If names like NSYNC, A1, 5566 or Backstreet Boys ring a bell to you, chances are you grew up in the 1990s. Ever wondered what happened to your favourite music groups of all times?
1. NSYNC
From top left: Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone, Lance Bass, JC Chasez, Justin Timberlake.
NSYNC was formed in 1995 comprising members Justin Timberlake, JC Chazez, Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone, and Lance Bass. The American band shot to fame with their second album, No Strings Attached, which sold over 1 million copies in just one day. The boys were most well-known for their hit songs like “Bye, Bye, Bye”, “It’s Gonna Be Me” and “ This I Promise You.” In 2002, the group announced a temporary hiatus after their celebrity tour and this led to their eventual break-up in 2007.
Bye, Bye, Bye for now, NSYNC.
Where they are now:
To be honest, the only member I knew by the name is Justin Timberlake. The 34-year-old member moved on to become a successful solo artist, and most recently made a name on TV (“Dick in a Box,” anyone?). He married actress Jessica Biel in 2012 and recently became a father to his son, Silas Randall Timberlake in April 2015.
JC Chasez, the lead vocal of NSYNC, also started a solo career and has written songs for artists like David Archuleta and the Backstreet Boys. He was also a recurring judge on MTV’s Randy Jackson Presents: America’s Best Dance Crew.
After NSYNC, Joey Fatone participated in Dancing with the Stars and finished second place. He currently dabbles in hosting shows like Food Network’s Rewrapped and Discovery Family’s Parents Just Don’t Understand.
Chris Kirkpatrick started his own production company, Working Class Industry and produces anything from music to television.
The Jack-of-all-trades title would belong to Lance Bass. He went on to create multiple production companies, write a New York Times bestseller and host Dirty Pop on SiriusXM. Lance Bass came clean with his sexual orientation in a cover story for People magazine in 2006 and subsequently married painter Michael Turchin in 2014.
2. A1
From left: Paul Marazzi, Ben Adams, Christian Ingebrigtsen and Mark Read.
The four-member English-Norwegian pop band consisting of Christian Ingebrigtsen, Mark Read, Ben Adams (cue muted screams) and Paul Marazzi entered the music scene in the same year as NSYNC in 1998. They were most well-known for their hit songs “Caught in the Middle”, “Everytime” and “Like a Rose”.
Where they are now:
Marazzi left the group in 2002 and the other members decided to take a break from the limelight for a while. The remaining three members reformed A1 in 2009 and since then have released a number of new singles, as well as their fourth and fifth studio albums, Waiting for Daylight (2010), and Rediscovered (2012). Ex-member Paul Marazzi expressed interest to rejoin the group but the band refused to let him do so. Ouch. Guess A1 will never be the same old boy band we remember them as.
3. Backstreet Boys
From left: Front Row: A.J. McLean, Kevin Richardson, Nick Carter Back Row: Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell.
“Tell me why, ain’t nothin’ but a heartache. Tell me why, ain’t nothin’ but a mistake. Tell me why, I never want to hear you say, I want it that way.”
Bet you just sang the sentence above instead of reading it! This American boy band released their debut international album, Backstreet Boys in 1996 which met with great reviews, but achieved commercial success internationally when their hit song “I Want It That Way” in their third studio album, Millenium. They topped the music charts in more than 25 countries, including Austria, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Where they are now:
The band, consisting of members A.J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson and Brian Littrell, went on a two-year hiatus after their album, Black and Blue, but regrouped in 2005 and released a comeback album, Never Gone (I see that pun there). Following a tour to promote their album, Richardson left the group to pursue other interests and the quartet went on to release two more albums.
Richardson officially rejoined the group in 2012 much to the joy of Backstreet Boys’ fans, and the group went on to release their first independent album In a World Like This (2013) in full attendance.
Backstreet Boys have sold 130 million records worldwide, making them the best-selling boy band in history. Backstreet’s back, alright!
4. Blue
From left: Lee Ryan, Duncan James, Antony Costa and Simon Webbe.
Blue, an English R&B group consisting of members Anthony Costa, Duncan James, Lee Ryan and Simon Webbe was formed in 2000. They released three studio albums, All Rise (2001), One Love (2002), and Guilty (2003), that all peaked at number one in UK charts. Their 2001 singles “All Rise” and “Too Close” also made the top 10 in Australia.
