OMG - NKOTB...

Thanks to Nicole and Friday-Night Boredom, my interest/obsession with NKOTB has been re-kindled. (I'm not sure if that is a good thing at this point or not...) I remember hearing that they were getting back together, but I didn't really think much past that. In fact, I haven't really thought about the band in probably 15 years, since the demise of my cassette tape and the fact that as it was winding down for them, they weren't looking too good (it could just be me, but back in the early 90's, it looked like Joey was on drugs or something... he just didn't look "right" to me).

So, with interest piqued, and nothing better to do tonight, I started down memory lane. The Rat-Tails... The shredded jeans... The baby-faced boys singing in falsetto... Jordan in his "OshKosh'B'Goshs"... The Black & Neon sweaters that EVERYONE was wearing (I have my mom searching the old photos to see if she has one of me wearing mine... it is similar to this one, but not exactly... It was striped and their names were repeated to create the stripes and NKOTB and hearts mixed in)... The "CHEESY" syncronised dance moves that became their signature (and still is) that has never been quite duplicated by boy bands since... Good Times...

So, I've been reliving my "pre-teen" years, when I was consumed by the NKOTB obsession that gripped most of the world. Looking back at the old music videos, I can't help but laugh... Mostly at ourselves, because "we" just looked silly. I mean, who could take you serious when you wore what we wore and did our hair the way we did... The music takes me back, though. Donnie's raps are refreshing, by todays standards. I think that was the only time I tolerated, if not liked, rap as a genre. "The Right Stuff" is still played on Sirius Radio, so I get to hear that song still, but the others went into obscurity in my brain. I can hear the songs now, and remember taking my "boom box" outside to the school playground (we lived across the street) and listening to those songs... Or I'll flash to my horrible attempts at copying the dance moves...

Looking at the boys who are now (very attractive) men, I can't help but get a little excited and nostalgic. They look better now than they did then (but that could just be that I've grown up along with them, and my tastes have matured). Looking at their new videos, I'm glad that the videos, at least, are not relying heavily on the weird syncronised dance moves. They are very good songs. I might actually have to by the single. I love how their voices matured. Joe sounds sexy now instead of just boyish...

I will admit, Jon was always my favorite. He was "the quite one," at least in my opinion. I've never been good at classifying personalities like that. To me, he was the cutest. He has the best smile. The grown-up version is not too bad either.

I guess I am going to have to come out of the closet and embrace what has been there all along... I totally love their single "Summertime". I've been sitting here listening to it play on YouTube over and over again while I type this. Too bad I don't live in an area that would allow me to see them in concert...