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K-Pop is well-known for its very fluid gender representations. Heteronormative ideals are nowhere to be seen. In K-Pop, men wear eyeshadow, flowers in their hair and lipstick. Neon bright colors (that remind us of 90's techno parties) are as prominent as black tuxes. Embracing the femininity despite traditional gender norms challenges our concept of masculinity. Maybe this is one of the major reasons K-Pop is not only an Asian, but a global phenomenon?

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"...male pop singers manifest a heightened and potentially pathological love of women defined by the Greek philosopher Cicero, as philogyny" (Gregory, G.)

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Sensitive lover letter like lyrics speak to the (mostly female) fans. What worked for the Beatles is still true today. Emotional love declarations, tales of unrequited love, stories of heartbreak and making up could fill entire pages and fans know these lyrics by heart.
The songs paint the picture of romantic lovers and caring boyfriends, perfectly impersonated by the singers and dancers on stage. Who wouldn't want a boy/ man like that? While fans buy into the picture perfect image, real life teenage boys will find it hard to live up to the role model of a sensitive yet sexy boy-man who is also good with words. How to balance being a real man but also an approachable, sensitive human being?

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The main target group of teenagers is drawn to the boy next door appeal and a combination of the boyish charms and an idea of the (future) men on stage. Band members outgrow these ideals rather quickly, however. Which leaves a question: Can the men be a boy group still? Is there room for growing up and remaining popular?
When the innocent appearances change in favor of masculine shapes, unshaven jaws and mistakes people make growing up, but can never be hidden from the public eye when they are the member of a popular boy group, will the fans stick with them? Knowing the image of the boys they were, what kind of men are they expected to become?  Questions of masculinity interfere with the process of those teenage superstars growing into adults. They, too, have to reinvent their adult identity along with their evolving sexuality, a sense of fashion, behavioral patterns - all under the watchful eye of the ever present media.
What are masculine norms (Do they even exist)? What kind of masculine behavior will be frowned upon or looked up to by the public?

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A good sense in fashion? Is this a typically masculine trait? It should be when you are a member of a boy group. Girls and boys alike look up to you for fashion advice. Copying your idols is a first step to finding your own style. Make up, clothing, colors, patterns, fit... what works for the stars on stage will also be acceptable for their faithful fans.

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Highlights from the Backstreet Boys' styling choices...

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Backstreet's Back (Alright): The Boys' Best Looks Through the Years

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In celebration of America's favorite boy band's return to the stage next spring for a Vegas residency at Planet Hollywood, we're taking a look back at their best (matchy-matchy) l...

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From boys to men in style. The Jonas Brothers' fashion evolution.

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The Jonas Brothers' 2008 KCA outfits featured bits of green that perfectly fit with the show's signature slime.

"I think we hit that age where we didn't want to be kids anymore, and we were trying to be adults," Joe recalled during an interview with People in 2017. "We wore really oversized suits to the Kids' Choice Awards, which is just kinda fun and wild and crazy."

He added: "I'm not saying it was a bad look! It just probably a little bit premature and wasn't right, exactly. I had an ascot underneath. It was really great. I think we were one step away from top hats! Which we ended up doing, as well, for a while."

In June 2008, Nick, Joe, and Kevin refined their styles for the premiere of "Camp Rock."

Nick also started keeping his curls at a shorter length.

They wore sweaters and ties at a book signing in November 2008.

The band released a book called "Burning Up: On Tour With the Jonas Brothers." As suggested by the title, it gave fans a glimpse into their touring adventures and featured behind-the-scenes photos and commentary.

Joe wore thick-framed glasses at the 2010 Grammys.

Kevin wore a Lanvin suit, Joe picked a Dolce & Gabbana suit, and Nick chose a Gucci suit.

Here's a photo from Joe's top hat phase.

This is also the year that "Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam" was released.

Fans were distraught when Joe shaved off most of his hair in June 2013. It grew back a bit by the time the Teen Choice Awards took place two months later.

Joe showed off the dramatic transformation on Instagram and Vine.

A few months later, in October, the band announced that they were breaking up and not releasing a fifth album that was already in the works. The stars cited frequent arguments as the reason for their split and Nick was the one to initiate the separation.

"In a nutshell, I said, 'Look, I feel like we've had some complications within the group for a long time without addressing them. I think this train will fall off the tracks without really getting real about some of the concerns and some of the limitations that we may feel as individuals in the group,'" Nick said on "Good Morning America." "It was a tough conversation ... It was the first time we really had that real conversation."

In May 2017, Nick attended the Met Gala with future-wife Priyanka Chopra. They both wore outfits designed by Ralph Lauren.

"We were both wearing Ralph Lauren! And we decided to go together because it was fun," Chopra told Jimmy Kimmel after fans began speculating that the two stars were dating.

At that point, they weren't dating. But the following year, their whirlwind relationship was in full swing.

The Jonas Brothers returned to the music scene as a band in 2019, looking all grown up.

Nowadays, they pick looks that reflect their personal styles.

They wore outfits with similar hues and patterns at the 2020 Grammys.

That night, they performed "What a Man Gotta Do" and played a small portion of a then-unreleased track called "Five More Minutes." Their stage looks all had patterns that incorporated a gold color.

They went semi-casual at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards.

Nick wore blue jeans, a white T-shirt, and a green jacket with orange lining; Kevin wore a navy printed outfit; and Joe wore a bright yellow T-shirt with black slacks.

They closed out the awards show with a performance of their track "Leave Before You Love Me" with Marshmello.

More: Features Jonas Brothers Nick Jonas Joe Jonas

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42 photos that show how drastically the Jonas Brothers' style has evolved over the last 15 years

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The Jonas Brothers' 2008 KCA outfits featured bits of green that perfectly fit with the show's signature slime. "I think we hit that age where we didn't want to be kids anymore, and we were trying to be adults," Joe recalled during an interview with People in 2017.

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Boy bands-a time-honored tradition, in which boys on the cusp of manhood sing to and about girls-have always had a very specific relationship to style. The entire shtick of a boy band is to approximate some sort of female fantasy, which means their clothes tend to be a management team's idea of what would be attractive to their fan base. Sometimes they succeed. Often they confuse. Generally, they match. Though The Osmonds look pretty different from One Direction, for the most part, the more things change, the more the boys stay the same.

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Boy bands-a time-honored tradition, in which boys on the cusp of manhood sing to and about girls-have always had a very specific relationship to style. The entire shtick of a boy band is to approximate some sort of female fantasy, which means their clothes tend to be a management team's idea of what would be attractive to their fan base.

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While the "boy" in boy groups appeals to children and teens there is also a questionable overlap of child like appearances and blunt sexuality with boy groups, the latter clearly addressing teenagers hitting puberty and adult fans. The lust factor is not to be ignored when it comes to  incomprehensible fan responses such as crying, begging, or throwing underwear in the direction of the band members. Ab shots, underwear shots on the covers of magazines, topless sweaty dance moves are all intended to evoke a physical reaction, kindling the fans' sexual fantasies and objectifying the musicians. The male body in model-worthy shape becomes the centre of attraction for the fans, and once again, also an ultimate (unreachable?) goal for the average boys and men out there who will feel constantly measured by the standards of boy group perfection. Toxic masculinity at its best?!

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Apparently, there's THE way to compose a successful boy group.
Strategic planning and thorough castings ensure that the future superstars cater to all the tastes of their potential fans.
Vocal talent, dance moves, appearance and style vary but add up to make the perfect entity. There has to be "a boy for everyone" (e.g. the goofball, the shy one, the crazy one,...), one stereotype appealing to each part of the fan group, respectively.
As a result, a big fandom unites through their shared infatuation with the individual members of the band as well as the group as a whole.

