One Direction, Big Time Rush and the Wanted make girls squeal again
Suddenly, the JoBros seem so old: A new wave of boy bands has arrived, bringing pretty harmonies-and pretty hair-to the teen and tween scenes. First came Big Time Rush, a quartet spawned from the Nickelodeon hit of the same name. Just four months after releasing their second album, Elevate, they're back with the Big Time Movie Soundtrack (2½ stars) to their just-premiered Nickelodeon film. An EP of Beatles classics like "Revolution," it's fizzy fun but will hardly make you forget the real Fab Four. Then again, the kids listening to it may just be discovering these songs. Better, though, is Up All Night (3 stars), the debut album by One Direction, a quintet mentored by Simon Cowell on the U.K. version of The X Factor. From guitar-pop charmers ("One Thing") to swoon-worthy ballads ("More Than This"), there's hardly a bad tune in the bunch. (For more on 1D, see page 116.) Finally, there's another U.K. quintet, the Wanted, with the Top 5 hit "Glad You Came" (3 stars), a galloping groove that is like Bieber meets Pitbull. Their first U.S. album lands April 24-just in time for the spring fling.
MY TOP 5 BOY BANDS
1 THE JACKSON 5
These brothers, in all their Motown glory, will forever be the mother of all boy bands.
2 BOYZ II MEN
Singing hits like "End of the Road," they were more men than boys. They could even hang with Mariah.
3 THE MONKEES
From "Daydream Believer" to "I'm a Believer," there was more to them than the TV show.
4 'N SYNC
Better than New Kids, better than Backstreet-if only because they gave us Justin Timberlake.
5 NEW EDITION
For staying in synchronized step after replacing Bobby Brown with Johnny Gill, growing up in the process.
WHY KATY PERRY SHOULD TAKE A BREAK
It feels like Teenage Dream has been out forever, first arriving way back in August 2010. But on March 27 Katy Perry will release a special edition, The Complete Confection, featuring "Part of Me," her latest No. 1 single from this project. While her hot streak is impressive, it's time Perry went away for a while. Her split with Russell Brand would have been the perfect moment to disappear, let the hair color go natural and give the creative juices plenty of time to marinate for her next album. There's a fatigue factor with today's pop stars who seem afraid to step away from the limelight. Give yourself time to grow-and give us time to miss you.
NORAH JONES will have you under the influence of "Happy Pills," an addictive blues-rocker previewing Little Broken Hearts, due May 1. $0.99 at amazon.com.
JOHN MAYER, still battling vocal cord problems, returns with "Shadow Days," a reflective country-rock ballad from Born and Raised, out May 22. $1.29 at zune.net.
R. KELLY will have your body calling for more with the '70s Philly soul of "Share My Love," from Write Me Back, the R&B star's upcoming album. $1.29 at rhapsody.com.
MADONNA again brings crazy energy to the dance floor with "Girl Gone Wild," a synth-pop romp from MDNA, which drops March 26. $1.29 at iTunes.com.
THE TING TINGS
Sounds from Nowheresville
There's nothing here to match the giddy heights of "Shut Up and Let Me Go" or "That's Not My Name." But the No Doubt-esque "Soul Killing" comes close, and the duo get points for venturing into new sonic territory.
RUBEN STUDDARD
Letters from Birmingham
Taking inspiration from his own marriage, the 2003 American Idol traces the arc of a relationship-from courtship to divorce. Emphasizing the sweet over the bitter, though, he's still the Velvet Teddy Bear.
ANDREW BIRD
Break It Yourself
With his chamber pop and rich, mellifluous voice, this singer-violinist sometimes suggests Rufus Wainwright with a fiddle. But there's a sense of whimsy-whether he's plucking those strings or just whistling-that's all his own.
WZRD
WZRD
On a rock-edged side project with Dot Da Genius, Kid Cudi fails to conjure up the magic of his best solo work. It's not a total disaster, but a painful "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" should make Cudi hang up the Kurt Cobain act.
