Profiling the new boy band wonders
Oh, man. The boy bands are back. But don't think 'N Sync or Backstreet Boys -- they are so '90s. Leading the new pack are Americans Big Time Rush and U.K. imports One Direction and The Wanted. And so, in honor of The Wanted's Sunday show at the Paramount in Huntington, we offer a look at the new breed of boy bands:
THE WANTED
Formed in 2009
MEMBERS Max George, Jay McGuinness, Siva Kaneswaran, Tom Parker, Nathan Sykes
THE DEAL The group was assembled via an audition in the U.K. Shortly after the band was formed, producers -- including Taio Cruz -- set about to work on the boys' eponymous first album.
IMPRESARIO Scooter Braun, best known for managing a kid named Justin Bieber
ALBUM "The Wanted" (Mercury), out April 24
HOT SONG "Glad You Came," most recently No. 4 on Billboard's Hot 100
THE BUZZ Tom Parker taught David and Victoria Beckham's oldest son, Brooklyn, how to play Oasis songs on guitar.
ONE DIRECTION
Formed in 2010
MEMBERS Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson
THE DEAL The five entered the U.K.'s "X Factor" competition as individuals in 2010, and become the group One Direction. The band came in third for that seventh season.
IMPRESARIO Simon Cowell, best known for a little TV show called "American Idol" and now "X Factor" honcho.
ALBUM "Up All Night" (Columbia), out March 13
HOT SONG "What Makes You Beautiful," debuted at No. 28 on Billboard Hot 100
THE BUZZ One Direction made history this week when its debut album "Up All Night" entered the Billboard 200 albums chart at No. 1 -- a first for a U.K. act. The boys will play Izod Center on May 25 and the Beacon Theatre on May 26.
BIG TIME RUSH
Formed in 2009
MEMBERSKendall Schmidt, James Maslow, Carlos Peña Jr., Logan Henderson
THE DEAL The guys were brought together for the Nickelodeon series of the same name: four hockey players from Minnesota are trying to make it big in Hollywood as a . . . boy band.
IMPRESARIO Scott Fellows, known for writing and producing the Nickelodeon shows "Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide" and "Big Time Rush"
ALBUM "Elevate" (Nickelodeon), out November 2011
HOT SONG "Boyfriend" peaked at No. 72 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 2011
THE BUZZ BTR just wrapped its sold-out Better With U Tour (with One Direction in the opening slot). The group comes to Nikon at Jones Beach Theater Aug. 17 with Cody Simpson.
WHO The Wanted
WHEN | WHERE 7 p.m. Sunday, the Paramount, Huntington
INFO $20-$35; 800-745- 3000, ticketmaster.com