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Backstreet Boys to BTS: The Science Behind Why We Love Boy Bands

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Timeline playlist: Have a look at some of the most popular U.S. boy groups and their successful songs.

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There's no questioning the startling achievements of One Direction: indoctrinating fans from Lochaber to Lisbon, shifting albums by the millions, selling out live shows around the world, and racking up YouTube views in the billions. But putting numbers aside, how well did Harry, Zayn, Niall, Louis and Liam really succeed? Success in this instance is measured in terms of living up to their svengali's expectations - the magic formula to which all boybands adhere; the cartoonish roles in which they must exist as for eternity. Below are the results ...

The Mysterious One

By definition, mystery is impossible to explain, and in the context of a boyband, it is even more ephemeral. A musk of enigma lingers around this member at all times like a psychopathic groupie, and while it might seem like the most enviable of boyband roles, its attributes are not assigned but there from birth: the sharp, model-like features, the subtle sartorial suaveness, when set alongside the rest of the band's garish getup; the ability to remain relatively stoney-faced throughout interviews. Former mysterious members include Simon Webbe from Blue, Kevin Richardson from the Backstreet Boys and Another Level's Bobak Kianoush - the only man capable of looking aloof while dressed in a pleather shirt and uttering the words: "I love the taste of whipped cream, spread it on the top of me."

Which one of One Direction? Zayn Malik
Why? Cheekbones. Silence. Skulking off early before the ship began to sink.
How successful? 5/5

The Boyish One

Every boyband must have its boy. As well as possessing the physical attributes of a young man, he must also act the fool. He is slight in size, and has a fixed grin for no other reason than an enforced sense of naive optimism in the face of gruelling tour schedules and humiliating dance routines. Most importantly, he must not have a single wisp of facial hair. This member is the go-to favourite of both the tween market and the more mature, motherly members of the fanbase. Some of the most successful man-children include Lee Brennan from 911, Kian Egan from Westlife, Take That's Mark Owen, Scott Robinson from 5ive, Aston Merrygoldfrom JLS (despite his tiny chin beard), Backstreet Boys' Nick Carter and Nathan Sykes from the Wanted, who is allegedly an actual escaped 11-year-old.

Which one of One Direction? Niall Horan
Why? Harry Styles may be the youngest member of One Direction, but Niall is the band's most youthful in spirit. Take his rosy cheeks, angelic blonde hair, or this nice photo of him sitting on a jet ski.
How successful? 4/5

Take That ... Who's the boyish one? Clue: his first name is Mark. His second is Owen. Photograph: Mike Prior/Redferns

The Starry One

Having the most coveted role, the Starry One is the most likely to succeed when solo. Occupying the role is no guarantee - take Busted's Charlie Simpson, who seemed like a dead cert for superstardom until he opted for emo instead. And the Starry One is not necessarily the most talented - Gary Barlow had all the talent in Take That, but after the group split, no one devoted a moment's thought to him for more than a decade. Perhaps the best examples are Justin Timberlake and Michael Jackson, who both enjoyed massive success by trying to sound like Michael Jackson. It's worth a quick mention of New Kids on the Block's Jordan Knight, whose career could have blossomed had all of his singles been as strong as Give It to You - the video for which features the best ever high-energy dance routine conducted in a ribbed beige polo neck.

Which One Direction? Harry Styles
Why? Adapted to the madness of the celebrity menagerie the most naturally. Excellent voice. Looks good in a hat.
How successful? 4/5

Justin Timberlake ... The starry one. Photograph: Andre Csillag/Rex Features

The Rebellious One

AJ McLean from Backstreet Boys; Shane Lynch from Boyzone; Jay, Abs and Sean from 5ive in a punch-up for the role: the bad boy of the group is the antithesis of the Boyish One. He might own a motorbike, he definitely smokes, probably had an eyebrow ring at some stage, has experimented with adventurous facial hair and is more than likely to cover himself in the kind of tattoos formerly engraved on the arms of the Hells Angels. While they flirt with the concept of rock'n'roll, only Take That's Robbie Williams has ever been officially allowed in the rockers' inner circle - and even that was for a remarkably short honeymoon period, before Liam Gallagher told him he couldn't sit with them anymore.

Which one of One Direction? Louis Tomlinson
Why? Louis sang the Plain White T's Hey There Delilah for his initial audition, which in 2010's X Factor terms is pretty much the equivalent of covering Throbbing Gristle and biting the head off a bat. If the pot-smoking scandal was not enough, perhaps that fact that Louis played the lead role of Danny Zuko in a high-school production of Grease should convince you.
How successful? 3/5

Shane Lynch ... bad boy for life. Photograph: Mark Liley/Sportsphoto Ltd/Allstar

The Generic One

Who could forget Spike Dawbarn? Howie Dorough? Terry Coldwell? Michael Graham? Chris Kirkpatrick? Everyone, that's who! It feels a bit cruel to define a young man as an anonymous entity; the name you always forget when trying to list all the members of a band without using Wikipedia. But while the Generic One is not necessarily the most impressive singer or the best looking, perhaps these unremarkable qualities make life after the band more bearable. The Generic One may be the only one to survive without the sort of mid-life grappling for attention that spawned tracks such as Rudebox. The boyband's ultimate winner.

Which one of One Direction? Liam Payne
Why? There's nothing more everyman about Liam that his disdain for red carpet selfies.
How successful? 4/5

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One Direction: which member matched which boyband stereotype?

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There's no questioning the startling achievements of One Direction: indoctrinating fans from Lochaber to Lisbon, shifting albums by the millions, selling out live shows around the world, and racking up YouTube views in the billions. But putting numbers aside, how well did Harry, Zayn, Niall, Louis and Liam really succeed?

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It is 1992, and three young men in a boy band are performing in a live television talent contest. The sound is new: Korean lyrics, Euro pop, African American hip-hop and rap. They dance in sync. The studio audience goes wild. The judges in their prim suits are less impressed. They reveal their scorecards. The band gets the lowest mark of the night, and is voted off the show

The judges couldn't have got it more wrong.

In the next few days the song I Know climbs to the top of the charts, and stays there for a record-smashing 17 weeks. That night the group, Seo Taeji and Boys, ignites a revolution. Korean pop or K-pop was born.

K-pop is now a multi-billion-dollar industry. Bands like BTS and Blackpink are selling out in the US, UK and international stadiums within minutes. BTS is second only to Drake in international music sales. How did K-pop conquer the world? It's a story with several parts.

The revolution will be televised
At the time, Bernie Cho was working at MTV. He says young Koreans were mostly listening to western music, and Korean music was aimed at their parents' generation. But that all started to change in 1992.

"It wasn't really an evolutionary process, it was very much a revolutionary process," says Cho. Sao Taeji and Boys blew everyone away with that one performance on the TV talent show, broadcast live into millions of South Korean homes. The band opened the door to generations of younger Korean artists who were inspired to create music using influences from other parts of the world.

In the late 1990s, major artists like Clone also made it in China and Taiwan. The prize at that time was the Japanese music market, and breakthrough happened in 2002 when Korea and Japan both hosted the soccer World Cup.

"Something happened that really caught us off guard," says Cho. The so-called "Queen of K-pop" BoA topped the charts in Japan many times over. "It was such a rare occurrence and an inspirational achievement," says Cho. "She really helped open the eyes and ears and ambitions for a lot of people in the music industry to say, 'Hey, if she can do it, maybe we can do it, too'."

