Boy Band Pop
tagStarted 1988Peak 1998-2002Last big hit still active
Vocal-group pop performed by young men with no instruments: layered close harmonies, traded solo lines, a designated 'heartthrob' and 'bad boy,' and synchronized dance routines. Production swings from up-tempo dance-pop to lighters-up power ballads. Choruses are built for arena singalongs; emotion is earnest, romantic, and aimed squarely at devoted fanbases.
History
Rooted in New Edition and New Kids on the Block, the modern boy band exploded when Orlando impresario Lou Pearlman launched the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC, polished by Max Martin's Cheiron hooks. The UK answered with Westlife and Take That; the model revived in the 2010s with One Direction off The X Factor.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boy_band
- https://www.allmusic.com/style/teen-pop-ma0000002895
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/boy-bands