One Direction popularity could bring back boy bands


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It’s true that boy bands reached their peak of popularity in America during the 90s before fading out in the early 2000s. There has been the occasional resurgence with groups like the Jonas Brothers, V Factory, Big Time Rush and the fresher, less well-known Mindless Behavior. These artists, however, have not (and could not have) managed the feat of being the first UK group in history to debut at number one in the U.S. This success lies with Irish-British boy band One Direction, whose first album Up All Night debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 on March 21st, 2012. The band’s debut has even outshined the Spice Girls, the UK girl band that entered the American charts at number #6 with Spice in 1997.

The lead single on Up All Night, an up-tempo pop song called “What Makes You Beautiful,” debuted at #28 on the Billboad Hot 100 about a month ago.

The boy band, which is comprised of Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson, was formed during the seventh season of The X Factor and placed third at the end. The five members had originally applied as solo candidates in 2010, but at the suggestion of judge Simon Cowell, they were formed into a boy band. After the end of the season, One Direction was signed to Syco Music, a joint deal label under Sony Music Entertainment.

The burst of popularity for the band has garnered them numerous perks, including support from famous American artists such as Justin Bieber and Katy Perry, being guest stars on the Today show, scheduled appearances on Saturday Night Live, the 2012 Kids’ Choice Awards and iCarly and rumors of a television show on Nickelodeon (to the dismay of many fans).

The boy band will also have their first North American Tour starting May 24th at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia. If the band is lucky, or perhaps talented enough, this One Direction mania w   ill develop into a more substantial and long-lasting fan loyalty. For better or for worse, maybe their popularity will mark the beginning of a new boy band craze.