The New British Invasion

BY HANNAH RAMESAR

The four English rockers that formed The Beatles paved the way for boy bands, followed by the Jackson 5, Backstreet Boys, New Kids on the Block, NSync, and numerous others. Now ruling the pop-charts, new boy bands- One Direction and The Wanted have stormed on the scene. With in demand albums and multiple hits under their belts, both U.K. boy bands are making a name for themselves around the world.

Signed to Simon Cowell’s record label- Syco Records, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, and Liam Payne are the talented members of One Direction. One Direction was formed after all five boys auditioned for the seventh season of The X Factor as solo artists. However, at the suggestion of judges Nicole Scherzinger and Cowell, they soon joined forces to become a knockout group- placing third on the show, and going on to win Best Group, Best Breakthrough, Best Video, at the 4Music Awards, Best British Single at the Brit Awards, as well as Favorite U.K. Newcomer, and Favorite U.K. Band at the U.K. Kids’ Choice Awards.

For a group of five boys brought together by The X Factor, one would have doubts on whether they would be compatible, but over time they have grown to become a family. Spending as much time as they do with one another strengthens them as a whole and it shows in their performances.

“This band wouldn’t work if we didn’t get along really well,” One Direction member Louis Tomlinson said, in an interview for Television New Zealand. “I think our relationship is quite evident on stage. What we’ve got isn’t contrived and I think that’s quite obvious.”

Their apparent bond has hoisted them above other artists in the game right now.  Signaling the beginning of their grand slam was their debut single “What Makes You Beautiful” which became the fastest selling single of 2011 as it entered the chart at #1 in both the United Kingdom and Ireland. Receiving loads of positive feedback for their album, Up All Night, the boys went on to tour in Australia, New Zealand. They will also be coming to the U.S. this summer.

If you didn’t have your fill of British-Irish boy bands, another is sweeping the nation and they go by “The Wanted.”  The Wanted is sometimes viewed as an older version of One Direction, however both groups of guys distinctively set themselves apart from each other. Consisting of Max George, Nathan Sykes, Siva Kaneswaran, Tom Parker, and Jay McGuiness, The Wanted were formed in 2009 through a mass audition.  Soon after, they got busy in the studio and their debut single, “All Time Low”, was released in July 2010. The track reached number one in the U.K. for one week. Their studio album, The Wanted, was released on October 25^th, 2010 and peaked at number four in the United Kingdom. Their first single from their second album, “Gold Forever”, was released and reached number three on the U.K. Singles Chart. Their second hit, “Glad You Came”, topped the singles chart in the United Kingdom for two weeks and in Ireland for five weeks. It has also shot to number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. but is currently number one on Mainstream Top 40. “Glad You Came” is band member, Max’s favorite song off the album for a good reason.

“I think when we knew “Glad You Came” was sort of a hit, was, for me personally, when we shot the video,” The Wanted’s band member Max George said when doing a VEVO Detected interview. “I like the song, but when we done cut the video and we saw it and it was the summer vibe, and the girls and the drinks and the beach, the sea, everything, I just thought ‘I get it now, this really, really works.”

In 2010, they went on a school tour, performing at different schools in the U.K., and within a span of two years, The Wanted began performing live on television around the world. They announced a string of U.S. tour dates preceding their full U.K. arena tour in 2012 on the 17^th of January- with performances in Orlando, New York City, Chicago, San Diego and Los Angeles. Promoting their U.S. and Canadian Debut EP, the U.K. boy band went on a radio tour all across the country, getting their songs heard. With stellar performances on American Idol and The Voice, their debut performance of their new single, “Chasing the Sun” was a massive success.

“They have the potential to do amazing things,” fan of The Wanted, Alexa Lageyre said, when speaking of the boy band. “So I can see them being huge and being known all around the world.”

They have grown quite successful, but unlike past boy bands, both One Direction and The Wanted have managed to stay true to who they are and simply focus on their music instead of putting on a “show”. The boys all seem to get along with one another and share brotherly bonds. Their relatable personas are something that has been a huge factor in them obtaining such dedicated fans.

“We’re a little less polished. I think we’re a little more relaxed on the whole trying to be attractive thing,” The Wanted member, Jay McGuiness said in an interview for Teen.com.

Their unscripted behavior rakes in the adoration of millions of fans worldwide because there is no “fake” element when it comes to these young men. Supporters of these bands are extremely loyal; One Direction’s refer to themselves as “Directioners”, while the “TW Family” stand by The Wanted. Within the span of three years, The Wanted and One Direction have managed to accumulate quite the female attention. Loads of girls flock to see the boys at their gigs, many of them in tears at the mere sight of boys they so desperately admire.

“I see them catching more people’s attention, making even better albums and writing their own music,” Directioner, Kassandra Karabourniotis said. “ I can see them being more successful than they are right now, if that’s even possible!”

Fans already seem to be envisioning “greatness” for One Direction and The Wanted. With such high hopes and expectations it must put added pressure on the bands to not disappoint their fans. Both bands are passionate about what they do and look forward to growing and improving their skill. When writing, they come together and infuse their different styles.

“Writing is something we all want to do more and more of as time goes on,” One Direction member Harry Styles said, in an interview for Television New Zealand. “Because I think for us it’s always been important that the music is gonna be authentic and it comes from us and it doesn’t just sound like a 40-year old man’s just written it in an office and then given it to us.”

While fans await future songs from Harry and the rest of the boys, both bands are headed down the right track so far.  Even though there is no telling where they can go from here it’s certain that when it comes to pleasing their fans, you can find The Wanted chasing the sun, and One Direction up all night.