Where they are now:
In 2004, the band disbanded after five years together and released a compilation album, Best of Blue. The group decided to regroup in 2011, and released their fourth studio album, Roulette, in 2013. Their fifth album Colours, was however met with lacklustre interest from the public and in April 2015, Blue was dropped from their record label Sony. In 2015, all members were declared bankrupt as their earnings dwindled. It is a spectacular fall for the group, who had more than 40 number one hits globally and sold 15 million records.
5. M2M
Marion Raven (left) and Marit Larsen.
Still remember the cute girl duo famous for hit songs like “Pretty Boy”, “Mirror Mirror” and “Don’t Say You Love Me”? Comprising singers Marion Raven and Marit Larsen who have been friends since the age of five, the Norwegian pop duo released their debut single “Don’t Say You Love Me” in 1999. The single reached number two in Norway, number four in both Australia and New Zealand, number 16 in the UK, number 21 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and remains as M2M’s biggest hit.
Where they are now:
The duo split in 2002 and Raven was offered a million-dollar recording contract with Atlantic Records. Her first solo album Here I Am in 2005 comprised tracks all written by her except for one. In 2006, Raven was signed to indie record label, Eleven Seven and most recently released her European/US debut album, Set Me Free, and has been extensively promoting it in Germany, the Netherlands and the UK.
Larsen took some time off to reflect on her career after the breakup of M2M. She reappeared in 2006 with the release of her self-composed album Under the Surface. The album was met with positive reviews and won several awards, including the Best Norwegian Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards.
6. S Club 7
From left: Hannah Spearritt, Jon Lee, Jo O’Meera, Paul Cattermole, Rachel Stevens, Bradley McIntosh and Tina Barrett.
I think an apt description of the group S Club 7 is that they are the Hi-5 for teenagers. You’ve got to agree that every 90s kid would have heard of S Club 7. This English pop group created by former Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller was made up of members Tina Barrett, Paul Cattermole, Rachel Stevens, Jo O’Meara, Hannah Spearritt, Bradley McIntosh and Jon Lee.
The group was formed in 1998 and quickly rose to fame with their own BBC television series, Miami 7. The show eventually celebrated worldwide success and was watched by 90 million viewers in over 100 different countries. S Club 7 went on to record four studio albums, released 11 singles and sold over 10 million albums worldwide. Their hit songs includes “S Club Party”, “Two in a Million” and “Bring It All Back”.
Where they are now:
Cattermole departed from the group in 2002, citing “creative differences”, and the group changed their name from S Club 7 to simply S Club. The band announced their disbandment in 2003, but after a five-year break the members announced a mini reunion tour. They went on to perform in several gigs and confirmed in 2014 that the original line-up would reunite in a decade, for a UK reunion tour in 2015. Guess we will be seeing more of S Club 7 still!
7. Westlife
From left: Nicky Bryne, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, Brian McFadden and Kian Egan.
Westlife, an Irish boy band, was formed in 1998 but disbanded in 2012. The group, which consisted of members Nicky Bryne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan and Brian McFadden, was hugely popular in the 1990s, selling over 50 million records worldwide – a total that included studio albums, singles, video releases, and compilation albums. Despite their success worldwide, Westlife never managed to break into the US market, achieving only one hit single in 2000, “Swear It Again”.
Where they are now:
Shane Filan was declared a bankrupt shortly after their farewell tour in 2012 because of a bad property venture with his brother. However, the band’s original manager Louis Walsh landed the 35-year-old with a record deal, and he has since been promoting as a solo artist. He has also released his autobiography My Side of Life which is a revealing look into his “white-knuckle, roller coaster ride” of a life.
Mark Feehily went under the radar after the disbandment and piled on the pounds after splitting from his fiance Kevin McDaid in 2012. He started his own catering business which sees him serving food and hot drinks from the back of a van as he travels to festivals and events around the UK and Ireland. He recently announced his solo comeback that promises a “darker, more soulful, electronic sound” and is scheduled for release later this year.
