The year was 2016, and Simon Cowell dreamed up a new boy band after the breakup of One Direction. He gathered five boys from North America ith dreams to be stars in their own right and transported them to Los Angeles. The band consists of Brandon Arreaga, Edwin Honoret, Nick Mara, Zion Kwonu, and Austin Porter. They named their band after Zion Kwonu and his friends’ inside joke consisiting of the phrase, “pretty much” being said in a baby voice. They began posting covers and dance videos of artists they like including Charlie Puth and Bruno Mars. In 2017, they released their debut single “Would You Mind.”
In 2018, my roommate showed me a video for their song “Hello,” and I rolled my eyes. “Another boy band, Vi? Seriously?” I said to her, and she called me annoying. However, everything changed when the next year, I was watching a Buzzfeed video titled “A Boy Band Styled Me For A Week Feat. PRETTYMUCH.” They were so funny and attractive, I honestly forgot that Vi liked them in the first place. We both started listening to all their songs until we could sing along. We became BEANZ, the name they affectionately call their fans which is made up of their first initials.
PRETTYMUCH blends Pop and R&B to produce songs that are catchy and fun. I love this band because of their down-to-earth personalities, their unique styles, and the fact that they are successful at an age that is similar to my own. They have 3 EPs titled PrettyMuch an Ep, Phases, and INTL:EP. I’m still waiting for an album. Their songs tend to be songs about young love. “Up to You (feat. NCT Dream)” is notable because it is about consent. I think it was cool of them to write a song about this topic because it is important to feel comfortable and to be able to trust your partner in a relationship. If you need a break from studying for finals you should definitely listen to “Open Arms”, “10,000 hours”, “Phases”, “No More”, and “Eyes Off You”. You’ll be a member of the BEANZ in no time.