Most thought the boy band craze would die out with dial-up Internet, Furbys and “Rugrats” in the ’90s.
But as long as there are girls to scream over dancing boys, the genre will always live on, said Michael DesRosiers, a 22-year-old UF biochemistry senior.
With the 2012 boy band resurgence, groups like One Direction and The Wanted helped the craze experience a revival.
Now, in 2013, iconic boy band New Kids On The Block has announced its tour with two other male-singing-and-dancing groups: Boyz II Men and 98 Degrees.
The summer tour, called “The Package Tour,” will follow the release of New Kids On The Block’s new album,“10,” set to release April 2.
DesRosiers said ’90s bands, at their age, shouldn’t be on tour.
“The appeal of boy bands rests on the band members being boys, capable of stirring up the hormones of pre-teen girls,” he said. “When older men try to do the same thing, that’s a little strange.”
Out of the three bands touring, Boyz II Men has still managed to stay around, with steady releases over the years, including a new CD released in 2011.
Justin Robinson, a 21-year-old UF recreation tourism and event management junior, said it’s because Boyz II Men is timeless.
“They aren’t catchy little theme songs,” he said. “They have substance to them — almost like a contemporary Temptations.”
He said he thinks Boyz II Men going back on tour is a good idea but wouldn’t go see them live unless he was with a girl.
Evvy Struzynski, a 21-year-old UF public relations senior, said as a ’90s child, she was excited to hear about the tour.
“I wish it were Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC instead,” she said. “But I’ll take our generation’s boy bands over The Wanted any day.”
Tickets for “The Package Tour” go on sale Saturday on Ticketmaster.