From 2008, bigger forces meant that K-pop's reach extended well beyond an Asian fan base. Unlike in China and Japan, where they use home grown social media, Korean companies embraced international ones - Facebook, Twitter and YouTube - and K-pop began to become available on international music platforms.

"Fans overseas, if they saw it, heard it, liked it, wanted it, could immediately cross-over to another site, and either download that music, purchase that music or stream that music," says Cho. "There was a perfect storm of international marketing and promotions connecting with international sales and streaming."

That perfect storm culminated in, well we have to mention it, Psy and Gangnam Style in 2012. "[Psy] completely shattered the mould and the myth in terms of what it takes to get to number one, not only in the US market but worldwide. Psy was not a Korean version of a big pop star. Psy was Korea's version of Psy, and it turns out that's what the world wanted."

It showed that you could be big and not sing entirely in English or be in vogue. The power of the music video transcended language. Just one of the official videos of Gangnam Style on YouTube had well over three billion views, the largest number of hits of any video at that time.
Recruitment regime
Today, Korean music producers are experts at manufacturing incredibly successful products. "K-pop is a product not just made for Korea or made in Korea, but made by Korea," says Cho.

If K-pop is like a popular selling product, then how is it put together? Hannah Waite was at college in America looking for a subject to research. In the early hours of that morning, she stumbled across it.

"I came across a K-pop video that someone else posted and was blown away by the production value of it, the colours, the sounds. Everything was just so overwhelming," says Waite. "I remember when I first started researching this whole phenomenon, people were like, 'This is a flash in the pan. It's going to be like the Macarena', you know where it's like a one hit and then it's done, and it just sort of goes away and remains regional."

This was nothing like the Macarena. When Waite started looking, she couldn't find anything in English online. So, she started her own website called Moon-ROK, giving information on K-pop news and entertainment. The first day the site went live in 2014, it crashed.

"We weren't prepared for 15,000 people to come to the site overnight," says Waite. "We didn't even have the server capacity to actually host that many people."

Waite started delving deep into the origins of the bands. As in the West, the pop groups were manufactured. But in South Korea, it was taken to extremes. It was far more targeted. Children were spotted and recruited. "They start these kids out at a very young age," she says. "You could be anywhere from age 10 to 14 and you could get recruited simply because a rep from the agency saw you at the mall and thought that you look gorgeous."

There is, says Waite, a specific formula and a set of conditions for creating a K-pop star. There are three main agencies with up to 200 trainees each. There are other smaller ones out there too. All K-pop bands come through this system. The recruits either stay at home or live in dorms. They live by a tight regime.

"You wake up, probably 5am. You train for a bit, whether that's choreography classes, vocal lessons. You sort of have a personalised schedule based on what your role in the group is," says Waite. "Then they go to school until about 3pm, head back to the entertainment company where they do more lessons until about 11pm. In Seoul, the trains shut down at midnight, so they get on that last train, they go home, sleep for five hours and do it again."

Bear in mind, these budding stars haven't even debuted yet. And when they do, they can have even earlier starts. Waits says sometimes the trainees are existing on up to two hours' sleep a night. Once you drop that first single and have your first performance, the clock is then ticking down again, she says, to when you become irrelevant. "Right behind you, there is a group of hungrier, more ambitious, younger kids that's looking to dethrone you as the next big thing," says Waite. "So, you run yourself ragged to make sure that you're getting every penny out of it."

Over the past few years, there's been an increase in K-pop stars admitting to having mental health issues. There was a high-profile suicide in 2017: Jonghyun, lead singer of one of the biggest groups SHINee, took his own life at the age of 27, and a note believed to have been sent by him to a friend spoke of his struggles with depression and fame. Another well-known star T.O.P. overdosed on anxiety medications.

K-pop stars used to be bound by 13-year contracts. This term has been legally reduced to seven years. "That was actually the result of a couple of K-pop stars stepping out and saying these contracts are ridiculous: 'I sleep two hours a night. I don't want to go to these shows. But if I don't show up, I get fined and I'm trapped until I'm essentially 30-years old, because these contracts are so long'," says Waite. "They coined the term 'slave contract'."
Korean wave
But, the more K-pop has become more successful, the more the establishment has become interested.

"South Korean business leaders and political leaders were figuring out that they needed to expand into other areas," says Yung Lee, Professor of Sociology at University of California, Berkeley, who has written about K-pop. "The only thing young people especially were talking about was either South Korean drama or South Korean popular music."

The government started to back the music industry, giving it tax breaks. They gave money to academics to enhance the popularity of the genre, and foreign embassies were promoting the groups. It worked and brought in big business. But, as Lee points out, that wasn't all.

"The impact, of course, it not in terms of money, but in terms of its popularity and expanding the South Korean influence or soft power abroad."

There's even a word to describe this wave of Korean culture: Hallyu. And K-pop became central to lots of other profitable industries like the beauty business.

"For example, cosmetics and plastic surgery and other elements of the beauty industry really rely on K-pop, especially to promote this image that if you use these South Korean products and service that you will become attractive, cool, great looking just like these K-pop stars," says Lee. "The vast majority, I think, of young South Koreans get some form of intervention either in your face or your body. So, it's something that's really changing South Korea, and not always for better, I'm afraid."

It's resulted, he believes, in a cultural amnesia to traditional Korean society. "It's really accelerated in the last couple of decades, and K-pop is part of the process of the massive change in South Korean society," says Lee.

With that change and the emergence of some serious scandals, the worry is that it could tarnish brand Korea. And that could post a dilemma for the government.

"What can they do? They began to ride this horse, and so they're almost stuck with it now, and they invested so much prestige about South Korean in K-pop," says Lee. "So, they had no choice at this point but to keep on investing, to keep on trying to flog this horse that they've ridden on."

So, how did K-pop conquer the world? Clever design and brilliant marketing. But there's more to a K-pop band. It's an expression of Korean culture, and the government has been more than happy to capitalise on its success.

However, the constituent parts to the K-pop product are people, some as young as 10. They may have to endure so-called 'slave contracts' and arduous daily regimes. At its darkest, K-pop culture stands accused of scandals. Not a side of South Korea the government wants to advertise. All this may not be affecting music sales. But it's a heavy price of conquering the world.
This originally appeared on BBC World Service's The Inquiry. For more episodes of The Inquiry, please visit the progamme's site.
If you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter, called The Essential List. A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Music, Culture, Capital, Future and Travel, delivered to your inbox every Friday.

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It is 1992, and three young men in a boy band are performing in a live television talent contest. The sound is new: Korean lyrics, Euro pop, African American hip-hop and rap. They dance in sync. The studio audience goes wild. The judges in their prim suits are less impressed.

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How K-Pop Bands are Challenging Toxic Masculinity in the West

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In this article, Tanya Kaushal explains how Grammy-Award winning K-Pop band BTS is transgressing toxic western norms of masculinity. Tanya is studying BA Journalism at City University of London.

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A man wearing make-up on the street may elicit unwelcome glares, questions about his masculinity and even his sexuality. But in South Korea, ideas about how to look good as a man are changing attitudes and influencing the world, as the BBC's Saira Asher reports.

When the BBC posted a video about the make-up routine of a 16-year-old YouTuber in Seoul on Facebook, the reactions ranged from intrigued to downright vitriolic.

Some assumed this meant he was gay, while others admonished him for his choice saying "real men don't wear make-up". There were, of course, those that argued for his freedom to live life however he pleased and against the "fragile masculinities" on show.

But Kim Seung-hwan is used to it. He says he's been called gay by some Koreans online for as long as he's been doing make-up tutorials.

When asked about whether he thought he looked feminine after he put on make-up, he was confused by the question as if he had never even thought about it.

