Flashback 1989...I am sitting on my bedroom floor, braces and a bad perm flipping through American teen magazines while "Step by step....ooh baby...gonna get to you girl" blares from the stereo. As an Aussie teen, dreamed of one day meeting her favorite boy band from Boston, USA - New Kids on the Block.
I had all the albums and my bedroom walls were covered with posters and pictures. 90% of which was Jordan Knight, my teen dream crush. Oh the hair, the eyes, that voice.
Finally in 1992, New Kids on the Block toured Australia. I was beyond excited when my parents gave me 2 tickets for my birthday. It was my first concert and I didn't care that the 2nd ticket was for my Dad to chaperone me. We had a great night, even Dad joined in dancing along to the songs.
Eventually like all teen dream romances it ended and I haven't really thought about those amazing boys until now.
Flashforward 30 years...I recently Googled "Jordan Knight now" only to discover that he had matured like a fine wine and that after the band split in 1994, he had begun a solo career. Jordan released his first solo album, in 1999. On May 31, 2011, Knight released the studio album, Unfinished. Knight has sold over 1.5 million records worldwide as a solo artist. In 2015, Boston City Council declared February 7 "Jordan Knight Day."
I was equally surprised to find that the band had reunited in 2008 and I was definitely not disappointed. Wow...fine wine, these guys look great for their age and their music is phenomenal. It reignited my teen dream crush Jordan is still number one, but Joey McIntyre is running a very close 2nd.
Joey was the youngest of the team and also went on to become a solo artist and actor. In 1995 he made his film debut in "Fantasticks" which is based on a long-running off-broadway musical. In 1999, McIntyre signed with Sony, and his first solo-single "Stay the Same" peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Donnie Wahlberg was known as the "bad boy" of the band, moved from music to film both big screen and small. Wahlberg's first film acting role was in the 1996 film Bullet with Mickey Rourke and Tupac Shakur. Since 2010 he has played Detective Danny Reagan in Blue Bloods and was nominated – People's Choice Award for Favorite TV Crime Drama Actor, 2017.
Jordan's older brother Jonathon was also a member of the band and he was the first to leave. Between the 1994 split and 2008 reunion, Jonathon worked as a real estate investor living in Essex, Massachusetts; rarely making public appearances or giving interviews. Jonathon and his partner Harley Rodriguez participated in the 26th season of Amazing Race in early 2015, placing 9th.
Last but not least is Danny Wood. It appears after the band split, Danny continued as a singer/songwriter, releasing 7 albums between 1999 - 2016. He is an actor and writer, known for Fuller House (2016), Tequila Express (2002), and Beyond the Case.
After finding out what each of the boys were up to, I then binged on their new "grown-up" music. Remix (I like the) has a great sound and shows that they have got "it" and more. It has a danceable beat but a raw sound, that I really enjoy. Each member of NKOTB has his own solo within the song, making it great if you're into karaoke.
Then there is their 2019 single "Boys in the Band (Boy Band Anthem), it's catchy and a lot of fun. It's a salute to all the boy bands with cameos from Lance Bass, Debbie Gibson, Naughty By Nature, and Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, and Ronnie DeVoe of New Edition. It also included shout outs and easter eggs to several boybands throughout the years: The Osmonds, Jackson 5, New Edition, Boys II Men, Bell Biv DeVoe, Backstreet Boys, B2K, 98°, LFO, Menudo, JLS, O-Town, BTS, *NSYNC, One Direction, Take That and Westlife.
The only thing that I hope for now is that one day these boys from Boston decide to take a tour of the Land Down Under.
About the Creator
Nicole Gibson
Running on coffee and true crime.
I am passionate about self-development and personal growth. I find immense fulfillment in the continuous journey of learning, honing new skills, and embracing personal evolution.
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Comments (1)
I love NKOTB. My all-time favorite band! I wasn't able to even see them in concert until several years after their reunion. Their shows, in my opinion, are worth every penny! :)