Boy bands may be built on fandom, but behind the music is a business that shapes everything from how groups are formed to how they make money. On this week’s episode of Billboard On The Record, Jason Lipshutz, Billboard’s co-chief content officer, joins host Kristin Robinson to discuss his new book, ‘A Whole Lotta History: One Direction and the Sound That Shaped a Generation.’ Lipshutz breaks down how boy bands are formed, how One Direction rose to stardom and what the future holds for boy bands. From One Direction to BTS and New Kids on the Block, Lipshutz and Robinson explore the evolution of fandom, the business behind boy bands and what it takes for a group to stand the test of time.
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Billboard On The Record is a podcast in partnership with SickBird Productions.
Host:
Kristin Robinson
Executive Producers:
Diona DaCosta
Jade Watson
Produced By:
Kayla Forman
Mateo Vergara
Edited By:
Rachel Derbyshire
00:00 What Is a Boy Band? From The Beatles to BTS
01:02 Meet Jason Lipshutz and His One Direction Book
02:30 What Defines a Boy Band?
09:31 Jason’s Boy Band Mount Rushmore
10:21 One Direction’s Impact on Fans
13:47 How Boy Bands Reach Their Fans
23:18 Lou Pearlman and the Business of Boy Bands
28:43 Why Boy Bands Can Be So Short-Lived
36:14 One Direction Through the Shift to Streaming
47:00 One Direction vs. The Wanted
53:18 Why Boy Bands Need Hit Songs
55:56 Will Fans Ever Grow Out of Boy Bands?
57:36 One Direction Games and Fan Favorites
1:00:32 The Hardest Chapter to Write: Liam
1:05:29 Closing Thoughts and A Whole Lotta History
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The Boy Band Business: How One Direction Captivated the World | Billboard On The Record
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So is WuTang a boy band?
The Osmond Brothers
Jackson Five
Thank you for your personal take on it.
It’s hard for me to think of BTS as a typical boy band for so many reasons. I remember my daughter loved One Direction and I even saw them in concert with her😂. But at my age I’m a huge BTS fan and now so is she after a few years of me talking about them.
The are of fans for BTS is not a boy band audience. They’re so incredible and if you did a derp dive about them you would realize it too.
I think when it comes to BTS you must mention that all 7 members are talented in their own right and all were successful in their solo endeavors.
I a
I noticed when they were in midst of solo projects, every single one of them introduced themselves “ I am so-and-so of BTS”. The group was never not a part of the conversation.
Funny how this conversation is centered around One Direction but it’s BTS on the thumbnail 🤔
One Direction’s first concert tour performance without Zayn was a bit sad, though the four of them still made sure we enjoyed the show. Even then, we could already feel they were going to disband.
Then K-pop took over, the girl group 21 with Sandara Park (Dara) making a huge impact on us Filipinos, followed by a lot of Kpop group like Black Pink and BTS whom everyone fell in love with.
Fast forward to SB19, whose journey was on a completely different level of hardship—heartbreaking yet full of hope. Today, SB19 is widely considered one of the leading and most influential pop groups active in Southeast Asia. They are recognized not only for their massive popularity within the Philippines, but also for their significant regional and international reach.
Every boy band’s journey is different, and in the end, you see who truly stays dedicated to their music as they grow older. Even when they aren’t performing on stage anymore, continuing to create music for the next generation shows their genuine love for the art and the craft.