"No I don't. I do not think about this being a girly look," he says. "It's about looking good."

Inside a male beauty salon

For those uncomfortable with men who wear make-up, the scene at a high-end salon for men in Seoul's Gangnam district would have been quite something. But it points to an important shift in cultural expectations.

Senior make-up artist Han Hyun-jae expertly applies foundation, eyeliner and lipstick on a man. He chooses from an array of products and brands that will be familiar to most women, and goes in for the final touches of what he calls the K-pop (short for Korean pop) look . It's a scene that repeats itself day after day.

Packs of confident young men saunter into the salon and then leave with perfect skin and hair. Many of them are singers or actors on their way to promotional events.

One man is there for his wedding make-up, a common practice for men in South Korea. He chooses to get red lips for his special day.

"We make their complexion cleaner, eyebrows darker, contour their faces and draw out their masculinity in a way they can't do themselves," says Mr Han. He says men come in wanting to look like their favourite K-pop idols.

In the last few years, K-pop bands and Korean dramas have become the major influence on young people in the country and last year K-pop broke into the mainstream US and UK music scenes.

"I think Korea is a trailblazer in men's beauty culture, definitely in Asia at the moment, if not the world," says Joanna Elfving-Hwang from the University of Western Australia, who has done extensive research on beauty and image in South Korea.

"The way they (K-pop stars) play with masculinity, what it means to be a beautiful man in a heterosexual or non-heterosexual way, it opens up possibilities for men on the street and eventually makes it more acceptable."

This doesn't mean every man in Seoul walks around with a full face of make-up.

But in young and fashionable neighbourhoods like Myeong-dong it's common to see men walking around with foundation or BB cream (blemish balm) - a moisturiser and light foundation hybrid.

More importantly it has allowed for a much looser interpretation of what's acceptable for men when it comes to beauty.

And some young Korean men are unapologetic about the drive to enhance their look.

That wasn't always the case. In the 1980s and 90s the salaryman was the prevailing male aesthetic. Suits, luxury watches and a traditional strong male look were the norm. Korea has mandatory national service and that moulded and defined what men thought would look appealing.

"In the 80s and 90s, men in Korean pop content were largely portrayed as tough guys in gangster and detective films, and rebellious young men in some TV dramas," says Sun Jung, the author of Korean Masculinities and Transcultural Consumption.

But all that changed in the mid-1990s when music group Seo Taeji and The Boys came onto the scene, says Prof Elfving-Hwang. They used rap, rock and techno influences and incorporated English language into their music.

They kick-started fan culture which has now become a major force in the music industry, she says.

Then followed the big entertainment companies churning out K-pop girl bands and boy bands, and their influence has been like nothing before it.

"Compared to the 80s and 90s, now there are a lot more soft masculinities - pretty boy images and gentle male images - represented in media, and consumers welcome and widely consume them," says Dr Sun Jung.

They came to be known as Khonminam - combining the words for flower and a beautiful man. She says it takes inspiration from similar concepts in Japan of bishonen or beautiful boys and Shojo manga - girls comics.

But it's not feminine.

"I think the phenomenon should rather be explained through the notion of hybrid or versatile masculinity - soft yet manly at the same time - which is different from effeminised," says Dr Jung.

She cites Song Joong-ki, the star of hugely popular Korean drama "Descendants of the Sun" as the embodiment of this. He may be a khonminam in his look, but as a special forces captain in the military he is also a tough guy.

Descendants of the Sun and other Korean dramas have helped spread the South Korean look around Asia and now the world. And that means the ways to achieve that look are in demand.

Male idols are plastered on billboards in Seoul hawking products like face masks and moisturisers. Companies are actively hiring men to sell women make-up products.

Their fandom in places like China, Thailand and Singapore is not to be dismissed either. Huge crowds show up to their performances and product launches.

"Men in China and South East Asia tend to think that Korean men are the typical beauty," says Lee Gung-min, a consultant to South Korean beauty companies.

"That is having a huge impact on male consumers in Asia."

Korean beauty boom

Beyond Asia, brand Korea is starting to sell well in the US and Europe.

Walmart and Sephora now have K-beauty (Korean beauty) brands on their shelves and beauty bloggers are spouting the virtues of the 10-step K-beauty routine for glowing skin. American and European make-up enthusiasts are fast becoming acquainted with brands that were previously only popular in Asia like TonyMoly, Innisfree and Etude House.

Most interestingly, established beauty brands are making their own versions of products that originated in South Korea - like Clinique, Lancome and L'oreal introducing cushion compacts.

The drive for the perfect face has undoubtedly also contributed to a well reported rise in cosmetic surgeries in South Korea to achieve the desired jawline or nose. But it also stems from a deeply ingrained preoccupation with how you present yourself to others.

That's a common sentiment across Seoul. People here really care about how they look and how they come off to the world - both men and women.

You can't walk a few steps without coming across a cosmetics or skincare shop with a salesperson outside trying to lure you in with a free face mask, and companies are definitely capitalising on that self-care culture to sell products.

But men are now as much at the receiving end of that drive - or perhaps pressure - for self enhancement that women have felt for generations.

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Flowerboys and the appeal of 'soft masculinity' in South Korea

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South Korea's idea of a good-looking man has changed, and the world is taking notice.

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Just for fun: What would your name be? Comment below...

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So you wanna become a semi-successful fraction of a 14-year old's favorite band? Hop to it!

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Teen Girls, Boy Bands and Objectification, a video essay (EXO and the Jonas Brothers)

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Bavarian radio station Bayern 3 found its name trending worldwide after a radio host took a dislike to the latest release by K-pop boy band BTS.

The group's army of loyal fans took to social media accuse the station's Matthias Matuschik of racism after he blasted the band's cover of Coldplay's "Fix You."

What did the Bayern 3 host say about BTS?

Matuschik compared the band to the COVID-19 virus, describing them as "some crappy virus that hopefully there will be a vaccine for soon as well."

"These little a**holes brag about the fact they covered 'Fix You' from Coldplay, this is blasphemy," he said. "For this you will be vacationing in North Korea for the next 20 years!"

Sensing his comments might cause upset, Matuschik said his comments were not aimed at South Korea. "You can't accuse me of xenophobia," he said. "I have a car from South Korea. I have the coolest car ever."

How have fans responded?

Matuschik's comments have prompted accusations of racism, in particular regarding the comparison to the coronavirus. Since the pandemic emerged in China in late 2019, there has been an uptick in reports of racism or xenophobia against Chinese and other Asian people.

Hashtags like #Bayern3Apologize and #Bayern3Racist have started to appear on Twitter.

"At a time of anti-Asianness it's not only deplorable but dangerous for someone like Matthias Matuschik to liken COVID to a South Korean group like BTS," said one Twitter user. "This only incites hate, violence to Asians from various backgrounds."

One fan account struck a similar note and took Bayern 3 to task for a statement appearing to defend the host. "What he said shouldn't be tolerated," it maintained.

A fan account for BTS member Jimin said the views expressed by were objectively racist.

"Expressing that these are only one's opinions and passing accountability to people who took offense come from a racist mentality," it said.

How the radio station responded

Bayern 3 defended their presenter and, while the station did concede he may have gone too far, it said this had not been his intention.

"It is the character of this show and also of the presenter to express his opinion clearly, openly and unvarnished," the station said in a statement.

"In this case, he overshot the mark in his choice of words in an attempt to present his opinion in an ironically exaggerated manner and with exaggeratedly feigned excitement, and thus hurt the feelings of the BTS fans. But, as he assured us, this was in no way his intention. He only wanted to express his displeasure about the above-mentioned cover version."

