No matter if you’ll admit it or not, we all listened to boy bands growing up. Whether you sided with ‘Nsync or Backstreet Boys, you enjoyed their catchy tunes. Personally, I was Team ‘Nsync and I was nearly incapable of controlling myself after the release of their album, Celebrity.
This generation has boy bands as well, but that of an entirely different spectrum. They still follow the boy band code of five 13- to 19-year-old boys with exuberant hair, but that seems to be the only similarity. These boy bands are different in ways such as lyrics, actual musical ability, and their fashion sense.
I am not proud when I realize I know the words to the newest One Direction single, because I know that the 90s bands shined so much brighter. I am not measuring that success purely by record sales, but more in terms of which generation made more girls dance in their rooms by themselves. That is just my personal opinion, so I have devised a measuring system to determine the true winner of our 90s vs. Now battle.
The categories used to decide this fate are: Hairstyles; Fashion sense; Dancibility; and Dateibility (Yes, I made those last two words up). With these four criteria in your favor, either 90s or Now will be deemed the best boy band generation.
The 90s
Hairstyles:
Two words: bleached tips. That was the most popular hair trend among the male species of the 90s. Some others include cornrows, goatees, and the “Vanilla Ice.” These all sound awful now, but back then they were “off the heasy.”
Fashion: The boy band fashion was nothing if not unique. What we could have expected to see was tinted sunglasses, leisure suits, cargo pants, and overalls. WOW.
Dancibility: This should not need too much explanation. Personally, I could not listen to a 90s song without dancing and/or singing along. These songs always contained a poppy tune and easy-to-remember lyrics.
Dateibility: Aside from these guys’ sense of style, I would date ‘em. With all of their songs about love and life, how could a girl not melt for a guy so dreamy? Admit it – we have all had a dream/fantasy about a night with Justin Timberlake.
Now
Hairstyles: “The J-Beibs” seems to be spreading rapidly nowadays. Other than that, the hairstyles are becoming less creative than those of the past.
Fashion: I’m not too sure how the I-wear-my-pants-below-my-waist thing became so cool, but to me it just looks uncomfortable. Also, that semi-useless top bottom is being used a lot more often now.
Dancibility: Yes, I at least bob my head when “What Makes You Beautiful” comes on. Ok, maybe I do more than that. This generation does have music that can make us dance – but just not the ability to make us really dance.
Dateibility: Personally, I prefer a JT to a Niall. This generation has a little too much “swag” for me as opposed to actual substance. I would rather have an attitude with more of “keepin’ it real” and a lot less “YOLO.”
So who wins? I’m going to leave that up to you. Both of these generations of boy bands have a lot to offer. They are, of course, different, but they both seem to have made a way into our hearts as well as our iPods. There is something about a boy band that attracts nearly everyone. Hopefully, they will keep evolving while maintaining their undeniable charm.