I Heart NKOTB

I know I don't usually update this often, but I was strangely cheered up by listening to my New Kids on the Block CD (which I purchased in college) while Peter had the kids. I've been kind of grumpy and stressed these days, but the simple act made me feel a lot better. So I've decided to share why I believe Jordan, Jon, Joey, Danny and Donnie perk me up.

I don't know if it's nostalgia or whatever. Maybe it's because it's the first album I ever bought (and listened to night and day, to which my brother can enthusiastically attest). Perhaps it's that it reminds me of childhood, of worriless days gone by. Could it be that it's because the New Kids made unusually compelling music? Highly doubtful. But I unabashedly claim that Hangin' Tough is my favorite album of all time.

I find the cheerfully nonsensical and grammatically incorrect lyrics, which normally drive me nuts, rather charming. In Cover Girl, there's a part that goes, "Girl, you know you're my kind. You're just what I like. Girl, you're everything. Don't you know you're all right? The only girl I've always needed for so long." What?!!? That's so nonsensical that it's hilarious. It's not even like they needed a specific rhyme or anything. In I'll Be Lovin' You, it goes, "I'll be lovin' you forever, just as long as you want me to be." So does that mean if the girl requests that he not love her anymore, that it'll stop? What's the point of using the word forever then? Good job, lyricists!

I like the random switching of chest voice to falsetto of Jordan Knight. He sings certain lines in falsetto that are lower than lines he sings in chest voice, especially in I'll Be Lovin' You. The best part is, his falsetto is not even good. Then there's Joey, who was in the band before his voice changed, so everything sounds falsetto with him. Nice try, guys!

I like the innocent sense of hope and faithfulness in the songs. Donnie says he'd like his Cover Girl to stay with him and be his bride. Where is he now, 20-something years later? Probably not with his Cover Girl. Probably living in the shadow of little brother Marky Mark. But hey, he was in Sixth Sense for about 3 minutes. Not bad, Donnie!

I like the fact that about half the band was horribly unattractive. Danny looked like a gorilla, Jordan has crazy fangs, and Donnie just looked dirty all the time. They were 5 random scruffy kids from Boston. They had different dance styles that didn't work together, their voices didn't necessarily blend, and some never got to do solos. So crass, so rough-around-the-edges. Noble effort, boys!

Mostly, I liked their dance moves. I have a video of them somewhere in VHS format that some college friends and I copied for our performance of Right Stuff my freshman year. Sure, N'Sync was a close competitor for boy band of my heart, but I will always remain faithful to my New Kids.