Kian Egan has arguably had the most success since the split in 2012. Kian bagged the role of coach and mentor on the Irish version of popular talent show The Voice after being voted King of the Jungle in ITV’s I’m a Celebrity 2013 series. The 35-year-old works alongside fellow judges Bressie, The Saturdays star Una Foden and S Club 7 member Rachel Stevens.
Nicky Bryne has left behind his singing career since Westlife split. The 36-year-old is now better known as a TV and radio presenter in Ireland.
Bryan Mcfadden has been flying solo ever since his early departure from Westlife in 2004, but has only received moderate success in his solo career. He was another band member that became more famously known as a TV presenter when he bagged the role as a judge on Australia’s Got Talent in 2010. This year, the singer has joined celebrity talent show Get Your Act Together which sees showbiz stars work with legendary magicians Penn and Teller to improve their magic skills.
8. 5566
From left: Rio Peng, Zax Wang, Tony Sun, Sam Wang and Jason Hsu.
This list is definitely not complete without the inclusion of Taiwanese boy band 5566, which stands for “five guys working in six entertainment fields (singing, movies and dramas, hosting, modelling, commercials, and dancing)”. The group was formed in 2002. 5566 comprised members Tony Sun, Zax Wang, Sam Wang, Rio Peng (Xiao Dao) and Jason Hsu. The idol drama, My MVP Valentine, in which they played the leads, propelled them to fame and to date, they are one of the most popular Taiwan boy bands in history.
Where they are now:
The boy band is mostly known for their hit tracks, “Remain” (存在), “I’m Sad（我难过), “It’s Okay” (無所謂). In 2003, Xiao Dao left the group after suffering a serious injury and formed his own management company, Wingman Entertainment. In 2006, the group took a hiatus to focus on individual activities. The group never announced their disbandment but has since moved on, with Tony Sun becoming the manager of male group 7 km and girl group Wonder4, and Zax Wang becoming leader of dance group Merry Monarc.
9. S.H.E.
From left: Hebe Tian, Ella Chen and Selina Jen.
The famous girl group was formed in 2001 and consists of members, Selina Jen, Hebe Tian and Ella Chen. Since releasing their first album Girls Dorm, S.H.E has recorded 12 albums with sales totaling well over 10 million, and set ticketing records in each of their two concert tours. Famous for songs like “Superstar”, “SHERO” and “Great Satisfaction” (痛快), the group went on to act in seven drama series, host two variety shows, and endorse more than 30 companies and products, including Coca-Cola.
Where they are now:
In 2010, Selina suffered third degree burns on 54% of her body, mostly on her back and legs, during an indoor film shooting in Shanghai for musical movie “I Have a Date with Spring (我和春天有个约会)” After recovering, S.H.E. went on to release their eleventh album Blossomy in 2012. S.H.E. remains one of the most popular Taiwanese girl groups to date, with huge successes in their individual careers as well. Ella married Malaysian husband Elvin Lai in 2012 and went on to dabble in acting and was praised for her natural acting skills. Hebe Tian released her debut solo album in 2010 with six music videos, each having more than 10 million views on YouTube.
10. Mayday (五月天)
From left: Masa, Guan You, Monster, Ashin and Stone.
Mayday, or more commonly known by their Chinese name, Wu Yue Tian, is a Taiwanese alternative rock band that was formed in the late 1990s with five members Ashin, Monster (Guai Shou), Stone (Shi Tou), Masa (Ma-sha) and Guan You (Guan-You). Their debut full-length studio album 五月天第一張創作專輯 under Rock Records received critical acclaim and gained a following among the Taiwanese. Mayday went on to sell more than 300,000 copies, a considerable feat for a new band in the then pessimistic and saturated music industry. Famous for songs like “The First Day” (第一天) and “Lian Ai-ing” (恋爱 ING), the band won the Golden Melody Award for Best Band in 2001, 2004, 2009 and 2012. They are also known as “Kings of Concerts” in China.
Where they are now:
The group is currently still actively making music together. In 2011, Mayday released their eighth studio album, Second Round (第二人生). The album was highly anticipated with pre-orders totalling almost 130,000 in one week. The members ventured internationally as well, with their latest performance being their first live concert in Germany in 2013.
