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Boy Band - General Discussion

Meredith Quill

By Meredith Quill
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waving feather

waving feather

3 hours ago, soamused said:

Can't they come up with some funny band rituals or something?  Handshakes?  Chest bumps?  Even fake rituals? 

Exactly. Don't they have a PR person to guide them on making up fun standard answers? I'm sure all PR personnel have FAQs that can be shared with their artists to prep. Their image is kiddy, their interviews are dull, their vocals are just passable and their songs are generic. They have no chance unless they completely change things up.

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wonald
wonald

To me, the worst singer left is Mikey. I can't stand that kind of affected, unenunciated, runny type of singing. It's nails on the chalkboard. It also doesnt help that he looks like a 30 yr old hispan

Spencer Hastings
Spencer Hastings

They broke up in 2004, regrouped in 2014 without Ashley Angel, released an album, did a few tours, I may or may not have gone to 7 of those shows, they did a kickstarter for another album that was fun

HelloPenguin
HelloPenguin

I already bought the song. I'm too old to be stanning a boy band, but here we are. 

alrightokay

alrightokay

This Friday, IRL have a radio interview/performance in Colorado Springs as well as a separate meet and greet in Denver (on Chance's birthday, so they should expect to load lots of gifts into the van!).

5 hours ago, soamused said:

They sound like they crammed for the test, are still a little unprepared, and are a little terrified of failing.

You put it perfectly; what a vivid (and poignant) analogy.  I'm rooting for them, too, but it's getting harder to these days, when they don't seem to be improving in their interviews or their performances.  The best I can say about them is that they're "nice"--they're very earnest and eager to please, and they try very hard to do things "correctly".  But as a result, they also come across as timid and stilted.  And it seems like they've tried to "tame" the randomness/goofiness that Brady and Drew sometimes showed in their earliest interviews, so there's very little energy now when they answer questions.  They just seem to be robotically going through the "everyone must speak at least once" routine.  It could be that they feel stifled by their Disney image.  In any case, they need media training so they're smoother and more confident and engaging (it's not clear if they got any media training during this "boot camp").  Let's see how they do in this next round of promo.

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soamused

soamused

On 11/8/2017 at 11:36 PM, alrightokay said:

The best I can say about them is that they're "nice"--they're very earnest and eager to please, and they try very hard to do things "correctly".  But as a result, they also come across as timid and stilted.  

They do seem like a nice group of boys.  But they aren't visually or vocally entertaining enough to get away with being merely earnest and boring in interviews.  I think they need to be fun, energetic, and charming/funny in interviews in order to drum up some enthusiasm to play their music or ask them to perform.  Or they need to be more fun and energetic in their performances.  They're too safe in their interviews, and in their performances, to be interesting.  If I hadn't gotten to "know" them on tv over those summer weeks, I can't imagine why I'd pay any attention to them if I came across them for the first time now.

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alrightokay

alrightokay

(edited)

Another Christmas tree lighting, this Sunday at the Grove in LA.
IRL performed at two high schools in Colorado today and debuted a new cover, "Havana" by Camila Cabello.  They also switched Brady and Sergio's parts in "Eyes Closed" (maybe because Brady's sick).  No clear full videos yet, but here's a clip of "Havana"--Michael plays violin!

ETA: Are my ears deceiving me, or is that Jaden's voice in the first line of this promo for American Idol?

ETA2: Brady starred in a movie, The Rocket, before he did Boy Band.   It's been in post-production and will be released in 2018; here's the film's Instagram, which provides links to various stills, clips, and BTS stuff (IRL pops up a couple times).

ETA3: IRL visited the Colorado Springs radio station tonight; on their Facebook, the station posted a video of the guys singing TWIL, "Havana," and "I'll Be Home for Christmas" as well as a video of their radio interview that includes all the during-the-song chatter.  (Hmm, I think "Havana" still needs work....)

Edited by alrightokay
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waving feather

waving feather

Say NO to dancing, IRL! You aren't made for it. 

Some partial HQ live recorded videos of their performance at the Grove LA:

I'll Be Home For Christmas (I'm glad they performed this Christmas song instead of their single Feel This Christmas because the latter is so bland.)

