I was in grade school when New Kids on the Block started to become popular. I remember having classmates who would exchange notebooks and posters of NKOTB. And that went on until High School. I never liked NKOTB or any boy band for that matter. I never knew who Jordan or Jonathan was. I didn't care about how good-looking Joey McIntyre was. I never bothered to know who Donnie Wahlberg was except for the fact that he is Mark's brother. I didn't care who Danny Wood was.
Until 25 years later...
I heard about the NKOTB reuniting back in 2008. As mentioned, I never liked any boy band at all so I didn't bother to dig deeper in the news. Then I got this CD compilation from a local radio station featuring some of their hottest and most requested songs. NKOTB and Ne-Yo's "Single" was one of the songs in the CD. I liked it...maybe because I'm a huge fan of Ne-Yo's or maybe because the song was so likeable especially for a 30-year old "single" gal.
Then I got curious so I checked YouTube and searched for the music video. And my initial reaction was..."WHOA! Where'd that come from?"
THEY. WERE. HOT!
Time was really on their side. They aged mighty fine...just like wine! But my fanaticism for NKOTB didn't really start there.
4 years later, I heard about NKOTB and BSB getting together. I thought that this idea was quite clever but did not really get into my curiosity. I find it clever to have the two most popular boy bands of the world get together but kind of "sneaky". I can't really explain it. Let's just say that I was still a non-believer of the boy bands.
They had a concert in Manila 2 months ago. My impression on that was that it was pathetic to get these two groups together. I was thinking that they must be that desperate to become popular once again.
I have no idea what got into me but I started watching the "Single" video once again. And I watched it over and over and over again until I came to a point when I realized that these guys are really hot. I decided to follow them on Twitter.
The next day, I checked my Twitter and there it was. Danny Wood followed me back. I was like OHMYGOD! Is this for real?
I got to know them on Twitter. I got to know how they are as celebrities on Twitter. I started watching their concerts, interviews, and random funny moments on YouTube. The random funny moments told me that they're pretty much normal when they're all together. Just how guys are when they are with their friends: CRAZY! The interviews are more interesting. You wouldn't know if they're showing you the real thing or not. And that made me even more curious about this group. And then The concerts. THE. CONCERTS. Anywhere they went whether it's in Japan, UK, Manila, Jakarta, Australia, or US...THERE. WILL. ALWAYS. BE. A. LOT. OF. SCREAMING. WOMEN!!! Seriously!
Then a realization hit me: This group is a phenomenon! They were able to maintain and create their fan base. 25 years ago, there was always a lot of screaming GIRLS in their concerts. 25 years later, these same girls are back in their concerts screaming louder than ever. And these girls brought along their daughters, their friends, and other women like me who grew up and saw HOT MEN in the NKOTB.
But what is so different about NKOTB and why is their reunion such a success? There were other groups who tried but it just didn't work out.
After all the videos, the interviews, and the tweets of both NKOTB and their fans, another realization hit me as to why they are still a success after 20-something years.
NKOTB and Starbucks are so much alike. Starbucks knows how to take care of their customers just like NKOTB knows how to take care of their fans. (Been working at Starbucks for 11 years, so trust me, I know what I'm talking about! LOL)
NKOTB's fans matter. They are involved in everything NKOTB. The group thanks the fans wherever they go. The group follows them on Twitter, which, believe me, is a big deal to a fan. Everything they do, they have the fans to think of. Will the fans like it? Will they enjoy it? They know how to EVOLVE. They know how to reach out to the hearts of their fans. They pour their heart out into every song, every concert, everything that they do. I remember watching a video where Danny was talking about performing a particular song which has become sort of a routine for him. But seeing the fans' reaction to it is enough to make him (and the rest of the group) give it their best shot ever.
(My computer automatically shut down while I was at the peak of my momentum in typing. Good thing Blogger automatically saves drafts.)
(I think I need a drink.)
I was going through some Danny Wood photos in Instagram and I found a photo of the group. One girl made a comment about having the same photo on her desk to which I replied, "25 years ago, girls would say 'I have that same photo on my wall in my bedroom'." Just goes to show that NKOTB fans have evolved, and NKOTB just went with the flow.
So, yeah, NKOTBSB had a concert here in Manila last June. I missed it. I totally ignored it. And I hate myself now for that. I promised myself that I'd get VIP tickets next time they visit Manila.
I admit, I noticed Danny for his smile (Single video), his arms, his tats, his shoulders, HIS. BODY. But this man has a sense of humor, wit, and a heart that any woman would die for. I like that they have kids to take care of, charities to focus on, wives to go home to and still have the time for their fans.
So...to end this blog... it's never too late to admit that I'm a fan of NKOTB.
(And I really, really, really, really wish they'd get to read this)
