From The Beatles to BTS, boy bands continue to gain notoriety across various generations. With each decade, we witness the rise and fall of different boy groups and the formation of another to replace them.
There is an undeniable fascination with boy band culture that draws people immediately towards it. As an active fangirl myself, I often wonder why boy bands have such an appeal to a diverse demographic and what makes their fanbase so loyal.
Many music journalists agree that The Beatles are considered the “first” or “original” boy band associated with the modern idea of the term. The English quartet dominated the 1960s music culture with their psychedelic rock and blues sound. The Beatles is one of the best-selling bands in history, accumulating more number-one albums than any other act. They sold around 1 billion singles worldwide, with roughly 177 million selling in the U.S alone.
Until their indefinite hiatus in 1970, the Beatles garnered a frenzy audience of teenage girls as the primary fanbase. Fangirls play a crucial role in the survival of the boy bands we know. They fuel the investments a group makes and attract attention with their overzealous attitudes and extreme admiration towards the boy groups they love. The rise of fangirl culture and the shift of perspectives of boy bands reached a peak within the 1990s.
Groups from the 1980s like New Kids on the Block and Boyz II Men amassed success in the late 80s and early 1990s. With New Kids on the Block selling more than 70 million copies worldwide and Boyz II Men selling more than 34 million copies. However, the two groups that truly defined the 1990s and parts of the early 2000s are Backstreet Boys and NSYNC.
The Backstreet Boys consist of members: Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson, Brian Littrell, AJ McLean, and Howie Dorough. The group formed in 1993 and quickly rose to prominence. Their self-titled album managed to sell 11 million copies; however, they failed to reach the American market at the time.
To reach a global market in the U.S, the group purposely targeted teenage and pre-teen girls with their teen-pop sound and attractive appearances. The Backstreet Boys went on to sell over 100 million copies worldwide and are considered the best-selling modern boy band of all time.
Another group that skyrocketed in popularity within the 90s was NSYNC. The group was formed in 1995 with members: Chris Kirkpatrick, Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, and Lance Bass. Similar to the Backstreet Boys, NSYNC wowed audiences with their teen-pop sound, attractive appeal to a young female demographic, and their signature stage presence. Justin Timberlake also helped propel the group forward with his public relationship with 90s starlet Britney Spears in 1999.
The group, over its career, earned three American Music Awards, five Billboard Music Awards, seven MTV Video Music Awards, and has received eight Grammy award nominations. NSYNC sold over 70 million records and was one of the most breakout teen stars.
The resurgence of the boy band craze appeared in the 2010s with groups such as One direction and BTS. Formed in 2010 through the British singing competition: X-factor, One direction almost immediately became a hot sensation.
The group consists of members: Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik. Their debut single, “What makes you beautiful”, became an instant hit and achieved certified quadruple platinum in America, with sales of 4.8 million copies as of June 2016.
One Direction released four albums as a set of five. Member, Zayn Malik, caused an uproar amongst their fanbase when he announced his departure from the group in 2015, after only five years together. The group released one final album, “Made in the A.M”., before their hiatus in 2015. One direction earned six Billboard Music Awards, seven Brit Awards, seven American Music Awards, 28 Teen Choice Awards, and many more accolades.
BTS, also known as Bangtan Sonyeondan (bulletproof boy scouts), is a South Korean boy band under HYBE entertainment. The group formed in 2010 but debuted in 2013 with their hip-hop-infused song, “No More Dream”. The group consists of members: Jin (Kim Seok-jin), Suga (Min Yoon-gi), J-Hope (Jung Ho-seok) , RM (Kim Nam-joon), Jimin (Park Ji-min), V (Kim Tae-hyung), and Jungkook (Jeon Jung-kook).
In 2015, BTS debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 171 with the release of “The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Part 2”, and made a reappearance in 2017. BTS gradually rose to popularity within the western world with songs such as “Dynamite,” “Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat)” with Jawsh 685 and Jason Derulo, “Life Goes On,” “Butter,” “Permission to Dance,” and “My Universe” with Coldplay, all reaching the number one spot on Billboard’s Hot 100.
BTS attracted a diverse fanbase because of their social presence. The boys explore various music genres and different styles; They often dye their hair and change their appearance with each new release. The group also tackles different themes, with song lyrics emphasizing their message to speak directly to a young audience. BTS discusses the importance of mental health, self-confidence, and other hardships that today’s youth suffers from.
BTS spoke at the United Nations in 2018 and 2021. They continue to advocate for issues such as racial inequality and climate change. The group partnered with UNICEF to help end violence and neglect; they also uplifted children and young individuals’ self-esteem and well-being.
I never thought of myself as becoming a fangirl until I was introduced to the world of boybands by one of my best friends during my senior year of high school. She used to excitedly tell me about her favorite groups during the time, such as BTS, Seventeen, EXO, NCT, and many more groups. I eventually listened to the groups and fell in love with boyband culture.
My favorite boy groups right now are BTS and Seventeen. Seventeen is a South Korean boy group under Pledis/HYBE entertainment. The boy group consists of 13 members: S.coups (Choi Seung Cheol), Wonwoo (Jeon Won Woo), Mingyu (Kim Min Gyu), Vernon (Hansol Vernon Chwe), Woozi (Lee Ji Hoon), Jeonghan (Yoon Jeong Han), Joshua (Joshua Hong), DK (Lee Seok Min), Seungkwan (Boo Seung Kwan), Hoshi (Kwon Soon Young), Jun (Wen Junhui), The8 (Xu Ming Hao), and Dino (Lee Chan). They debuted in 2015 with their pop-rock-infused song “Adore U”.
The group is not as popular as BTS within the U.S market; however, they are widely successful and earned numerous awards in South Korea and internationally. The group’s latest album, “Your Choice” even landed the number 1 position on Billboards’ Top Album Sales chart last July.
What made Seventeen become one of my favorite groups is their intensive choreographies and the fact that most of the members helped to produce and write the group’s music. I love the group so much that I recently attended the two-day-only theater viewing of their documentary film with my roommate!
Over the past year, I also fell in love with BTS’ high-energy music videos, personalities, and genuine love for becoming musicians. I also loved the content they released such as various documentaries, web series, theater showings, live stages, and performances.
What I enjoy overall about the groups I like is being able to form friendships through our shared interest in their music. I made an array of friends by discussing our favorite songs, members, entertainment shows, etc. Discussing our favorite groups allows us to discuss more interests away from boy bands that we may have in common. Some of my closest friends are also a part of a boy band and fangirl culture.
Boy band culture will continue to grow and evolve with the rise of newer groups in the future. There is a certain interest in boy bands because of the glitz and glamor that the music industry presents and the personas each band member displays. With their intricate choreographies and the melodic sounds of their music, it is no wonder people become tangled in boy band culture! If I could give a word of advice to someone interested in boy bands, I would say: Go for it. It’s worth it!
Are there any boy bands that you fangirl over? Which artist do you feel defines the term: boy band? Let us know @HerCampusSJSU!