Eyes Closed (It's nice that they had a live band behind them. They really should start investing in a backup band; it makes them look and sound more professional.)

Drew's voice is still my favorite. :)

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alrightokay

alrightokay

(edited)

In an IG Live today, Chance confirmed that IRL are attending the AMAs but not performing (at 19:37, if the timestamp doesn't work.  BTW, that's Drew singing/talking in the background).

Also, not clear how legit this is (supposed to be from Brady's mom), but IRL might have some higher-profile appearances coming up.

 

ETA: PrettyMuch is no longer performing at the KIIS Jingle Ball; not clear why they cancelled, but this is good news for IRL, because PM's tour performances have been so much more dynamic (the dance break during the rap in the last link is killer), IRL would have paled in comparison.  (And I'm saying this as an IRL fan--they just aren't there yet!)

Edited by alrightokay
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alrightokay

alrightokay

(edited)

IRL did some pre-AMAs press yesterday.  Here are a couple radio interviews:

with B96 Chicago.

with Westwood One.

They also did an interview with ABC15 this morning to promote their performance at the Christmas tree lighting tonight.  No full video yet, though.

ETA: Interview with Xfinity.

ETA 2: Clip of FTC from the Christmas tree lighting in Arizona.  (LOL at Sergio's stage banter.)

Edited by alrightokay
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soamused

soamused

I think they should focus on their two holiday songs for now and have a new single ready to go in January.  Better choreo isn't enough to fix EC, they should probably fix the song itself - they did that a bit by updating the rap but Brady's lyrics are still awful.

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alrightokay

alrightokay

10 hours ago, soamused said:

I think they should focus on their two holiday songs for now and have a new single ready to go in January.  Better choreo isn't enough to fix EC, they should probably fix the song itself - they did that a bit by updating the rap but Brady's lyrics are still awful.

Agreed--it'a time to move on from EC.  

Here's the video for "I'll Be Home."  I have to admit that I'm underwhelmed by it.  The guys look nice, but there isn't too much going on here....

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waving feather

waving feather

(edited)

Finally some decent quality videos of their performances at Christmas tree lighting in Arizona:

Eyes Closed - The choreo made me laugh and laugh but the boys try so hard.

I'll Be Home  - I like how joyful Sergio and Drew looked performing.

Some interviews from the red carpet at AMAs:

Afterbuzz TV - smart of them to whip out "I'll Be Home" a cappella whenever they can.

Clevver News

Edited by waving feather
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soamused

soamused

(edited)

I don't know if any of these appearances are going to do much for them in terms of radio play or high profile performances and exposure.  I think they need to do some interesting things online and hope that something goes viral.  A lot of the younger pop stars were "discovered" after gaining huge online followings, like Shawn Mendes.  It can happen quickly but there needs to be something interesting in order to catch fire.  IRL needs to post some actually *entertaining* and compelling stuff to show that they are more than an amateurish artificially constructed boy band.

Because that is how they are coming off to me, as struggling to cross over from amateurish.  Their performances and interviews are still a little awkward.  I only checked Michael's twitter, and he has pinned on top a pretty amateurish performance with hometown friends.  Really?  I'm guessing that's his way of showing he's a legitimate musician but it's just so very amateurish.

And I just watched the Christmas video - which is a decent rendition but Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.  Are there teenagers who want to put something like that on repeat?  Yet another cover of a song so old that freaking Bing Crosby made it famous?  What was the point of recording an *original* poppy holiday song if they weren't going to pimp it?

The kid and I watched the AMAs last night and I could just not imagine our boys performing on a big stage yet.  They need to be working full-time on singing, dancing, interviewing - everything.  And they should post a video online every few weeks, of their performing a cover - but in a way that shows who they are, that they intend to be more than a Disney boy band.  They need to step away from the covers they performed on the show, and start defining an identity and style by choosing new songs to cover while they work on new originals.  They need to stop coming across as an awkward made-up band and start entertaining like a real band.

