Where Do Broken Hearts Go?
Yesterday, I got a text message from my best friend. “Why is One Direction’s new album so good? Like, it’s really, really good!”
Let me begin by telling you that my friend and I are both huge fans of boy bands. Hanson’s Middle of Nowhere was my very first CD and, okay, they weren’t a typical boy band like N’SYNC or the Backstreet Boys, but I still think of them as such. I always thought that by the time I reached 26, almost 27, I would have outgrown my affinity for boy bands.
Turns out I was wrong. I still listen to all the boy band hits from the 90s and early 2000s. Just this weekend, my sister and I were jamming to Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays by N’SYNC. And we’ve basically been listening to One Direction’s new album, FOUR, non stop since the day it came out.
I’ll be the first to admit I wasn’t always a 1D fan. Even though I carried my love for N’SYNC, Hanson, BSB, BBMak, 98 Degrees, etc… with me well into my 20s, when One Direction first hit the big time a few years back, I wasn’t impressed.
I’ll never forget the first time I saw their image on a magazine at the local supermarket. They looked so… young. Keep in mind that I was a 22-year-old culture snob who was only just learning who Justin Beiber was. Believe me when I say I really wasn’t impressed by him. I thought, “Oh great… another wannabe boy band… and they’re kids. Ugh, why are they so young?”
That, by the way, is what happens when you reach your twenties. Suddenly all the big names and famous artists are younger than you. It’s weird. And a little disheartening. It’s kind of like, “Wait a minute… What about the bands I grew up with? I was learning to multiply fractions before these kids were even potty-trained! They can’t be the next big thing!”
But they were. And they still are. And guess what?
I love them. I’m saying that, not only as someone who really enjoys their music, but as someone who things that these guys have got a lot of talent, personality, and integrity. The first time I heard them perform was at the Summer Olympics in 2012. They sang What Makes You Beautiful and I remember thinking, “Hey… This song is really catchy.”
A few months later, my sister’s best friend, basically my second little sister, showed us the Best Song Ever music video. That’s when I found myself thinking, “Oh my goodness, this video is so fun. They’re hilarious. And kind of adorable.”
Now, with the release of FOUR, my transition into the One Direction fandom is complete. This is good music. And I do not just say that. In fact, I’ll be the first to tell you that most of what I hear on the radio nowadays is dumb, ridiculous, or flat-out annoying. But this is good music, and the 1D boys are actually great singers. This new album isn’t like the bubblegum pop of 90s boy bands. It’s an edgier, almost 80s rock type album, with piano, electric guitar, and just an all around great beat. I was surprised, after listening to their earlier songs such as What Makes You Beautiful and Kiss You to hear such a mature sound and quality of music, especially from guys who are so young.
I’m not saying this as a fangirl. I’m saying this as a person with a Master’s Degree in the Humanities and a Minor in Music. I know quality when I hear it. And the 1D boys have got it. That’s why, as an early Christmas gift, my sister and I bought tickets to go see them perform this summer in San Diego. It’s going to be an amazing show, well worth the time and the distance.
This newfound respect and admiration, not only for One Direction, but for every boy band I’ve known and loved in the past, also inspired my next book, which will be released April 21, 2015. I hope you check it out on GoodReads! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23966802-boy-band
I also hope that you have a very Merry Christmas. Go and listen to some good music, watch a good movie, enjoy the fun things in life.