Who are BTS?

BTS, also known as the Bangtan Boys, are a seven-member K-pop band with a musical style that has evolved from hip-hop to include a wide range of genres.

The band has ascended to global stardom since their debut in 2013, with a string of sold-out shows in Los Angeles, Paris and London when concerts were last possible in 2019.

The group has even established itself in the world's biggest music market, the notoriously impenetrable United States. The all-English single "Dynamite" entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number one last August, making BTS the first South Korean act to top the US chart.

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BTS: K-pop boy band racism storm hits German radio station | DW | 26.02.2021

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Bavarian radio station Bayern 3 found its name trending worldwide after a radio host took a dislike to the latest release by K-pop boy band BTS. The group's army of loyal fans took to social media accuse the station's Matthias Matuschik of racism after he blasted the band's cover of Coldplay's "Fix You."

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"Popular music performance has always provided a platform for men to experiment with identity, often by espousing dress, gestures and behaviour deemed incompatible within more conventional spheres of employment. Moreover, male artists regularly play with aspects of feminine identity, whether by wholehearted incorporation as in glam rock and new romanticism or by subtle allusion..."

(Gregory, G.)

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Does Simon Cowell have another hit on his hands?

He's already known for putting together the British boy band One Direction. This week on America's Got Talent, just in time for Pride Month, Cowell and his fellow judges auditioned The Other Direction, a group that bills itself as "the world's gayest boy band."
Related: Just some of reigning king Lil Nas X's best moments trolling Twitter
Taking a cue from The Village People, The Other Direction consists of singers that each represent a stereotype: Alex the Jock; Norm the Cowboy; Jason the Party Boy, Greg the Mama Bear, and Devin the Fashionista.

"We actually met in middle school at show choir camp and we all came out to each other while we were there," Jason told the AGT judges. "We made a pact that when we turned 21, we would come together and form the world's gayest boy band, and here we are!"

The boys performed an original song entitled "Gurl Ur the Best," about how much they like hanging out with girls - going to the mall, sharing a hot tub. "I can paint your toenails...and you can paint mine."

But ultimately they break the bad news: "Gurl you're the best and I love you, but not like that."

"There's so much between us," the cowboy croons, "but I ain't going down to Venus."

The boys got a standing ovation and four Yesses from the judges, which means they'll be back to perform again.

"I've auditioned so many boy bands over the years who were so terrible, but this was different - and it was a well-written song," Cowell said. "Is your dream to be as successful as the other Direction?"

"This is our destiny," Jason replied. "This is really the moment for us."

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America's Got Talent auditions "the world's gayest boy band"

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Does Simon Cowell have another hit on his hands? He's already known for putting together the British boy band One Direction. This week on America's Got Talent, just in time for Pride Month, Cowell and his fellow judges auditioned The Other Direction, a group that bills itself as "the world's gayest boy band."

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In 2003 Johnathan Gray coined the term "anti-fans" for those in the audience who actively dislike a certain media product. They act as a counterpart to the fans. Often, they are just as well informed as the fans themselves, basing their hate on detailed descriptions or joint assumptions about the product, for example a boy group.

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Paul Morley criticising boy groups, Guardian 2010

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ell-groomed, dancing, crooning boybands of all ages are certainly on top at the moment. The boyband, more singing celebrities fronting a coordinated entertainment system than contemplative musicians, turns out to be very well-equipped to deal with the current collapse of traditional music industry systems. The boyband thrives, presumably because there are always hordes of new teenage girls arriving, needing to transfer their chaotic internal affections from cuddly toys to something a little more solid and even erect. And now that, however old we are, we cling to the idea that we remain teenagers still keenly interested in pop, fashion and fame, the boyband can just keep coming. In the case of Take That, the boyband comeback, the unification of original members, is seen as something heroic and inspiring, an epic glorification of the very liberating essence of pop music.

We've seen boybands come and go over the decades. Sometimes they're fresh and fashionable, sometimes an ingratiating abomination. Sometimes they play instruments, write their own songs and feign unshaven mischief; at others, they sit grave and clean-shaven on stools and simper silken ballads, or line up in a row and obediently, if not a little gaily, express their love for life, love and song through the medium of dance. When they seem to have become too obvious, too regimented, too corny, pathetically out of touch, they pop back up again, stronger and more resilient than ever, suggesting that they alone can carry pop music into the future, where it will still in its own way encourage reproduction and therefore continue the cycle.

The boyband formula has been systematically perfected over decades by a series of visionary, competitive and/or mercenary pop svengalis, most of them gay and therefore with a crucial, intimate appreciation of what young girls desire. The fastidiously designed postmodern boyband now absorbs techniques, poses and styles lifted from those such as Frank Sinatra, the Shadows, the Beatles, the Who, the Temptations, the Monkees, the Jackson 5, the Bee Gees, the Osmonds, Buzzcocks, Wham!, Duran Duran, New Kids on the Block, Nirvana, 'N Sync, Boyz II Men, Bros and Busted. They should not, though, be talked about as though they are anything to do with music, or music alone. Boybands should be reviewed, rated and reasoned with as a separate branch of entertainment where the merchandising, logo, choreography, physical attractiveness, marketing, groin area, tattoos, image, haircut, smile and synchronised ability to mime is just as important, if not more so, than the repetitive content and sound of their songs.

I met JLS and McFly recently. Both groups, with their precise combination of dreamy pretty boys, rougher types and enigmatic in-betweeners, are likely to be mobbed in the street by ardent female fanatics as if they are still living A Hard Day's Night. We got on quite well, all things considered, although I must admit it would have been a help to me if they had been wearing name tags. It made me realise that there should be a new sort of cultural expert to comment on their abilities and qualities, and a new sort of context to put them in - one that deals with the current power of fame, the relentless amplifying impact of the internet and social media interaction, how reality television has infected and distorted reality, and how pop has become fragmented and unified, local and global, for all the family and still for the very young.

Musically, as a rock critic of a certain age with a well established set of intellectual and emotional requirements, I might be inclined to give JLS, say, one star for their music, and grumpily despair at the predictable industrial process behind such songs. It's entirely stupid, though, to rate JLS in such a way. It's like expecting a packet of biscuits to have soul.

Better to comment on how they present themselves day in, day out as a hard-working, disciplined combination of boys next door and stars, virtual toys and pretend best friends, glowing performers and deferential servants. Lacking many of the qualifications required to judge such groups as part of a very specific manufacturing tale, I'm still aware that JLS as an example of a successfully evolving boyband are much more of a four-star proposition. McFly, modestly following their version of the self-improving U2 route to superstardom, gradually broadening their conceptual, sonic and merchandising palette, skilfully organised as internet-era showbusiness, might even deserve four and half stars. Even Westlife could get a couple of stars under this specialised new criteria.

There needs to be a new section in the magazines and newspapers - and of course in whatever online publications come next, which is another place where the boyband can thrive, as something that is all at once seen, heard, shared and sold - that incorporates this regulated hybrid of showbusiness, product placement, community spirit, coded sexuality, audience manipulation, organised seduction and attenuated song. Boybands need to be observed and analysed for what they are. After all, by the look of it, they're taking over the world, and pop will end not with a bang but with a boyband.

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ell-groomed, dancing, crooning boybands of all ages are certainly on top at the moment. The boyband, more singing celebrities fronting a coordinated entertainment system than contemplative musicians, turns out to be very well-equipped to deal with the current collapse of traditional music industry systems. The boyband thrives, presumably because there are always hordes of new teenage girls arriving, needing to transfer their chaotic internal affections from cuddly toys to something a little more solid and even erect.

