StargateGirl
02-26-04, 11:11 AM
Boy band singers change their tune for adult careers
Donna Freydkin
USA Today
Feb. 26, 2004 12:00 AM
Just call them boys to men.
Nick Lachey, JC Chasez and the Hanson brothers cut their pop teeth in telegenic boy bands. Now, they're trying to redefine themselves as adults with a spate of new releases.
Lachey, 30, who made his name in the pop group 98 Degrees and on the MTV reality series Newlyweds, released SoulO last November. To date, it has sold only 123,000 copies.
The mmmbopping Hansons - brothers Isaac, 23, Taylor, 20, and Zac, 18 - are releasing the acoustic Underneath, their first album in four years, on April 20.
After numerous solo efforts, the Backstreet Boys are back in the studio working on a disc.
Chasez's sexy Schizophrenic hit stores Tuesday. But the 'N Syncer is hardly kissing his group bye, bye, bye. He and bandmates, including Grammy-winning solo artist Justin Timberlake, 23, are planning to work on new songs this summer.
But for now, Chasez (pronounced sha-ZAY), 27, is busy promoting Schizophrenic and quashing the inevitable comparisons to Timberlake, saying their records are "nothing alike." And he shrugs off concerns that his connection to his pop quintet could hurt his credibility as a solo singer.
"I was in a band, so there's no getting away from that, and I don't see why I should," he says.
It's an open question whether performers can shed their boy band pasts and enter adult territory. Or overcome the public perception that their music won't "have dimension or depth," says Jive Records head Barry Weiss, whose label is home to Chasez and Britney Spears.
To succeed, industry watchers agree, popsters need the singing chops to back up their ambition.
Timberlake's solo effort was a critical and commercial hit because "looks aside, he is a genuine talent," says independent music consultant Tom Vickers. And his album, which sold 3.2 million copies, will add luster to 'N Sync's disc, Vickers predicts.
"He and JC are the star attractions and will power renewed interest in the band," he says. "Hanson will have the hardest time getting fan interest because no marquee star has emerged out of the group."
Still, top-notch tunes, risk-taking, working with hot producers and giving yourself a defined, mature identity can take you back to the top of the charts.
Donna Freydkin
USA Today
Feb. 26, 2004 12:00 AM
Just call them boys to men.
Nick Lachey, JC Chasez and the Hanson brothers cut their pop teeth in telegenic boy bands. Now, they're trying to redefine themselves as adults with a spate of new releases.
Lachey, 30, who made his name in the pop group 98 Degrees and on the MTV reality series Newlyweds, released SoulO last November. To date, it has sold only 123,000 copies.
The mmmbopping Hansons - brothers Isaac, 23, Taylor, 20, and Zac, 18 - are releasing the acoustic Underneath, their first album in four years, on April 20.
After numerous solo efforts, the Backstreet Boys are back in the studio working on a disc.
Chasez's sexy Schizophrenic hit stores Tuesday. But the 'N Syncer is hardly kissing his group bye, bye, bye. He and bandmates, including Grammy-winning solo artist Justin Timberlake, 23, are planning to work on new songs this summer.
But for now, Chasez (pronounced sha-ZAY), 27, is busy promoting Schizophrenic and quashing the inevitable comparisons to Timberlake, saying their records are "nothing alike." And he shrugs off concerns that his connection to his pop quintet could hurt his credibility as a solo singer.
"I was in a band, so there's no getting away from that, and I don't see why I should," he says.
It's an open question whether performers can shed their boy band pasts and enter adult territory. Or overcome the public perception that their music won't "have dimension or depth," says Jive Records head Barry Weiss, whose label is home to Chasez and Britney Spears.
To succeed, industry watchers agree, popsters need the singing chops to back up their ambition.
Timberlake's solo effort was a critical and commercial hit because "looks aside, he is a genuine talent," says independent music consultant Tom Vickers. And his album, which sold 3.2 million copies, will add luster to 'N Sync's disc, Vickers predicts.
"He and JC are the star attractions and will power renewed interest in the band," he says. "Hanson will have the hardest time getting fan interest because no marquee star has emerged out of the group."
Still, top-notch tunes, risk-taking, working with hot producers and giving yourself a defined, mature identity can take you back to the top of the charts.