABC BBD The East Coast Family. B2M really is an American R&B vocal group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They may not be happy I called them a boy band, however 4 dudes singing and dancing, best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies? Don't tell me the shoe doesn't fit! Group members were Nathan Morris alongside tenors Wanya Morris, Shawn Stockman and bass Michael McCary, who left the group in 2003 due to health issues. During the 1990s. Boyz II Men gained international success as they found fame with Motown Records as a quartet. It all began with the release of top 5 singles “Motownphilly” and “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye To Yesterday” in 1991. Then came the number one single "End of the Road" in 1992, as it soared to the top of charts and set a new record for longevity worldwide. End of the Road stayed at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for thirteen weeks, breaking the decades-old record held by Elvis Presley.
JODECI
Jodeci is another American R&B quartet with members DeVante Swing, Mr. Dalvin, K-Ci, and JoJo that formed in 1989 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Jodeci's members began their musical careers as two duos of brothers and, after years of limited success, joined forces. After signing with Uptown Records in 1991, the group began to work on their debut album, Forever My Lady, which brought them mainstream success with the Billboard Hot 100 single "Come and Talk to Me" and the album's titular track. The group's critical and commercial success continued with the releases of Diary of a Mad Band (1993). Jodeci would incorporate hip hop soul, gospel and new jack swing into their music, which led to the group featured prominently with hip hop artists during the 1990s. Each album released by the group during this period attained platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and helped to redefine the genre, allowing for developments in thematic and musical content within R&B.
N'SYNC
Who really remembers N'Sync? When Justin Timberlake said "Bye Bye Bye" to the boy band, the rest of them became irrelevant. I never really like these dudes all together however I'd be lying if I said I didn't like JT. N'SYNC was an American boy band formed in Orlando, Florida in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich. Other than JT, the members were JC Chasez, Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone and Lance Bass. They experienced a ton success, especially the group's third album, No Strings Attached. It sold over one million copies in a day and 2.42 million copies in a week. This was a record for over fifteen years. Unfortunately for the group JT took his talents to South Beach and left the rest of them stranded.
One Direction
One Direction are an English-Irish pop boy band based in London, composed of Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik until his departure from the band in 2015. The group has received numerous accolades including seven Brit Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, six Billboard Music Awards, seven American Music Awards (including Artist of the Year in 2014 and 2015). They also have won an astonishing 28 Teen Choice Awards. The real question remains, with the emergence and success of One Direction are there more boys bands on the way?
SOme of My PERSONAL Favorite Classic Boy BAND singles OF ALL TIME
Shai "And If I Ever Fall In Love Again", Boyz II Men "I'll Make Love to You" and "End of the Road", Silk "We're Calling You" Back Street Boyz "Tell Me Why" H-Town "Knockin Da Boots" KC & Jo-Jo "All My Life"