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Gender shouldn't dictate interests, especially when it comes to music

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Social media has started to diminish the stigma, but there is still some way to go.

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By Mark McCormack

With One Direction topping the US music chart, and David Beckham to be the first man featured on Elle's front cover, images of men have changed dramatically in recent years. The softening of masculinity is a good thing, and shows no sign of abating.

Born in the 1980s, I grew up during a period where the most macho of masculinities were esteemed. From Rambo to Rocky, Die Hard to Lethal Weapon, men were portrayed as all-action heroes whom neither bullets nor armies could vanquish. Professional wrestlers appeared almost understated in their gendered performances compared to the display of masculine bravado found in movies and revered in the wider culture.

This machismo was accompanied by a pervasive and enveloping homophobia. The rise of the so-called moral majority and the AIDS epidemic meant that homosexuality was incredibly stigmatized in the 1980s and 1990s. As a result, men went to great lengths to avoid being socially perceived as gay. The most effective way of doing this was to deploy homophobia. Accordingly, masculinity became not just a show of physical strength and emotional stoicism, but also of anti-gay animus. It is for this reason that leading sociologist Michael Kimmel argued that masculinity was effectively a performance of homophobia.

And yet things have changed beyond recognition. The British boy band One Direction, who recently topped the U.S. charts, are a pop sensation who have eschewed such forms of masculinity. These young men's gentle tactility and open displays of emotion are part of what has made them so famous. As a Sunday Times journalist who interviewed them wrote, "They tousled each other's hair and jostled and caressed one another like a bunch of frolicking puppies." What's more, homophobia couldn't be further from their lips, as they thank their army of gay fans and perform at gay venues such as London's G-A-Y.

One Direction are just one example of a vast number of famous men to embody this softer, more inclusive masculinity. Yet crucially, such behaviors are not limited to celebrity elites. Rather, these men both model and mirror the gendered behaviors of today's youth. When researching for my latest book, I found that British youth are redefining masculinity for their generation. Undertaking ethnographies of three British high schools and hanging out with the male students, it was evident that the homophobia, violence and emotional illiteracy of the past have vanished for these young men. Toxic behaviors have been replaced with hugging, cuddling, and loving.

Perhaps the most startling change is the soft touch between boys. One day in an assembly, for example, I observed a popular student Steve seated behind Liam. Unsolicited, Steve leant forward and gave Liam a back rub. Liam turned around, smiling, and said, "That's great, just go a bit lower." Less popular boys did this too. Ben and Eli were standing in a corner of the common room, chatting. They were casually holding hands, with their fingers laced together. Ben then moved his head towards Eli's ear, speaking to him for about a minute, his mouth so close that he could have been kissing Eli. If students in the busy common room noticed, they didn't care. And these behaviors were not extraordinary-they are how young guys demonstrate their friendship and express their emotions.

It is my argument that the changes in behavior so evident among these young men are the result of a significant change in attitudes toward homosexuality. Put simply, young men are rejecting the homophobia of their fathers and are embracing gay rights instead. In my research, this was evident from the inclusion of gay peers, the explicit condemnation of homophobia and the support of gay marriage. While homophobic language was once rife in schools, these boys were complaining that they didn't know any openly gay teachers.

It is likely that many of these changes are more advanced in the UK than in America. Yet progressive attitudes are undoubtedly developing in the United States as well. Much of this change has been documented by Professor Eric Anderson, and quantitative research demonstrates a similar story. For example, a recent survey of over 200,000 first time college undergraduates across 270 colleges in the United States found that 64.1% of male freshman support same-sex marriage; a statistic more startling when one considers that this does not account for those supporting civil partnerships. American culture might not have its own One Direction, for example, but it has been quick to embrace the British band.

These changes are profound and require us to rethink how we talk about masculinity and sexualities. We need a more holistic approach to sex education, where we recognize young people as mature enough to discuss issues of homosexuality in intelligent and informed ways. The social sciences tell us a great deal about sex and sexuality and we should ensure that this knowledge is included so that the more inclusive attitudes of young people can be nurtured and flourish.
This article originally appeared on Psychology Today's Men 2.0.

Mark McCormack is a qualitative sociologist at Brunel University in England. His research focuses on the changing nature of masculinities among British youth. In this book, he examines how decreased homophobia has positively influenced the way in which young men bond emotionally and interact in school settings.

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Are One Direction redefining masculinity? | OUPblog

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By Mark McCormack With One Direction topping the US music chart, and David Beckham to be the first man featured on Elle's front cover, images of men have changed dramatically in recent years. The softening of masculinity is a good thing, and shows no sign of abating.

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Dealing With Toxic Masculinity in Fandom Culture

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On today's episode, we have The Try Guys' Zach and Keith on to chat about all things nostalgic! We dive into NSYNC vs. Backstreet Boys and the toxic masculinity that came with being a fan, nostalgia porn, differences in gen-Z vs. millennial culture, and so much more!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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dealing with toxic masculinity in fandom culture with the try guys’ zach + keith

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‎Crazy Stupid Fangirls: Dealing With Toxic Masculinity in Fandom Culture With The Try Guys' Zach + Keith auf Apple Podcasts

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On today's episode, we have The Try Guys' Zach and Keith on to chat about all things nostalgic! We dive into NSYNC vs. Backstreet Boys and the toxic masculinity that came with being a fan, nostalgia porn, differences in gen-Z vs. millennial culture, and so much more! Learn more about your ad choices...

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BSBFangirls.com | For Backstreet Boys fans. By Backstreet Boys fans.

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BSBFangirls.com | For Backstreet Boys fans. By Backstreet Boys fans.

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A sign about Backstreet Boys and their fans, by Backstreet Boys fans. If it's happening in the Backstreet Boys fandom, it's happening at BSBFangirls.com.

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Toxic masculinity is a buzzword these days. Traditional boy groups supported the ideal of a strong, handsome, competent, independent boy/ man.

These days, flaws, personal struggles, strengths and weaknesses combined, as well as talking openly about oppressive expectations make for a more approachable (and less toxic) image of masculinity with boy groups.

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TeenVogue and many others have established their very own best of boy bands lists

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For decades, popular music has been blessed with boy bands. From the moment groups like New Edition, Menudo, and NKOTB members burst onto the scene, it's been a steady stream of steamy abs, perfect hair, and of course, legions of screaming fans. And though it was before our time, groups like The Jackson 5, The Beatles, and The Beach Boys set the standard for what we consider modern-day boy bands.

The concept of a boy band has evolved over time, and each generation has its classics. Our parents may have loved popular tunes like "I Wanna Hold Your Hand," but that quickly evolved into pop culture anthems like *NSYNC'S "Bye Bye Bye," and BTS's "Dynamite."

Of course, the true definition of a boy band is nebulous: Do they have to dance? (One Direction didn't.) Do they have to play instruments? (Most don't, but there are notable exceptions.) What if their music skews more rock or R&B? See, we could split hairs about this all day (speaking of which, boy bands typically have great hair).

But if there's one thing all boy bands have in common, it's that they each have a devoted fandom. That's why it's so difficult to agree on which are the best boy bands. In honor of this great corner of pop music, we decided to round up the greatest boy bands ever and discuss the merits of each. Don't get us wrong: We love them all equally - but one band had to reign supreme.

BTS

Just in case you've been living under a rock, BTS is a Korean pop group with seven members. They've mastered the funky vibe that is K-pop, using a combination of relatable lyrics with a hip-hop beat. Since 2017, the group has been writing, producing, and performing most of their own songs, and have risen to popularity quickly in their home country of South Korea as well as in the United States.

