9 Boy Bands That Can Fill The Void Of One Direction's Indefinite Hiatus
One Direction is on an indefinite hiatus. The Wanted parted ways. The Jonas Brothers went on to work on solo endeavors, Big Time Rush abruptly ended, and NSYNC pretty much refuses to ignite a comeback, much to our dismay. Are there any boy bands left out there?
Currently, the closest thing the “mainstream” music scene has to a “boy band” (shout out to the Backstreet Boys!) is 5 Seconds of Summer; of course, many argue that they’re not a boy band at all but a pop-rock band. This is true, but definition-wise, they really are one.
Instead of frosted tips and matching outfits, as seen by the early-2000s design of boy bands, today’s boy bands play guitars and wear skinny jeans. Choreographed dances are rare, but definitely still happen on occasion. So until One Direction’s (hopefully eventual) comeback, perhaps some of these new boy bands could fill the void.
Disney’s latest boy band covers all of the basics: fresh faces with large social media followings who star in their hit TV shows (Best Friends Whenever, Girl Meets World, and Lab Rats). They can sing, play instruments, and dance a bit. Naturally, the band is shooting a pilot for their own Disney Channel show where they’ll play a vampire boy band. And from that, we can expect a soundtrack, a tour, and probably a movie.
For those who attend the Vans Warped Tour and are more into the Hot Topic scene, there’s hyperactive pop-rock band Waterparks. The guys are managed by Joel and Benji Madden, and their debut album, Double Dare, drops November 4. Their new single “Stupid for You” is sickeningly sweet and so catchy, it’s actually stupid.
This five-piece, vocal harmony group from Liverpool, England, is currently on the European leg of Justin Bieber’s Purpose world tour — casual. The guys have been dropping gorgeous cover songs on YouTube since 2012 (I mean, an R&B twist on Phil Collins’s “In the Air Tonight”? Epic.) and have hustled to garner a massive social media following.
You could say that AJR, an indie-pop trio from New York City, follow in the footsteps of the Jonas Brothers and show some elements of Hanson (compare the feel-good choruses of “MMMBop” and AJR’s loop-worthy debut single “I’m Ready”) but this band of brothers is also its own thing. Individually, the bros have some songwriting credits on tracks with Andy Grammer, Timeflies, and Alex & Sierra, to name a few. They’re super down-to-earth and prove it with their new single and anthem-for-the-average, “I’m Not Famous.”
The Vamps aren’t new to the scene. In fact, they just released a book that goes into detail about their past two albums and opening for acts like Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez. They just dropped new single “All Night” and will be heading out on tour in 2017.
Last year, The Vamps started their own record label in partnership with EMI/Universal, and the first act they signed was L.A.-based boy band The Tide. In typical 2016 boy-band fashion, the group posts killer covers and vlogs on their YouTube channel that you will surely swoon over.
Island Records’s newest boy band is comprised of two former X Factor contestants and two brothers. The group will be supporting Girl Meets World star Sabrina Carpenter on her EVOLution tour this fall.
Already boasting a collaboration with Silento (“Whip/Nae Nae”), their own Samsung Galaxy S7 commercial, and a history of spins with Radio Disney, the guys in this up-and-coming boy band aren’t doing too shabby. They’re also super DIY, with each member holding down areas in songwriting, social media, choreography, and fashion so that their brand, and the band, is always on point.
The New Jersey–based alternative pop-rock band’s music video for “Ready Set Go” is currently in regular rotation on NickMusic (formerly MTV Hits), and you can catch them out on The DigiTour this winter with internet sensations Baby Ariel and Jacob Sartorius.