Edited by soamused
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alrightokay

alrightokay

Yes, @soamused--I agree with everything you said in your post; you summed up their situation perfectly.

IRL will be on TRL this Thursday, Nov. 30.  They're also releasing an acoustic version of EC on Friday, Dec. 1.  This makes me wonder what song(s) they'll perform on TRL--I'm not sure why they're still promoting EC when they still have the FTC video to release during this holiday season.  I really wish they'd perform and release that new song they previewed in that IG snippet.  I'm eager to hear a different sound from them.... 

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alrightokay

alrightokay

(edited)

IRL carried themselves well on TRL.  After a quick interview (swipe/click for two parts), they played a "Most Likely To" game and then performed a mashup of EC and their new song, "Tattoo."  I hope they perform the whole "Tattoo" tomorrow at the Jingle Ball--I like it already!

ETA: The MTV clip cut off before showing this, but the guys were so happy after their performance they did a sweet group hug.

Also, in their IG Live last night, IRL confirmed that they will be on Good Morning America on Dec. 27.

Edited by alrightokay
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alrightokay

alrightokay

2 minutes ago, soamused said:

This Disney holiday show is genuinely painful for me to watch. I need the boys to perform soon - not sure I can hang on for much longer.

LOL, thanks for hanging in there!  :)  I'm on the West Coast, so it's not on here yet, and I'll just end up watching the clip that will get posted on IG or YT anyway.  So thanks for putting up with the whole show--I'm eager to hear your thoughts on that performance and also how they did on TRL!

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soamused

soamused

(edited)

I've got the show on mute - it's much more tolerable this way. Will bring back the sound when the boys show up - assuming I haven't missed them already.  Looks like they are on the second half.

Eta:  Our boys perform at ~10:10 p.m.  They were fine - not any cheesier than anyone else on this massive cheese-fest, but not any less cheesy either.  I hope they didn't have a second song because I just couldn't keep it going.  I don't know what the demo for this show is.  Maybe 5 year olds and their grandmothers?  It's just so very Disney.  I don't know if IRL gained many new fans tonight.  Not because they didn't come across well, but because of the very nature of this show and its audience.

Edited by soamused
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soamused

soamused

(edited)
4 hours ago, alrightokay said:

IRL carried themselves well on TRL.  After a quick interview (swipe/click for two parts), they played a "Most Likely To" game and then performed a mashup of EC and their new song, "Tattoo."  I hope they perform the whole "Tattoo" tomorrow at the Jingle Ball--I like it already!

ETA: The MTV clip cut off before showing this, but the guys were so happy after their performance they did a sweet group hug.

Also, in their IG Live last night, IRL confirmed that they will be on Good Morning America on Dec. 27.

I have no objectivity when it comes to EC - I think they look a little more comfortable performing it, but I have no idea.  I liked the short snippet of Tattoo - it sounds much less Disney and more like a real pop song.  I hope we hear the whole thing soon.  Their hug was cute.  They need to let down their hair more and embrace their bro-ness - maybe they should have an uninhibited, genuine, joyous pre- or post- performance ritual.  Maybe that would make them come across as more fun and a little less too-earnest and stiff.

Edited by soamused
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alrightokay

alrightokay

(edited)
3 hours ago, soamused said:

They were fine - not any cheesier than anyone else on this massive cheese-fest, but not any less cheesy either. 

Hee, the cheese is strong with these Disney shows.  Here's the clip.  They sounded good, I thought, even if they didn't really blow everyone away.  They also sang "Feel This Christmas" that day, but that performance won't air until tomorrow night as part of the Disney Channel Holiday Celebration (8:30 p.m. start).  I agree with you that doing these kid/family-oriented shows isn't going to help IRL to break out.  Hopefully, their TRL and Jingle Ball performances will bring them some attention.

Also, here's the official acoustic "Eyes Closed."  It's nice hearing the boys without autotune and good to have Sergio officially in the mix.  I wonder why they kept the "Holy Smokes" rap, since Michael's revised rap was well-received.  This was such an unnecessary release, though.  I would have preferred to get the studio version of "Tattoo" as a fun surprise.  (Maybe they didn't want their new single to compete with PrettyMuch's new single, "No More," which also dropped today.  BTW, PM withdrew from the Jingle Ball because they had to travel to London to perform on The X Factor UK this Saturday.)

