Fans Stuff
This info was send in by Neil Papa
I know what all of you may be thinking. How could somebody say that on a
Backstreet Boys website, right? Well, I will tell you why I have said this.
I believe that the Backstreet Boys are not a “boy band”, and that they are
a wonderful singing group. I have written this article to tell you that
they are not a “boy Band” and I hope you change your opinion on whether or
not they are a boy band.
First of all when I think of Boy Bands I think of New Kids on the Block.
When I was young I remembered all of the hype that went around them. All of
the screaming girls and of the merchandise that went along with them. The
posters, shirts, and the whole nine yards. I hate the fact that people
include BSB under that category of “Boy Band”. They may all look good and
have a bunch of screaming young fans, but they have much more than that.
First of all the BSB have talent, they have the talent to sing. They also
have the drive to sing, dance and perform for their fans. The BSB can also
dance really great, that is due to the fact that they have a great
choreographer, Fatima Robinson.
I don’t think of the Backstreet Boys when I here the phrase boy bands. “Boy
Bands” are just a bunch of guys who sing and dance and aren’t that really
good at it. Also, all of the members have to be cute. Plus, the most
important thing is that they appeal to the “teeny-boppers”, who make up most
of their audience. They are those young girls between ten and thirteen who
yell and scream over any person, actor, singer, or group who is on those
“teeny-bopper” magazines, such as Bopp. Boy Bands have fans that love them
mostly for their looks. That philosophy doesn’t apply to the Backstreet
Boys. They have the music sales or record sales to prove it. If people
just liked them for the looks they should just buy the posters and T-shirts.
BSB have sold over 35 million records worldwide and have sold over fifteen
million in the United States alone. With their US debut album reaching ten
million sales, they received the Diamond Award. They broke Garth Brooks
record for the most records sold in a week. The boys’ “Millennium” went
gold in one day and after selling 1.13 million albums in the first week went
platinum. That much fan power could not be the work of just
“teeny-boppers”. That would include many adults and other younger people
who enjoy that kind of music, like ballads and some more upbeat, harder
hitting songs. BSB have their own sound that many people enjoy. They sing
many kinds of music. Besides their usual love song they have a few dance
songs. The most known is “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)”. They have a song
with a good message such as “Roll with It”, and “The Perfect Fan”, which is
song dedicated to their moms. They also have some songs that you would
never expect them to sing, like “Don’t Want You Back”, which is the exact
opposite of what you would usually expect from them. “Larger Than Life” was
written for their fans. It thanks them for their support. It shows that
they appreciate their fans and that they would take time to write it. I
have known as a fact that their music is for everybody. I know many adults
who listen to it. I also know some male fans. They enjoy BSB music and say
that they are very talented.
They are not only great singing artists, but great performers as well.
Along with their great live singing voices they are great dancers. On their
“Live in Orlando” concert they showed lots of great moves and sang with
their wonderful variety of voices. In every award performance they always
have really up-beat and energized feeling. Just recently the MTV Video
Music Awards, in which they performed IWITW and “Larger than Life” which was
dope. Everything about the whole performance was great. The transition
between the songs, the dance break… everything!!! Their performance got the
loudest response from the audience, you can hear them cheering. I just
can’t wait to see them live on stage in concert on October 14 at the Pond.
They also won the Viewer’s Choice Award, which is probably the most
meaningful and wanted award. Good job everybody who voted!!! They deserve
the award.
Many people criticize on how BSB just sing and dance, and don’t play
instruments. They are a pop group and/or an Adult Contemporary group. They
are in those types of genre of music. They can be identified as both since
they are played on both kinds of stations. They don’t usually play their
own instruments. Many R&B and Pop artists don’t play their own instruments
and they aren’t criticized, and are respected very much, so why can’t
everybody respect BSB? But, there is something they should know, it is that
BSB can play their own instruments. They can play like a band, but they
seem to prefer signing and dancing and having a band play for them. If you
have seen their “Live in Orlando’ concert on PPV or on video, I am sure you
have seen them play instrument and you have seen them play it well. Their
music is different from other pop, because they have a certain sound. That
is what attracts many different kinds of people to their music. I also
would like to add that their music is very enjoyable by all kinds of people,
from young to old, people of all races, and both female, and even male. I
myself am a male BSB fan and I am proud of it!!! I find it surprising when
people tell me that I am the first male fan that they have met when I go
into the chat rooms. When I tell them that I am a fan they are astonished
and think that I am cool. I don’t feel special though, cause I am just a
normal guy who likes to listen to BSB. I feel that there are many other
male fans out there and most just hide it to prevent any ridicule from
friends and/or classmates.
BSB are more than singers and dancers, and even more than instrument
players. They are also behind the scenes people. They have had trouble
with their management for sometime. They wanted more say in they way things
were run. With Johnny and Donna Wright they felt like they had no freedom
so they fought against their management and got a new one, The Firm. They
are much happier now. They also write and co-write some of their songs.
Brian has written “That’s What She Said’ and “The Perfect Fan” and Kevin
wrote “Back To Your Heart”. BSB have also done vocal arrangements on some
of their songs.
BSB are very humble people. Their fame has grown and they still stay the
same people they were five years ago. They keep it real. They don’t change
their image to stay along with the current trends. They don’t act like
people that they are not. They also don’t keep the fame for themselves.
They still stay close to God and thank him for giving them the chance to do
what they are doing. I like that. They also give back to the community.
They had a benefit concert to help the victims of the hurricanes that hit
Florida last year. They also have started medical charities, Brian has a
Heart Foundation, and Howie has a foundation for Lupus. BSB are very caring
people.
BSB are not a fad. They have been together for over six years now. They
have struggled to get to where they are. It took some time but they have
become popular artists. They are now a household name. I don’t think that
a group that has sold over 15 million albums is a fad. If you mention their
name most people should know who they are. Instead of saying, “who is
that?” or “who are they?” they will say, “Yeah I have heard of them”. I
believe that BSB will stay together for a long time. They have been very
popular here in the US for over two years now and even longer everywhere
else around the world.
Many of the BSB “haters”, as most of us call them, just don’t understand.
They may hate them because they don’t listen to the style of music that BSB
have. But, that shouldn’t mean that they should hate BSB or other pop
groups. And just because we don’t like rock or alternative music or their
kind of bands such as Korn or Limp Bizkit, that doesn’t mean we should hate
them either. Both groups of music fans should just learn to either
appreciate and respect the other artists or just not say anything at all.
There is no need to put down any kind of artists. Everybody is a music fan;
it is just that it isn't the same kind of music. Hey I like BSB and I am
into Limp Bizkit, and there is nothing wrong with that. The critics, on the
other hand, have stereotyped BSB as a “boy band” and that is how the rest of
the media or public has viewed them. But, as I have said before many adults
do listen to them. They won an award from Billboard for best Adult
Contemporary Artist. I don’t think that would qualify them as a “boy band”,
it would qualify them as a pop group and even an adult contemporary group.
I doubt many adults listened to NKOTB, right? They should receive as much
respect as any other artist and not be criticized and called a boy band.
They will be in the music scene longer than their expected shelf life for a
“boy band”, which they are not! I know that they will continue to write and
sing more wonderful songs in the future, well beyond the beginning of the
new “Millennium”.
What I have told you explains to you why the Backstreet Boys are not a boy
band and it also sort of explains why I am fan.
KEEP THE BACKSTREET PRIDE ALIVE!!!! FOREVER!!!!
Fans' Opinions And Self-Written Articles
Backstreet Boys Are Not My Favorite Boy Band!
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