BRIDGET'S GUIDE TO BOY BANDS!

NEW EDITION

Are the they most influential boy band of all time? No, they wouldn't have existed without the Jackson Five, but do they have the most influence on the modern-day boy band phenomenon as we know it? YES! Without the Boston quintet, there would be no Boys II Men. Without Boys II Men, there would be no Backstreet Boys or N Sync. No N Sync, no Timberlake. It's a whole butterfly effect.

Not only did New Edition record a song called Boys To Men--on their classic Heart Break album-- not only did NE member Michael Bivins put BIIM together, but they laid down a blueprint of how a boy group could successfully age into maturity without losing their original fanbase.

They also accomplished something no boy band has ever achieved--although One Direction are putting up a convincing fight-- they all went on to solo careers of at least some level of success. Bobby Brown. Bell Biv Devoe. Ralph Tresvant. Latterday member Johnny Gill already had a solo career but went back to it when New Edition went on hiatus.

Their three-part biopic  rceently shown on BET is filled with arguments, fistfights, bad record deals and inflated egos. It's well worth watching, not just to discover how they started to but to marvel at how long they've lasted.

 

 

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