[Boy Band - General Discussion]

4 minutes ago, waving feather said:

I'm so biased but Drew is such a little star in that performance. I hardly noticed Chance in that, tbh. Loved how he was rapping along with Michael Connor. He's a total package.

I'm with you--he's adorable.

35 minutes ago, Spencer Hastings said:

I'm kind of surprised that Mikey didn't make it since America saved him almost every week.

VERY surprised that neither Jaden or Marcus made it.  I sadly never expected both but figured one black boy would make it.  They probably cancelled each other out. 

Yeah, I'm still really surprised that Sergio made it, because he seemed to fade, performance-wise, the last couple of weeks.  He was always good, but more solid than outstanding (I can't even hear Sergio on the recorded single--at least it doesn't sound like him when I compare it to the part he sang during the live show).  And he didn't seem to have the passionate fangirls that Mikey had.  But he did do a big push on social media last week, popping up in many of the other boys' Instagram videos, so maybe that helped put him ahead.

And while I think both Jaden and Marcus will still be able to pursue solo careers, I really wish one of them had made the band.  I know this topic is way too big for this thread, but I've been wondering how big a role race played in the voting.  It's too complicated to get into.  (And maybe I'm just sad because, while he got along with everyone, it seemed like Drew was especially close to Jaden and Marcus, so it's bittersweet that he won't have at least one of his buddies along for this ride.)

1 minute ago, Lyinfait said:

 There was a reason 2gether needed the rapping bad boy in the group.

OMG--2gether was so, so hilarious!  Thanks for reminding me of them! :)

[Boy Band - General Discussion]

I'm on the West Coast but had to spoil myself.  So happy for Drew, sad for Marcus, and surprised by Sergio (Mikey seemed to have more fans online).  But Sergio's a good singer, so that's good for the band, for however long they last.  He's back to wearing capris, though, on the single cover.  (It's such a funny picture--Chance looks like he's flying.)  The song itself is just okay (I've only heard clips of the live performance though)--it's not as catchy as "What Makes You Beautiful," even though the message is similar.  

55 minutes ago, soamused said:

Our kid's classmate (Michael Conor) made it in - guess he definitely won't be coming back for his senior year!

Aww, your kid must be so excited.  He seems like a nice guy.  All of the Top 8 seem pretty grounded and sweet.

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4 hours ago, soamused said:

 Maybe he can try Dancing with the Stars as well, since he seems to have some talent there!

Totally--if Nick Carter, Joey McIntyre, and Drew Lachey could do it (and did very well--I watched all of their seasons, that's how big of a boy band fan I am), Chance can, too.  (Heck, just let him cycle through all the ABC reality shows.)

Or, he could go into politics (watch until the end).  

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BSB is going to show them how it's done tonight.  Go Jaden--he's got the moves down! :)

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I'm not the biggest Chance fan but I do think he sounds good when he's harmonizing and doesn't have to belt.  It'll be interesting to compare the live version of "Eyes Closed" (which the winning boys are supposed to sing tonight) to the recorded single.  (I don't know how the boys will stay composed after finding out the results--everyone will have to be so gracious, which is hard enough as an adult, and these guys are so young.)

10 hours ago, soamused said:

And being a father and with life experiences that have made him a *man*, he gives a polished reality show interview answer about "perfect date" while the rest are boys giving teenage boy answers.

Heh, if the music thing doesn't work out, I can totally see Chance being The Bachelor one day.

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While we wait for the voting results, here's a vid that shows the boys at the beginning of the competition--it's fun to see how certain personalities already stood out back then (though it's hard not to be biased by our knowledge of the Top 8).  Strangely, Devin and Miles are missing from the lineup.

ETA: Interview vid. LOL, Chance's perfect date answer here is so polished, it's funny.  Marcus is (again) the most fun/natural at this press stuff.  

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I tried to predict the final five in the episode thread, but since the voting ended and I've been seeing people's reactions online, I'm not sure what to think anymore (though I agree that Chance is the only definite).  So instead, I'll post a rehearsal vid of the boys practicing for a number they'll do with Emma.

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On August 22, 2017 at 7:31 AM, soamused said:

I'm not concerned about chemistry - I think all the boys left are earnest and will work hard to make the chemistry happen after the competition is over.  Seems Devin was the last "loner" who didn't make many friends behind the scenes and was focused more on his individual performance than that of whatever group he was in.  