2ge+her

While 2ge+her started out as a parody boy band (with their own TV movie and series on MTV), they eventually somehow became real. They were intended to be a joke that poked fun at the actual 90s and 2000s boy bands, but they were, like...actually really good. Their breakout single "U + Me = Us (Calculus)" is actually one of the greatest songs ever - and don't get us started on "The Hardest Part of Breaking Up." As the ultimate proof that this boy band truly "made it," they opened several shows for Britney Spears on her 2000 "Oops, I Did it Again" summer tour.

5ive

One of the many 90s boy bands hailing from the UK, 5ive is a group of guys who were signed under the same producers who managed the Spice Girls. They had five members (hence their name), and reached reasonable success in the US. Their first major hit was "When the Lights Go Out," which was catchy as hell and also earned them a cameo in a Disney Channel Original movie (NBD). They're still around today, but they're down to three members (so maybe they should change their name to 3hree?)

Boyz II Men

Arguably one of the most famous boy bands of all time, Boyz II Men is still going strong after more than 30 years. Originated in 1985, this iconic R&B group is known for classic hits such as "I'll Make Love to You," "End of the Road," and "One Sweet Day." In fact, "One Sweet Day" held the record for most weeks at the No. 1 spot at Billboard's Top 100 Chart (Lil Nas X beat their record in 2019 with "Old Town Road"). Although they took a break in 2003, they came back a year later and continue to perform today. Remember their "Beauty School Dropout" cameo in Grease Live?

All-4-One

Though they considered themselves an R&B group, All-4-One was one of the first Black boy bands to come out in the 1990s (Jodeci, New Edition, and Boyz II Men formed in the late 1980s). And we're grateful for it! A four-person boy band, their first single, "I Swear," was the quintessential "slow dance" song for middle schoolers in the '90s - and OK, today, too, as it's a popular first-dance choice for married couples. More recently, they crooned the song "Someday" for the soundtrack to Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and they released a 20th-anniversary album in 2015.

Big Time Rush

Big Time Rush (and the Nickelodeon TV show of the same name) rose to fame as one of the early 2000s boy bands. They were together for five years before splitting, but within those five years, there was some glorious music made... like their first big single, appropriately titled - you guessed it - "Big Time Rush."

Westlife

Westlife had a short-lived but meteoric rise as one of the early 2000s boy bands out of the UK. . The Irish band was signed by Simon Cowell, and their manager was Louis Walsh of The X-Factor. Their hit single, "Swear It Again," was released in 2000, and although they had many hits in the U.K., "Swear It Again" was the only one to really take off in the U.S. (Their cover of "Uptown Girl" is not to be missed, for what it's worth.)

Menudo

Menudo was one of the most popular Latin boy bands in music history and a starting point for Ricky Martin's career. Formed in the 1970s, they enjoyed nearly four decades of stardom, which included dozens of albums and their own TV series and movie.

Take That

The British boy band Take That has set some major records in the U.K., making them one of the most successful boy bands in U.K. history. There are currently three members in the band, although singer Robbie Williams used to be a part of the group. They are still making music today.

The Wanted

British boy band The Wanted formed in 2009 after a huge audition to search for talent. Although they were hot in the U.K. for a few years, they didn't make their way over to the U.S. until 2012, with their single "Glad You Came." In the years since, they had their own reality show on E! called The Wanted Life, which was produced by Ryan Seacrest. The Wanted went on hiatus in 2014, but they've promised that they would work together again one day. We're waiting....

O-Town

The boy band O-Town was the result of the first season of Making the Band, a reality television show that aimed to assemble a musical group. They were managed by corrupt super-manager Lou Pearlman, who also managed *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys during the same time. Thanks in large part to the TV show they came from, O-Town's first single, "Liquid Dreams," quickly reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. After just two albums, the group disbanded in 2003, but finally reunited ten years later.

LFO

With an easy funky vibe and fun lyrics fans couldn't stop singing along to, LFO was arguably one of the best boy bands of the early 90s. They produced several chart-topping hits, like "Summer Girls," "Girl on TV" and "Every Other Time." Tragically, two of the three original band members passed away at early ages due to cancer.

New Kids on the Block

NKOTB rose to fame in the late 1980s and reigned supreme until white bands like *NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys appeared on the scene. The iconic NKOTB members were brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood. The group broke up in 1994 but then reunited several years later and went on tour with the Backstreet Boys in 2011. Not surprisingly, that tour announcement pretty much broke the Internet. They are still performing today.

98 Degrees

98 Degrees separated themselves from other 2000s boy bands by forgoing a record producer. They formed on their own after Jeff Timmons and Nick Lachey met in Los Angeles. Both decided to leave college to pursue their music careers, and thus, 98 Degrees was born. Their group was a huge hit, although we kind of think that Newlyweds was peak Nick Lachey.

The Vamps

Like 5SOS and many other pop stars, the Vamps climbed the fame ladder from their beginnings on YouTube. And like a lot of other British boy bands, the Vamps are often compared to One Direction - although they tend to disagree. They currently have two studio albums out, and their "Wake Up" music video actually stars Brooklyn Beckham.

Hanson

The Hanson brothers made rank among 90s boy bands with their iconic hit, "MMMBop." The single was catchy as hell, but we're pretty sure that to this day, no one knows the actual words. Hanson comprises brothers Isaac, Taylor, and Zac, and they continued making music well into the 2000s. While their popularity has declined since the late 90s, Hanson released an album in 2013, and they still perform as a trio today in addition to working on solo projects.

5 Seconds of Summer

5 Seconds of Summer (aka 5SOS) is a rock group from Sydney, Australia, that formed in 2011. They got their start on YouTube and are known for their singles "She Looks So Perfect" and "Girls Talk Boys," the latter of which was featured on the Ghostbusters soundtrack. 5SOS achieved notoriety during their tour with One Direction in 2013 and are currently headlining their own international tour.

The Jonas Brothers

One of the best boy bands of all time, we first heard the names of the Jonas Brothers in 2006, when they released their first studio album, It's About Time. But there have been plenty of "Trying Times" since, with several breakups over the years. Lately though, they've been at it again, with a return announcement in 2019 and a brand-new song they'll debut at the Tokyo Olympics later this summer. Swoon.

The Jackson 5

The Jackson 5 was definitely the granddaddy of all boy bands, and still reigns supreme with their incredible dance moves and distinct sound. Formed in the 1960s, the original members consisted of brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael. In addition to creating numerous chart-topping albums, the Jackson 5 performed on several television programs and also had an animated series created about them. After Michael Jackson's death in 2009, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon embarked on their Unity Tour in honor of their brother, the King of Pop.

One Direction

Ah, One Direction. The boy band that stole our hearts and then broke them in just a few years' time. After appearing on the 2010 season of The X Factor, 1D shot to stardom with their first studio album, Up All Night. Things were good for several years, and then Zayn left the group on March 25, 2015, and things started to unravel from there. 1D is currently on a hiatus (BRB, crying), and we're just clinging to the possibility of a One Direction reunion. (And, Directioners, please don't hate us for not putting 1D at the top of this list. We have to honor their predecessors, k?)

The Backstreet Boys

Although the devotion of Directioners sure makes it seem like 1D is the best boy band in history, the Backstreet Boys sure had some impressive numbers to prove their fan base. Their 1999 album Millennium sold more than 1,000,000 copies within the first week of its release - it truly was the golden era for these insanely popular 2000s boy bands. BSB was formed in 1993, but their first title album wasn't released until 1996. Their songs were the soundtracks of many childhoods, making their reunion tour in 2013 beyond exciting. Raise your hand if you still know all the words to every one of their singles!

