When you hear “the 90s,” what do you think of? Boy bands. With their perfectly synchronized dance moves and meticulously spiked frosted tips, these groups of prepubescent males were the epitome of pop music during the late 90s and early 2000s.
For a few years, the trend of boy bands drifted into the abyss. No longer were choreographed dance breaks and Ramen-noodle hair (yes, I’m looking at you, JT) considered cool. There were new artists on the block, many of them either angst-y pop/rock bands or rappers instructing us on how to “crank that Soulja Boy.”
However, in recent years, the beloved boy band seems to be making a comeback. With the emergence of groups like One Direction and 5 Seconds of Summer, today’s youths are now getting to experience the joys of hard-core crushing on a teen heartthrob with adorable dimples and a cheeky smile.
While the basic principles of boy bands are similar, there are definitely noticeable differences between the groups of our generation and those of the new generations. For me, the most intriguing difference is the entire “look” of the bands. I remember every member of the group sporting the same outfits. Not only were their dance moves the same, their denim on denim outfits were the same also. Boy bands from my tween days wore colored sunglasses, turtlenecks, and leather jackets (not the sexy kind, we’re talking your dad’s leather jacket from the 80s). Groups like N*SYNC and the Backstreet Boys didn’t have tattoos or multiple piercings. The most “bad-a$$” thing they had was one earring...maybe. Nowadays, the young men in bands are seen as sex symbols. They are covered in tattoos and have long, unruly hair. They pelvic thrust on stage at their concerts and curse in their songs.
I guess one of the main differences is the audience they attract. While bands from years past were targeted towards pre-teens and teens alike, popular bands now are trying to appeal to an older audience. Most of the guys in bands are in their late teens or early twenties. Bands like One Direction have often said in interviews that they want to market towards people their own age—that being young adults, mostly women, ranging from the age of 18-25. That being said, that is probably why their stage presence, videos, and interviews are more “vulgar” than those of the bands before them.
Another aspect to attribute to the success of boy bands’ return is again, audience. If you think about it, the audience they are trying to target is the same audience that followed the boy bands of the 90s. Everyone gets nostalgic at times, especially when it comes to music. In addition, our generation is now getting to the age where we’re expected to be “adults,” which is a scary milestone to face. Listening to the boy bands of the current generation brings us back to our pre-teen glory days.
Boy bands were a huge part of our generation’s youth, and the new wave of this type of musical group has graced the generations after us. They have been, and will always be, the music of the youth.
