To All The Boybands I’ve Loved Before

Through the course of a girl's life - particularly mine, - all she ever needs is three things: friends to lean on, good food to eat, and a boyband to obsess over. It’s quite a peculiar list for the eyes of an outsider, but hey, if you know, you know!

I’ve had the privilege of growing up with a solid group of friends, a mom who’s amazing at cooking, and quite a roster of boybands I’ve supported through the years; ever since I was a silly little 9 year old, a 4th grader who didn’t have a clue in the world. All these groups played a huge part in my life; I literally owe them quite a lot.

Everyone who watched Nickelodeon during the early 2010s knew (and probably loved) Big Time Rush, a 4-piece behind the hits “Worldwide,” “Boyfriend,” “‘Til I Forget About You,” and more. Members James Maslow, Kendall Schmidtt, Carlos Pena Jr., and Logan Henderson started the boy group renaissance in the 2010s, crediting them to be the ones to bring back the public’s love for boybands during their era. I remember a group of girls and I talking about BTR during our break time, singing their songs, even making our own choreographies to the songs. Their success definitely paved the way for more boybands to enter the market, and boy oh boy, was that only the start of a crazy decade ahead.

During Big Time Rush’s North American tour in 2012, a new boyband who was rising towards fame opened for the group: 5 British-Irish boys formed in the X-Factor UK by Simon Cowell, One Direction. Little did everyone know, they would become the biggest boyband in the world during this era. One Direction certainly captured the hearts of every young girl on the planet - including mine. Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, and Liam Payne charmed their way into my life as if it was nothing, and they dominated it (and the entire world, too) for years until their hiatus in 2015.

To say that 1D’s hiatus broke my heart was an understatement; it absolutely devastated me. I did love Big Time Rush, but not as much as I loved One Direction. For 13 year old me, 1D breaking up was equivalent to the end of the world, as those boys were literally my lifeline; I was known at school as “that girl who loves One Direction,” I formed friendships through this group, I considered them an important part of my entire being. 2015 was a rough time for the boyband lover that I was, but like everyone else, I eventually got over it and moved onto the next group that would change the trajectory of my life.

In 2017, when I was 15 years old, my friends at the time reintroduced me to the world of K-pop which resulted in my next obsession: Seventeen. For over three years, the 13 members of Seventeen had my heart; gradually helping me progress through my youth. It’s beautiful how a group was able to alter my life this much; each member played a part in who I am today. Over the course of being a diehard Seventeen fan, I managed to graduate college with honors, enter college to study in my dream program, and became an even better person than I ever thought I would be.

Aside from how I’ve positively grown with Seventeen, I also found lifelong friends through them. Boybands not only give you serotonin from their music and personalities, they also bring you people you’ll keep with you for the rest of your life! But, alas, like the rest of the boybands I loved, I grew out of them as they’ve fulfilled their purpose in my life. Like people say, everything happens for a reason, and through it all, Seventeen will always hold a special place in my heart.

Fast forward to 2021: Covid was still rampant, everything felt stagnant, nothing interested me anymore. In short: I succumbed to ennui. Then came probably the biggest plot twist of my life yet, the 7 member rookie boygroup Enhypen. Now, the members of Enhypen taught me the most in life. Aside from the fact that the members are around my age bracket, they’re also incredibly inspiring, especially if you follow their story and background. Enhypen has changed the way I view life; particularly, the relationship between an artist and their fans. It’s amazing how I’ve never felt more loved as a fangirl before Enhypen, as these boys show just how much they care for fans. If I list them all right now, I’d never stop writing. Now, in my final semester of college, nearly three years later, Sunghoon, Jay, Jake, Jungwon, Sunoo, Ni-ki, and Heeseung are still by my side, motivating me to do my best and encouraging me to run towards my dreams.

We all have particular things in our lives that are considered our “branding,” something that has changed the course of our lives. Mine happens to be being a lover of boybands. Being one has brought me so much in life that I will forever be grateful for. It’s healed me, made me happy, brought me out of the hardest slumps of my life, and shaped me into the person I am today. I guess it is true that sometimes, the only thing a girl needs in her life, is a good boyband to obsess over.