*NSYNC

It would kind of be a crime not to end with *NSYNC. The iconic boy band was formed in 1995, and TBH, the world has not been the same since. From their early days of "I Want You Back" to the essential "Bye Bye Bye" choreography and straight on to "Pop," this Justin Timberlake boy band totally sang their way into our hearts. Alas, the group disbanded in 2002 and haven't created any new music since. We're pretty sure that if they were to create a new song or embark on a reunion tour, Twitter would definitely implode.

Why Don't We?

This boy band was formed in 2016. All five members aren't only pretty faces, either. They're all talented vocalists and instrumentalists as well. Inspired by artists like Justin Bieber and Drake, Why Don't We have a bright future ahead of them - they're likely to cement their place as one of the best boy bands out there.

EXO

Since their introduction in 2013, nine members of EXO, a Korean boy band, have enjoyed a quick rise to fame. Their tunes incorporate a little bit of everything: hip hop, R&B, and EDM, too, which makes for a catchy sound fans can't get enough of. In fact, some even say EXO is the best boy band of 2020. What's your take on the situation?

Boyzone

If you haven't heard of the boy band Boyzone, it's time to add them to your playlist. This group is widely considered the *NSYNC of the UK. After the untimely passing of one of the original five group members, Boyzone isn't currently making music but is said to reunite in 2024 in honor of the group's 30th anniversary.

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For decades, popular music has been blessed with boy bands. From the moment groups like New Edition, Menudo, and NKOTB members burst onto the scene, it's been a steady stream of steamy abs, perfect hair, and of course, legions of screaming fans.

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The 30 Best Boy Band Albums of the Past 30 Years: Staff Picks

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Here’s our favorite boy band albums from the last three decades — and here’s hoping that the first great new boy band of the 2020s is figuring out their socially distanced dance m…

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The internet is a popular medium where one can spread (dis-)likes even more easily. You will find comments ranging from indifference to ultimate hate posts. Find a few examples below:

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--- "If I wanted to hear a couple greasy turds sing, I'd eat a double bacon cheesburger, drink a beer, and then fart."---

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--- "The music is bad, not to mention generic. Boy bands represent all that is evil and conformist in this society."---

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--- "The reason I hate Backstreet Fags, and N'Sync and 98 Degrees is because none of them are musicians(like me). They don't write the songs the sing. They are not atists, they are poster boys. Personaly, I don't even think they sing all that well. Put Jonathan Timberlake up agianst Geoff Tate in a sing off, boy wouldn't have a chance in hell." ---

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AnandTech Forums: Technology, Hardware, Software, and Deals

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When you think about it, it doesn't make sense why people hate boy bands like the BSB or N'sync. Granted if your taste in music is off from the songs they're putting out, why do people go and attack their character? So just because girls drool over them so you call them gay? Yeah I'm a guy and I enjoy some of their songs. Yes accuse me of being gay all you want but that's all you haters can do: attack a person's character with stupid accusations instead of giving good reasons. So how about it? Those boy band haters out there, you want to give me a good reason why you call them gay? I don't like KISS and I personally think they way they dress is gay but I don't attack their music or character. It's all on taste right? If you don't like something, stay away from it.

Well I can hear my sister's NSYNC music right now and I'm going to go turn the volume down ASAP! Obviously if you couldn't tell their music pertains to females ( or homosexuals ) which is why many males chose not to like them. I have no probelm with homosexuals, it's just not my type.

Why doesn't it make sense that some people hate them? We're not allowed to dislike their music?

Uh....huh.....

The music is bad, not to mention generic. Boy bands represent all that is evil and conformist in this society.

This is the ULTIMATE question, huh? Hmmm...looks like someone's got their priorities f'ed up.

Because I don't like them

I hate the way they sound. I hate the way they look. I hate the way they dance. Do I need to continue?

If I wanted to hear a couple greasy turds sing, I'd eat a double bacon cheesburger, drink a beer, and then fart.

I hate them because they are a product, not a form of art and expression like most music. Rather than spending time searching for real bands that have actual ideas and talent, the record labels choose to put together these groups and promote them like no other. They are fed to you, and no part of what or who they are has anything to do with the actual members in the group. They're a bunch of actors and calling them a band is an insult to all the bands out there who actually work hard and long to make real music. If you choose to enjoy the product, then I guess it's just that, your choice. I choose to see how lame and completely phony everything they do is, and that they are just a bunch of no talent losers who got picked just like any actor would for a role.

<edit> spelling </edit>

Here, here! stonythug speaks with truth!

cause they remind me of new kids on the block

and stonythug explains it well.

Because they are look and sound dumb. They have no creative control and they don't write their own music.

Did you need another reason for us to call you gay??

okay some of you guys got good points but of you still resort to &quot;cuz they're gay.&quot; wtf? there is no reason that u can't express your dislike but how about something about the music and not just cuz u dont like the way they dress? they are trying to appeal to a certain audience ya know. thats the entertainment industry.

daleroy, attacking my character isn't going to help your argument. you're only making yourself look stupid. it's like saying &quot;so i dont like their music but it's okay for me to say so but since u like it and they're gay, then you must be gay!&quot; ooooh i'm very afraid.

EXACTLY, Hoeboy. The boy bands do everything they do because it is handed down to them by the same corporations that created them. They are NOT artistic groups, they are cookie-cutter money-makers!

yea i admit that. plus i also gotta admit a lot of their songs tend to not make any sense. but they got catchy tunes and chorus so i guess thats why they are so successful.

Hoeboy, there was no offense meant there, didn't you see the

face

Hoeboy, it's ok that you don't like KISS, but can't you pick a better word than GAY? How about stupid, dumb, ect. I'm not in the flamin' mood.

The reason I hate Backstreet Fags, and N'Sync and 98 Degrees is because none of them are musicians(like me). They don't write the songs the sing. They are not atists, they are poster boys. Personaly, I don't even think they sing all that well. Put Jonathan Timberlake up agianst Geoff Tate in a sing off, boy wouldn't have a chance in hell.

urbantechie:

Having sex with 4th graders is illegal.

becuz they aim themselves at women and they women love them and not us so ! dorks

Nate

while they may have talent, they are just a brilliant marketing ploy and nothing more. do they do a good job? heck yea...

and look at how they dress, listen to them speak. They are the type of guys that cry and hug. Gay. Plain old gay.

Not that there is anything wrong with that.

&quot;They are the type of guys that cry and hug. Gay. Plain old gay.&quot;

Oh wow, there goes a solid chunk of the respect I used to have for you.

I don't hate them.

I just don't like them at all. They are a product created by the record companies to appeal to a certain audience.

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The ULTIMATE question: Why do people "really" hate boy bands?

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When you think about it, it doesn't make sense why people hate boy bands like the BSB or N'sync. Granted if your taste in music is off from the songs they're putting out, why do people go and attack their character? So just because girls drool over them so you call them gay?

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---"It's simple, it's because of she shit they sing. All this loving and hugging and kissing. If you made their lyrics into normal human words and went up to a girl and said these word, you would most likely get kicked in the nuts.

Guy's see boybands as liars, They feel as if they where deeply tricked. HOW COME THEY GET 30000 GIRLS SCREAMING FOR THEM AND I GET A KICK IN THE NUTS . Something like that. "---

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---"1. Shitty songs with recycled themes
2. Money hogging bastards who use their fangirls as ATM
3. Little to no talent required to be in one. No, good looks, lip syncing and dancing are not under the talent department
4. Rabid fangirls who do not understand the true quality music
5. One boyband sounds like every other boyband"---