And, realistically - it's going to take an amazing single, a very pushy recording company that spends serious $$s, and very supportive radio stations for this band to survive past one song.  The ratings for this show are so low that unless the band starts touring with the Backstreet Boys as their opening act to grab some fans, or Timbaland calls in huge favors or produces songs for the band himself to lend some industry credibility and marketability, this boy band is going to last about one press cycle and be done.

That all makes sense--and in the end, all of the boys have benefited from the experience and exposure they gained from this show.  They'll hopefully have more opportunities after this. 

ETA: A couple more vids of the boys singing a cappella.  I wish they had done more of this on the show itself; it might have minimized the sound issues, with the band overpowering some of the boys.  They sound so much better this way.  (Then again, they still might have been drowned out by the audience's screaming.)  

Chance/Drew

Chance/Jaden/Mikey/Marcus (this one cracks me up, because they're in a bathroom, and there's a guy in the background trying to go about his business)

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53 minutes ago, waving feather said:

 I honestly don't see much onstage chemistry between him and the other boys.

The chemistry issue is why I wish the most recent episode had used a different format; simply hearing each boy solo doesn't show us who would sound good together and interact comfortably on stage.  It would have been nice to have the boys mix up one more time to hear some groupings that have never been put together; examples: Drew and Brady; Sergio and Jaden; Jaden and Marcus--all of these would have probably sounded great together (examples: Drew/Brady, Jaden/Marcus).

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On August 18, 2017 at 7:34 AM, waving feather said:

Why was Drew's song so short? I was with Nick, I wanted more! He made it look effortless because that song is quite a bitch to sing. The only criticism I would give him is to stop smiling so much. I know he's super pumped but that song is still a bittersweet one.

LOL, it was definitely funny to see him singing "It's a paradise, it's a war zone" with that big smile, and having his face hovering in that ghostly projection behind him made it all a little eerie.  But the lyrics for the song are pretty racy, so I wonder if the producers, who are trying to sell him as a "good boy you can take home to mom and dad," wanted him to smile to make the song less sexual.  I think that's what made Sergio's song a little weird for me, too--he sang it really well, but he had to sing lyrics like "Now my bedsheets smell of you," and it's just a little awkward to hear that coming from a 16-year-old!  So while he performed it smoothly, like you said, it came off as more cute than passionate.  It's a tricky line these boys have to walk: they have to be desirable without being too desirous.  Chance is probably the only one in the group who could have pulled off "Shape of You" without it sounding sketchy, but he went for the inspirational song.

 

On August 18, 2017 at 7:34 AM, waving feather said:

ETA: Chance and Drew have the most amount of likes on the official Boy Band twitter account for their posts and have the most views on YouTube.

Right now, the order of the solo videos from most to least views is Chance, Drew, Brady, Mikey, Michael, Sergio, Marcus, and Jaden.  I realize that number of views doesn't necessarily correlate with votes, but it makes me sad that Marcus and Jaden aren't as popular, because they're better singers/performers than some of the people ahead of them.  I can see Jaden being better off as a solo artist, but Marcus seems like the perfect fit for a boy band to me, so I'm hoping his fans were just too busy voting yesterday to watch the video!

[Boy Band - General Discussion]

5 hours ago, wonald said:

Jaden - why did they dress him in a spacesuit? Dafuq?

So funny!  The styling was really distracting for some of the guys: Jaden, Michael Conor, who had to wear a weird sparkly embellished hoodie/jacket, and Mikey in his bright red shoes (but at least Sergio didn't wear capris!). 

Yeah, I'm sick of Chance.  As soamused pointed out in the spoiler thread, he didn't need the pimp spot at all.  I wish he and Marcus had switched spots.  I think having to open the show got to Marcus; he seemed less confident and energetic than usual.  I really really hope he makes the band, but I'm afraid he didn't do enough tonight to wow people.  Hopefully all the architects' praise from the last couple episodes will stick in voters' minds.

Full disclosure: I was soooo thrilled when I found out what Drew's song was--my favorite Boy Band guy was doing a song by my favorite 1D guy!  I can't be objective about this at all; I thought he did great tonight, and I was so happy for him (though I wish NappyTabs hadn't taught him those cheesy microphone moves).    