2 hours ago, soamused said:

They need to let down their hair more and embrace their bro-ness - maybe they should have an uninhibited, genuine, joyous pre- or post- performance ritual.  Maybe that would make them come across as more fun and a little less too-earnest and stiff.

I think the Disney connection is what's keeping them from speaking and performing more freely; they have to be so clean-cut and "safe."  I mean, they had Chance wearing that stuffy-looking tie in that IBH performance--he truly looked like a "dad" there, rather than a "bro."  It's not that I want them to be all "edgy," either; that would come off as forced (can you imagine Brady being "edgy"?).  I just wish they could be themselves, even if they come across as quirky or dorky or weird; at least that'd be more interesting than the blandness they project most of the time.

I also wish they were doing a lot more Jingle Ball shows around the country; that would really expose them to pop radio audiences and allow them to network with more seasoned performers.  Since that doesn't seem to be happening, then I hope that the eventual "Tattoo" video is really fun, eye-catching, and intriguing.  They have to learn from the missteps of the EC video (bad choreo, bad styling, bad lighting, no storyline to draw audiences in, and--the one I'll never forgive--really BAD HAIR for Drew, LOL).  "Tattoo" is sort of a "fresh start" for them; I hope they make the most of it!

Edited by alrightokay
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alrightokay

alrightokay

(edited)

The boys are spending another day in Georgia, performing Monday at a radio station toy drive in Augusta.  

In the meantime, here are videos from their performance Saturday night at the Radio Disney holiday concert:

That's What I Like

Tattoo (Drew does a new ad-lib at the end.)

Feel This Christmas 

I'll Be Home for Christmas

Eyes Closed

ETA: The first night of the Columbus Jingle Jam (Wednesday) got cancelled because the headliner Zedd backed out, so IRL won't be performing there after all.  The tickets can be refunded, but I feel for the fans who booked transportation and bought/prepared gifts for the guys.

Edited by alrightokay
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soamused

soamused

20 hours ago, alrightokay said:

Tattoo (Drew does a new ad-lib at the end.)

Thanks for the links.  This is the first time I've seen/heard the full Tattoo.  It feels like a song Bieber could have sung - but when he was 16.  I say this as the parent of a kid who has enjoyed all incarnations of Bieber, so sounding like a Bieber song is not a diss ... except I think Bieber would have sung it better than our boys.  I am still having trouble watching/listening to Brady.  He is giving off major poseur vibes for me - not quite verging on parody like Devin, but heading in that direction.

Of the three originals, I'm finding FTC most watchable/listenable, and I think that's because Brady is the least jarring in it.   

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alrightokay

alrightokay

(edited)
On December 11, 2017 at 7:39 PM, soamused said:

I am still having trouble watching/listening to Brady.  He is giving off major poseur vibes for me - not quite verging on parody like Devin, but heading in that direction.

Maybe it's because of his stage musicals background, but Brady tends to exaggerate his facial expressions and dance moves; he makes them "bigger" than they need to be.  It comes across as if he's trying too hard.  I can't remember if I've said this before, but it seems like he's "acting" the part of a pop singer, rather than just singing and dancing as himself.  He's more natural during interviews, when he can chatter away happily; that's where he helps the band out the most.

Sidenote: Here's a short (kind of throw-away) interview from the LA Jingle Ball in which IRL and Why Don't We talk about their worst Christmas gifts.  Sergio's final line is cute.

ETA: A couple more videos:

An interview with iHollywood.

A Christmas-themed "Would You Rather" game.

Edited by alrightokay
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alrightokay

alrightokay

On December 11, 2017 at 7:39 PM, soamused said:

He is giving off major poseur vibes for me - not quite verging on parody like Devin, but heading in that direction.

Funny you should mention Devin--he just released a music video for his single, "Nothing Else Matters."

