The current No. 1 album in America is the work of an elfin youth barely old enough to shave. Today, we hear about the Justin Bieber juggernaut from Los Angeles Times staff writer Amy Kaufman. Then, we look at the history of teen idols in pop music with Howie Dorough of the Backstreet Boys and writer Maura Johnston.
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Comments [29]
If you like boy bands, check out this group of 3 brothers, ages 19, 16, and 12. They are AJR. They have amazing harmony and are brilliant songwriters. www.AJRBrothers.com and http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/born-bred/id359553649 If you like real sounding pop rock, then you will love them!
Barry,
I'm so happy you can see the future.
Do you pick stocks too? Or just which recording artist are going to "evolve" into something....
You have to recognize that from the Beatles on Sullivan, there was NO way to see what they would become.
NO WAY.
RE: [19] Suki from Williamsburg April 19, 2010 - 02:33PM
It is so easy to make Beatles fans mad: just compare them to NKOTB...
Right, it would be like comparing your writing skills to that of Samuel Clemens. While you may be a great writer, it's not evident in your short and sarcastic body of work.
@Michael: Exactly - no mere boy band could have created "A Day in the Life," side B of "Abbey Road" or anything off Revolver. I don't see any of these current manufactured acts ever evolving into anything close to that.
Not true.
The Beatles GREW into the Beatles. They did not start with St. Peppers...
At this point, you have NO idea what Justin B might turn into.
Look at Will Smith. He is the biggest movie star in the world. Not bad for a corny rapper, that no real hip-hop fan found worth.
Duran Duran were my favs, but they weren't a boy band, they were men
I meant to put the word small in quotation marks in my comment above. I meant "true" facetiously.
And Howie D's use of the word "artist" is grossly suspect. One of the most overused, misused words in the language nowadays, especially when applied to pop culture. And this stuff is the lowest of the low.
If you don't like the topic, change your dial.
My favorite boy band - The Beatles! When you played I wanna hold your hand a few minutes I didn't even have to close my eyes, I was back to being 17 and holed up in my bedroom, and those voices were coming out of the clock radio on my nightstand. I could almost hear Cousin Brucie do the intro.
yeah, yeah, yeah!
The difference between today's teen idols and the teen idols of the past is that the teen idols now get the majority of the label's marketing dollars. This "Tween" market is now the biggest segment of music sales and dominates the mainstream music press. Labels seemingly have given up promoting other types of music. It's just way harder to compete for those other non "Tween" dollars.
It is so easy to make Beatles fans mad: just compare them to NKOTB...
i've always loved teen stars, from david cassidy (in my day) to his li'l bro shaun, the bay city rollers (those last two were the first live concert I ever witnessed before adoring thousands) and all since: find the phenom fascinating -- something for all young kids (and Peter Pans) to project their own varying fantasies onto, from adolescent crushes to fame-related dreams, etc. However, don't compare any of 'em to the Beatles, a once-in-a-lifetime phenom after all: the big difference: the Beatles were not a PRE-fab four, but organically grew together out of their neighborhood and shared class background and -- the big one -- wrote their own catalogue, one rarely equalled in music history
Was I the only person out there who tried to make boy bands of Radiohead and Pearl Jam?
Comparing the Beatles to the later groups is true, except for the following small differences:
The Beatles were all in their very late teens when they found each other (they weren't put together by Disney or another marketing machine); they played in bars for years and honed their chops; their own original music was just that, incredibly original.
At the bottom was music and musicality.
Not true for any of the subsequent groups.
Comparing the Lennon/McCartney or the Jackson 5 or Brian Wilson, or whomever else to the Backstreet Boys is absurd.
The Backstreet Boys and modern teen bands will never approach the cultural status of Lennon/McCartney etc because Lennon/McCartney were culturally created. Modern boy bands like the backstreet boys are corporate creations, not cultural creations - therein is the pivotal difference.
The popularity of some of these acts may be attributed to the power of suggestion (like the young girls hired to swoon over young Sinatra) but time has proven that, due to honest to goodness craftsmanship, these acts can and do inspire rabid loyalty. New Kids FOREVAH!
john taylor from duran duran was my destiny but i didn't have the money nor were my parents willing to spend on merchandise and show tickets like kids nowadays. their unattainability gave them lasting endurance ...
What's disturbing is the older women in the clips. what would we say if girls his age woul flirt with older men?
Now you're just being ridiculous. The Beatles went on to create some of the most innovative and challenging rock ever. No chance for Mr. Bieber. A more apt comparison would be Herman's Hermits or the Monkees or another bubblegum pop group from the 60s.
Music? It has long had nothing to do with music John. It has to do with promotion, marketing, and making $$$.
And it all takes advantage of hysterical young girls, and their parent's pocketbooks.
Music indeed! The "music" is pure, boring crapola.
As long as there is money to be made picking the pockets of adolescent girls, there will be teen idols. I sent plenty of my babysitting money to the "David Cassidy juggernaut"....
i hate the way the word "talent" is constantly used to describe these flavor of the month pop artists...
How old is Amy, 14?
another product of processed pop with a hip/hop/r&b twist, to me hes nothing but a marginally talented singer whos cleverly pkged...
Snore.
Justin performed at our middle school this month because the students won a contest.
Catchy pop has always been fun.
(Hell I remember 4 shaggy haired boys from Liverpool when they first showed up... Parents thought them irrelevant with their "She loves you-- YEA! YEA! YEA!" diddy....)
The boy can sing, dance-- what's not to like?
Oh, right. GIRLS love him... So it must be bad....
Nice voice ? Geez,he sounds like Michael Jackson.And get a Hair Cut.!
Who really cares? There's so much better music out there and this is the best you can do, John? If I want to hear this crap, I'll turn to Z100.
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