I think that Chance, Michael, Brady, and Drew will make the band, but I'm having the hardest time figuring out who'll get the fifth slot.  I would LOVE for it to be Marcus or Jaden....but I'm worried it's going to be Mikey.  

[Boy Band - General Discussion]

An article on how to fix the show.  Lots of good points here.

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2 hours ago, soamused said:

I think Chance is the only "boy" popular enough to make the final 5 regardless of how, when, or what he performs.  I won't be surprised if he doesn't get the pimp spot since he's the only one who doesn't need it.  If I were tptb, I'd put him first since it won't hurt him at all.  If there were a boy who I really wanted in the band but who doesn't seem to have a strong online following, I'd put him last since he'd need the boost.

Great point--I wonder who it'll be....

2 hours ago, soamused said:

There seems to be very little mainstream interest in this show due to the low ratings; will be interesting to see if Timbaland or Hollywood Records has enough pull to get the band any radio play or tv/live performance opportunities.  I would love to be pleasantly surprised by some real success - it would be fun to watch that happen.  Maybe "Eyes Closed" will be an insanely catchy earworm and makes enough money and an impact for Hollywood Records to invest in the boy band as a real thing.

Maybe the music video (hopefully there will be one) will go viral?  If they want to cross-market, ABC has Disney to help promote the band and have them perform on certain shows.  I wonder, with 1D's members still very much in the news as solo stars, whether it'll just be too hard to "break out" as another boy band until Harry, Zayn, Niall, etc. completely fade.

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2 hours ago, soamused said:

I have been enjoying the performances each week - they're a good length, unlike some shows that truncate the songs to only a minute or so - and they've either ponied up or used their industry connections to get approval for some current songs so it's not all tired old songs that have been sung to death on other competition shows.  I hope with 8 performances they keep the songs at ~full-length; they should be able to manage it but they won't have much time for filler.

I'm impressed they got some current songs, too!  It's so rare for these shows to get these kind of songs cleared!  And even though Chance's selection is older, it's the perfect inspirational song that will move the audience (especially given the upheaval in the country right now, though I doubt Chance will say anything political tonight). It's also a higher-pitched song that will fit his voice and allow him to dance.  So unless he really stumbles, I have a feeling this song choice will cement his place in the Final Five (not that there was any doubt about that!).

My only worry is that the boys who chose slower songs won't have as much of an impact as the ones who chose uptempo songs that lend themselves to bigger production and more exciting choreography.  Hopefully their vocals will shine enough to help them stand out.  And I wonder if cute, adorable Brady is just too young to sing "I'm Not the Only One"--does he have the angst to pull off such plaintive lyrics about being cheated on?  (Or is that going to pull on everyone's heartstrings and get them to vote for him?)

I'm so glad there (hopefully) won't be too much filler.  More of the boys' music, less of Rita/the Architects chatting, please!

ETA: Another question: who will perform first/early in the show, and who will get the "pimp spot" and be the last one to perform (from American Idol-speak)?  That might tell us which singers the producers are really pulling for.  I'll be pleasantly surprised if Chance doesn't get the pimp spot....

[Boy Band - General Discussion]

What has been revealed on Boy Band ABC Instagram Stories so far:

Chance: "Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson

Mikey: "Chains" by Nick Jonas

Sergio: "Shape of You" by Ed Sheeran

Marcus: "Grenade" by Bruno Mars

Michael: "Can't Hold Us" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

Drew: "Pillowtalk" by Zayn Malik   

Brady: "I'm Not the Only One" by Sam Smith

Jaden: "Skyscraper" by Demi Lovato

Finally--songs that fit their voices and will allow them to show personality!  Yay!  Speculate away!

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The show released "glamour shots" of all of the Top 8, and I feel like Marcus is the only one who looks natural here (maybe because he's the only one really smiling).  I don't like the jacket poor Sergio is wearing.  Brady doesn't look like himself--I think it's the straight/slick hair they're trying to foist on him.  Mikey looks startled in his pic.

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On August 12, 2017 at 6:38 AM, Nessie said:

You think so?  I thought it was easily the worst song of the night.  I thought everyone was off key throughout the song, even Jaden.  But then, I kind of feel very few people should ever sing a Sia song except for Sia.

