Maybe the new bsb record will be "dope" enough to draw us silent bsb fans out of the closet. Maybe too it'll disenfranchise those pigeonholing fans who have made bsb...stars. In any case the boys are determined to give it their chest flashing all. "When we were in La last week, I got a chance to talk to some older friends I play basketball with." Brian says. "And they were like . 'I don't listen to that kind of music'. But I got 'em a ticket to the show just to open there eyes. Afterwards they said I still wouldn't listen to the music, but you guys are really talented," (Backstage report).
Ironically I first heard of the Backstreet Boys or started to pay attention to them while listening to them at work, on Lite-FM. A station that I would like to think is for the older audience.
But something happened in between that time and it was just overwealming the numbers of young girls who started to like them.
"We want to be heard by all age groups." Timberlake said. "We came out first on the radio. If people were into the song, then they were into the group. Shortly after that, they matched the faces with the song" (Shuster). It is a fact with both bsb and Nsync, I first heard there music and then we were shown there faces. So one can't totally say the whole idea was about image because they were marketed in the case of the bsb to an older audience originally in the US. Maybe to earn some respect at first maybe not. For the case of Nsync I remembered hearing there song "I Want You Back" constantly on the radio but again we did not see the group till a lot later. Cathee Sandstrom Editor of teen magazines Bop and BB said that the girls did not care for the groups, till they heard the music and then they fell in love with the band. (Never enough) .
Gary sprears of of kiss 102.7 in Los Angeles says that girls think they are cute and have good looks but talent comes number 1 with them.(Never Enough). Even my mother admitted that they have good voices, and if you don't pay attention to the songs and the visual package and you just listen to their voices, you can see that for the most part they can sing and there abilities are paying off.
Nysnc has won 2 billboard music awards as well as the American music award for best new artist. *NSYNC has also won 4 AOL Entertainment Asylums Awards CD of the Year Favorite Musical Artist Hottest Male - Justin Timberlake Sexiest Newcomer - Justin Timberlake. The Backstreet boys too have won several awards around the world. Besides the awards they are becoming respected as actual musicians not just teen idol entertainers. 98 degrees has already worked with Stevie Wonder, and Nsync with Babyface, Phil Collins and Gloria Estefon. Already the socalled image is changing of these bands is changing.
