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Boy Band: Difference between revisions
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Although they are not very famous outside Asia, Japan has been creating boy bands since [[The Seventies]]. The most notable boy band factory is [[Cast Full of Pretty Boys|Johnny's Jimusho]], which currently manages about ''fifteen'' boy bands. Today Johnny's bands dominate the charts, with SMAP and [[Arashi]] topping pretty much constantly. Dramas that famous boyband members star in pretty much always do well, and you will see members of popular boybands on TV variety shows quite a lot. The boyband machine is so well-oiled in Japan that many of the tropes applied in the West don't function - boybands have large adult followings (usually middle-aged women) and men seem to be able to handle it, if not love it - you WILL sing A-RA-SHI many times in karaoke in mixed company, just because [[Ear Worm|everybody knows it]].
Lately, Korea has been getting on the action too with bands like [[Dong Bang Shin Ki|DBSK]], 2PM, [[SHINee]], [[B2ST]], U-KISS, [[Super Junior]], etc. The [[Korean Pop Music|K-pop]] method usually consists of groups with [[Loads and Loads of Characters|a larger number of members]] than western equivalents and then subdividing them in smaller subgroups/"units" for expanded appeal and easier promotional efforts. Also, while borrowing the above archetypes for the members, K-pop bands tend to divide the members for position:
* '''The [[Face of the Band]]''': [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin]]. The most publicised member of the group, whenever for his actual abilities, his looks, or his popularity with fans. Usually overlaps with any of the positions below. Tends to be assigned the Hearthrob archetype. Some groups avoid having one appointed to keep an image of cohesive equality or groupal friendship.
* '''[[The Leader]]''': [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin]], the one who leads the group, heads the interviews, talks on stage, herds the rest of the members, and serves as an intermediary between the group and the agency. Usually the member that was a trainee the longest. If he isn't the actual [[Face of the Band]], he'll act as such on offstage matters. Generally acting under the Older Brother or the [[Sempai-Kohai|Sunbae]] archetypes.
* ''' The Center''': A less set position, he's the member on whom the current promotion is based on (if said position isn't an alternate name for being [[Face of the Band]]). Usually the lead vocalist or the most rounded-up member, tends to be the one who gets the most lines in songs.
* '''The Visual''': The official [[Mr. Fanservice]] of the band, the most attractive member under Korean beauty standards. Not necessarily the Face of the Band, albeit it sometimes overlaps.
* '''The Main/Lead/Sub Vocalist/Dancer/Rapper''': The Main specialist is always the best one of the group on said specialty, whenever rapping, singing or dancing. The Lead is usually the second best at it and tends to be put in the front lines. The Sub specialist is intended to be better at it than the non-specialist members, but still not as good as the ain or the Lead. Some groups formed from the mid-late 2010s onwards tend to not have these positions assigned as they intend to show that their members are pretty rounded or equally capable of singing, rapping ''and'' dancing.
* '''The ''Maknae''''': the youngest member of the group, on top of any other position he may already have. Usually directed to be [[Keet|the cutest and more childish]] member, but subversions do exist.
Boy bands are a major source of [[Real Person Fic]] (a subgenre called bandslash), where you basically have one of two types: Female OC woos band member, or the band members woo each other. In Japan the majority of RPF [[Doujinshi]] are bandslash.
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* Boyz II Men: Took NKOTB's place in the early-to-mid 90's, but had a more traditional R&B sound. Directly influenced many of the bands listed below.
* Color Me Badd: Similar to the aforementioned Take That/East 17 example, this group was more or less the "edgier" alternative to Boyz II Men. While they were less successful, they performed a similar-sounding New Jack Swing stlye and incorporating some rapped interludes.
* The [[Backstreet Boys]]: Notable for being the first of the 90's Boy Bands to throw off their previously mentioned large, intimidating boss.
* *N SYNC: Stood in the shadow of [[Backstreet Boys]] during the former's height of popularity, although they had one #1 Billboard single with "It's Gonna Be Me". Ironically, [[Justin Timberlake]]'s solo career has been more popular and critically loved than anything BSB or *N SYNC ever did.
* Boyzone: Irish boy band who took over from [[Take That (band)|Take That]] after their split and were hugely successful in the UK. Stephen Gately of the group was the first member of a really successful boy band to come out as gay.
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* [[Super Junior]], from Korea, is known for having a grand total of fifteen members (it depends on whether you ask the purists, those who are willing to accept the Chinese sub-members, or if you count the inactive members). Since debuting in 2005, they have broken records and pioneered a unit system for K-pop groups, in which members of the band were put together in smaller sub-groups catering to different fanbases.
* Mindless Behavior is a boy band. Fairly different from most on the list, in that they are all black, sing [[Rhythm and blues]] / [[Hip Hop]], and there's only 4 of them. They started out opening for acts like [[Janet Jackson]] before releasing "Mrs. Right" in 2011.
* [[One Direction]], the main sensation during the first half of [[The New Tens]]. Yet another boy band to come out of England,
* British group The Wanted have been around for the few years; after initial success in their native UK, they're starting to enjoy Stateside success as well, thanks in part to them being managed by [[Justin Bieber|Scooter Braun]].
* JLS, from England; like One Direction, they rose to popularity after their season of [[The X Factor]]. Much like 98 Degrees, though, they formed independently and initially auditioned for X Factor together.
* [[BTS (band)|BTS]], the current (as of early 2020s) international sensation from Korea. Debuted in 2013, this septet slowly gained fame
== Boy Band Parodies ==
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* The ''[[Josie and the Pussycats (film)|Josie and The Pussycats]]'' [[The Movie|movie]] featured a boy band called [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ica0S13BTh4&feature=related Dujour.] To make fun of the effeminate nature of many boy bands, their hit single was called "[[Does This Remind You of Anything?|Backdoor Lover]]". When they find out that their record label is putting [[Subliminal Advertising]] into their music, their manager (who isn't a big burly dude, but is instead an evil Alan Cumming) tries to have them killed by causing their plane to crash. {{spoiler|They survive, having managed to safely land the plane on their own... only to find that they had landed in the parking lot of an arena hosting a [[Metallica]] concert.}}
* ''[[Sons of Provo]]'', which takes the Boy Band idea (using just three, instead) and mixes it with the most humorously ironic thing possible: the Latter-Day Saint lifestyle. "Evercleen", as they called themselves, managed to lampoon several things in both worlds. Well worth seeing, if only for the strange fascination of the idea of an LDS "''boy band''"—or any other religious-pop act.
* In ''[[Turning Red]]'' there is the multiracial boy band 4*Town, whom the protagonist and all her friends are hardcore fans of. While in-universe they are played more straight than most examples here, the band itself is a mashup of boyband concepts from the 2000s, up to including a Korean member in representation of the Second Wave K-pop bands.
=== Live-Action TV ===
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{{reflist}}
[[Category:Always Male]]
[[Category:Music Tropes]]
[[Category:Boy Band]]
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