I have to admit that I'm super biased toward Drew, so that might have affected my judgment!  

37 minutes ago, soamused said:

And yes, one of the older boys is my kid's classmate, and yes, I laugh at him. 

I'm dying to know which contestant you know, though I understand that you probably don't want to reveal who it is.  Once the finale's over, it'd be great to hear if he made the final five and how the show depicted him vs. how he is at home.  

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The ratings for the show are pretty dismal....

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11 minutes ago, wonald said:

They are not allowed to reveal what songs they are singing for their solos this wk. I saw Andrew Butcher rehearsing singing Journey's "Open Arms" a few weeks ago on someone's IG so it's probably something they all do.

Thanks--good to know!

[Boy Band - General Discussion]

An Instagram video showed Jaden rehearsing Demi Lovato's "Skyscraper" with the Boy Band musicians.  If that's his solo, it makes me wonder just how much leeway the guys have in choosing their songs.  As on shows like American Idol and The Voice, there's probably a pre-approved/pre-cleared list they have to choose from, so they might not be able to pick songs that reflect their own styles/tastes.  While I have no doubt Jaden will do well on "Skyscraper," it doesn't really feel "boyband-y" to me (so it's like most of the songs they've had to sing on this show!).  I just hope we'll get to see some fun, upbeat numbers in addition to the serious inspirational songs and love songs.  (And will anyone dance during their solo? I hope so!)

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6 hours ago, Spencer Hastings said:

What was up with Nick storming off stage when they announced that Sergio was staying?  I thought that he'd JUST told Devin that it wasn't all about Devin....and here he was jumping out of his chair so fast that it spun in his dust when he didn't get his way. 

Nick in general grates my nerves on this show. I watch because he's on it and I'm entering my third decade of loving boy bands, but I want to punch him in the face when he's lecturing these boys about being exactly like he's been since 1997*. I would say he's learned from his mistakes but he's still out here being Nick.

 

*I do appreciate that he seems to look out for the young ones.  He always mentions their innocence and wanting to maintain that.  I don't think anyone thought to do that for him and that makes my heart hurt.  If Brady doesn't make it, it'll be because Nick wants to protect him.

I was surprised that Sergio survived, too; Devin has a massive following online.  I think that's why Nick strode off after the vote--he was so nervous that Devin would stay over Sergio that he was overwhelmed and had to go collect himself/let off steam.  As self-important as he can be, I do have a soft spot for Nick--he's been through a lot (his whole family has).  

I wonder if the producers ultimately want Brady to stay so they can recreate some of the "boy band/girl group archetypes" that make these bands accessible to a wide range of fans (the Baby, the Heartthrob, the Sweetheart, the Older Brother, etc.).  Is Chance the Heartthrob (which is what Nick called him when he was teaching them the "boy band poses"), or is he the Older Brother (since he's already a father and has made a big deal out of being responsible and nurturing)?  Or is Marcus the Older Brother, since they've shown his younger sibling on the show and had him talk about taking care of his family?  I wonder if the most popular boys are also the ones who fit certain roles: Chance, Michael (he's the closest to a "Bad Boy" with his "edgy" rapping, LOL), Brady.  If Devin had stayed, he'd be the Joker.  Maybe the Architects put Sergio up because they're unsure what "role" he could play?

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5 hours ago, waving feather said:

Every boy band needs a "Brian Littrell" and that is Drew....

Right now the ideal band would be Drew, Mikey, Marcus, Sergio (but he needs to get rid of the ugly pants), Jaden.

:) Yes, Drew is the Brian/JC/Dan/Liam who quietly makes the song sound good while Nick/Justin/Ashley/Harry gets all the attention.  (Though, I have to say, I do end up loving the "bad boy"/AJ/Zayn most of all.  There's really no "bad boy" in the Boy Band cast, though.)

And your hate for Sergio's pants will always make me laugh.

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13 hours ago, Lyinfait said:

I'm surprised the architects didn't put Chance up against Devin to ensure his ousting.

