Big comeback

New Kids On The Block want to do it again

Old brooms still sweep best: The New Kids On The Block prove that boy bands can age well.

(Bild: BMG, Austin Hargraves Krone KREATIV,)

Long before NSYNC, the Backstreet Boys and Take That, the New Kids On The Block were the most popular boy band in the world. Screaming teenagers wherever Donnie Wahlberg, the brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre and Danny Wood appeared. Between 1988 and 1990, the youth magazine "Bravo" featured a poster of the New Kids, or NKOTB for short, almost every week. At a more mature age, the band is now back at it again.

In the USA, the group topped the charts in their heyday with hits such as "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)", "Hangin' Tough" and "Step By Step". But then the hits failed to materialize and the group disbanded in 1994. It wasn't until 2008 that they made an acclaimed comeback, and since then the band has been on a steady upward trajectory. In North America, the New Kids On The Block fill the big halls and even organize their own cruise with fans. Even as seasoned men, they still dance perfectly choreographed.

A necessary return to the past
They have released two albums with new songs since then - and the nostalgic single "Bring Back The Time" with Rick Astley, Salt 'N' Pepa and En Vogue. After eleven years, the quintet is now releasing a full studio album again - with the telling title "Still Kids". "And we're still just kids from a nobody town, still just kids that are messing around", sings Joey McIntyre, at 51 the youngest member of the band, in the lead single "Kids". In the music video, the five musicians from Boston and the surrounding area jump and dance through various rooms of a normal apartment building, visibly amused - just like children.

Musically, "Kids" is modern, danceable pop, perfectly produced and with a catchy tune factor. Emotionally charged ballads on the verge of kitsch - or well above it - have always been just as much a part of the New Kids repertoire and should therefore not be missing from the new album. "A Love Like This" is the name of the number, which, with its synthesizers and guitar solo, is more reminiscent of the power ballads of 80s rock bands than boy band crooning.

Joy at the return
Long-time fans, who are still predominantly, but by no means exclusively, female, are likely to like the music. This is indicated by the enthusiastic reactions that the New Kids On The Block received when they performed their song "Kids" on the "Kelly Clarkson Show" two months ago. A comment under the video of the performance on YouTube shows that the New Kids can also win over new fans. "I'm a 54 year old man and was never a fan of them back then," wrote one user. "But this made me smile. Great to hear something that's just fun and upbeat."