IRL were part of a Justine Magazine segment on "Giving back at the holidays."  (Ugh, this was filmed when they were wearing their worst outfits ever.)

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alrightokay

alrightokay

(edited)

Mikey, Jaden, Marcus, and Camry are in the process of forming their own band; they'll be performing as Charlie Puth's back up singers tonight on the Voice.

ETA: Marcus posted a pic of the new crew with Charlie Puth; here's video of their performance.  I've gotta say, it's nice seeing these guys again.  (LOL, one performance in and they're already better dancers than IRL.)

IRL interview with YSBNow before their Roxy show.

Edited by alrightokay
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soamused

soamused

5 hours ago, alrightokay said:

Mikey, Jaden, Marcus, and Camry are in the process of forming their own band; they'll be performing as Charlie Puth's back up singers tonight on the Voice.

ETA: Marcus posted a pic of the new crew with Charlie Puth; here's video of their performance.  I've gotta say, it's nice seeing these guys again.  (LOL, one performance in and they're already better dancers than IRL.)

Good for the boys - I like Puth, and it helps that they are singing/dancing to a better song than IRL's single.

I watched the Voice for the first time this season because of Noah Mac - a really talented soulful young artist who pretty much puts all the boy band contestants to shame.  

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alrightokay

alrightokay

18 hours ago, soamused said:

I watched the Voice for the first time this season because of Noah Mac - a really talented soulful young artist who pretty much puts all the boy band contestants to shame.  

I had seen some buzz about Noah online but didn't check him out until now because of your rec--wow, what a deep, rich voice he has!

IRL interview with Total Access Pass.

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soamused

soamused

(edited)

It's entirely possible that he did.  I can't imagine him in a boy band though - he's got a very mature voice for a teenager.

Eta:  he wasn't in the top 30 - I found pics and names for all of those.  How many boys did they start off with?

Edited by soamused
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alrightokay

alrightokay

1 hour ago, soamused said:

Someone put all of Noah's Voice clips into one file for viewing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FUASCDT6cEayhVklHoYJq0e-iG4XgeMk/view).

Thanks for this link--I'm really impressed by him!  I especially liked his "River" performance and his Bastille duet.  You're right that he wouldn't fit into a boy band (LOL, I can't imagine him singing/dancing to "Eyes Closed"--it doesn't seem like he'd even want to).  It worked out better for him that he didn't make it far on BB and got much more exposure on The Voice.  

And yes, the IRL guys are on a break for the holiday--their next performance is Dec. 27 on Good Morning America.

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soamused

soamused

(edited)
On 12/18/2017 at 10:57 AM, alrightokay said:

It's a week before Christmas--when will the FTC video come out?  

Has anyone heard either of their Christmas songs on the radio?  We listen to holiday songs during our commute and haven't heard IRL once.

The EC video has only 1.4M views after 3 months, and the first Christmas video only 152K views.  For perspective, videos trending on youtube typically hit >1M in less than a day.

I can't find any IRL songs on any streaming or sales charts.  I don't understand the point of FTC if they can't get it any sort of radio play and if they aren't releasing the video.  

Is IRL at least doing well on Radio Disney?  Do many people listen to that?

I hope after the holidays there will be a big push for more visible appearances.  Also that the boy get a lot of work in so that they have new songs and more polished and comfortable performances.

Edited by soamused
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alrightokay

alrightokay

I haven't heard any of their songs on the radio, and I don't listen to Radio Disney, so I don't know how much IRL is played there.  But a fan did find this post with news of the eventual "Tattoo" release as well as a list of IRL's accomplishments since being formed.  I don't know how legit this is, as I can't find the original post on that company's IG, but it does say that "Eyes Closed" went to #3 on the Radio Disney countdown (I'm not sure how big an audience that translates to, though).  

I have no idea why they haven't released the FTC video (or why they released the IBH video first instead of promoting FTC as an original).  Maybe they're dropping FTC on Christmas itself?  It could be a "Christmas present" for the fans, even if it doesn't help with sales.  (LOL, I don't know why I'm trying to rationalize everything, a lot of their management's decisions haven't made sense!)

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