Based on vocals, they should have put Chance up against Devin--I still find Chance's voice thin and grating, but he's so clearly the show/fan favorite.  To his credit, he does have stage presence and can dance, and he carries himself well in the interviews/pre-performance packages.  I think the producers are grooming him to be the "face"/leader of the band.

So glad Devin's gone; he was clearly the worst singer left, and he was such a camera-hog at times.  It's weird that they put Sergio up, though--I thought he sounded fine and that the problem was really the song arrangement, which took all the drama/bite out of "Edge of Glory."  There was no way for Sergio to "break out" with such a limp version of this song.  The person I was watching with turned to me during this performance and said, "This sounds like KidzBop"--which made me laugh because it was such a perfect way of putting it. 

"Titanium" sounded great because Drew and Jaden are so, so strong; while Mikey seemed a little uncertain at first, he did well in his part of the bridge.  This was the best vocal performance of the night, but I worry that it was overshadowed by the "cooler" production/choreography/rapping of the "Fighter" number.

4 hours ago, waving feather said:

I can't believe I am now sort of invested in this show when I only started watching this for fun. I am way too old for this but damn it Drew is really good. He has been carrying his groups for the past few weeks.

I totally agree; he comes through every time.  I really hope he makes it.  Drew's not as flashy as some of the others, but his voice is always clear and sure, and he always serves the song.

I wonder how big a factor the judging will be next week--with all eight remaining guys singing solos, will there be enough time for critiques?  And even if there is time, will the judges even bother saying anything negative, since that could lead to backlash, with voters trying desperately to "save" a weaker singer?

ETA: 

I don't think the guys in "Third Wheel" know what "Third Wheel" means--it has a negative connotation, doesn't it?  How does it work as a boy band name?

[Boy Band - General Discussion]

Groups for this week (Updated with assigned songs):

Brady, Sergio, Devin: "Edge of Glory"

Drew, Mikey, Jaden: "Titanium"

Chance, Marcus, Michael Conor: "Fighter"

Looks like they want to ensure that Devin and Mikey stick out as the weak singers in their groups, while Marcus is "protected" by being grouped with the very popular Chance and Michael Conor.

Edited to add:

I really wanted to hear Jaden and Drew sing "Fighter," but it makes sense that they'd be given "Titanium," since they both have the range and power for it (Mikey might struggle).  I just wish Drew didn't have to sing another David Guetta song--he's mostly sung romantic/yearning songs so far, and I would have liked to have seen how he'd do with a "grittier" number like "Fighter" (though, who knows if "grit" will matter for the songs the eventual band will sing).  Chance, Marcus, and Michael should do fine on "Fighter,"--it's not as demanding in terms of range, and they'll get to win more fangirls over by doing "tough" poses (LOL).  

The group that feels ill-served here is Sergio, Brady, and Devin.  Sergio and Brady can definitely sing, but their voices are more smooth/pretty than "belt-y," and with Devin's pitch-trouble, this song could go off the rails fast (I hope I'm wrong, though, for Sergio and Brady's sake). 

Only one singer will be eliminated this week, and the Top 8 will each sing solo next week for America to vote on the Final Five.  It's weird that the final vote is based on solo performances, since we're supposed to figure out which combo would work best as a band, but then, this show has never really made sense....  Any predictions?

 

Edited again on 8/13: AfterBuzz didn't reveal any spoilers this week, so nothing to report yet in terms of solo songs....

[Boy Band - General Discussion]

13 hours ago, waving feather said:

Yes. It's fugly. He's already not the tallest boy but that makes him look shorter. I don't want him to make the final band just for that superficial reason. LOL.

LOL, poor Sergio; the capris worked for 1D in their "preppy" phase, but they look really awkward on these guys (Jaden's had to wear them, too).  I really haven't liked the clothes on the show except for when the guys were all in suits for "Earned It."  

Speaking of 1D, now that they've petered out and are all pursuing solo careers, Simon Cowell has a new boy band ramping up, Pretty Much.  They can harmonize (and it's interesting that they're singing some of the same covers that the Boy Band guys have done), and they can dance.  While they're still wobbly singing live, their choreography is more complicated than what we've seen on Boy Band so far.  They won't have the benefit of a TV show for promotion, but I can see them being stiff competition for the eventual Boy Band winners (especially if we end up with a Chance/Devin/Mikey/Michael/OneGoodSinger group).