In 1994, Lou Pearlman, a big business man, put five guys together
for the first boyband since The New Kids on the Block. Nick Carter, Brian
Littrell, Kevin Richardson, AJ McLean, and Howie Dorough became The Backstreet
Boys and took the world by storm. A little over 16 years later, Simon Cowell, a
judge on the X Factor UK, put five guys
together to form the first boyband on the British television show. Harry
Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, and Louis Tomlinson became One
Direction.
Almost two decades apart, the Backstreet Boys and One
Direction have quite a bit of overlap in the way that their music sounds and
how they came up with ideas for music videos, even to how the band is set up
with certain people and where they got their start. It’s easier to understand
once it’s broken down.
1.)
Backstreet Boys’
What
Makes You Different (Makes You Beautiful) & One Directions’ What Makes
You Beautiful
\
One Direction’s first
single, “What Makes You Beautiful” sounds a lot like a song that was on
Backstreet Boys’ “Black & Blue” album.
2.)
Backstreet Boys’
More than That & One Directions’ More than This.
\
Both are slow
songs, wishing that the “girl” could see that the boy could love and take care
of her more than the guy she is with. Basically the difference is two letters….
is/it.
3.)
Backstreet Boys’ It’s
Gotta be You & One Directions’ Gotta
Be You
\
While the songs are different tempos, the names tell all.
4.) Backstreet
Boys’ Madeline & One Directions’ Diana
\
Both song titles with female names, but both
songs released in 2013 have to do with bullying and depression.
Next, let’s look at their music videos:
1.)
Backstreet Boys’ I’ll
Never Break Your Heart & One Directions’ Gotta Be You
\
Cold weather, fires, playing around with girls in lovely
winter wear….
2.)
Backstreet Boys’ Anywhere
With You & One Directions’ What
Makes You Beautiful
\
Both videos, while over 15 years apart, show the guys playing
around on the beach, being flirty with girls. Very popular with the boy bands,
but it gets weirder.
3.)
Backstreet Boys’ Inconsolable
& One Directions’ You & I
\
Deck/bridge at a beach.
4.)
Backstreet Boys’ As
Long As You Love Me & One Directions’ You & I
\
They merge into another member of the band. It’s obvious One
Direction didn’t come up with the idea one their own.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Gl2QnHNpkA&feature=kp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kqQDCxRCzM&feature=youtu.be
Now, let’s look at the band members:
1.)
Harry Styles (One Direction) and Nick Carter (Backstreet
Boys)
\
Both more desired in the US than their other band mates. “Heart
throbs,” if you will.
2.)
Niall Horan (One
Direction) and Brian Littrell (Backstreet Boys)
\
Both blonde and have a sense of humour that is
difficult to understand. They’re both more in the background when it comes to
publicity.
3.)
Liam Payne (One
Direction) and Howie Dorough (Backstreet Boys)
\
Both are in the
background when it comes to the songs. They can both hit high notes that males
shouldn’t be able to hit.
4.)
Zayn Malik (One
Direction) and AJ McLean (Backstreet Boys)
\
Both are known as the “mysterious” ones with tattoos
and piercings. Two people couldn’t be more alike.
5.)
Louis Tomlinson
(One Direction) and Kevin Richardson (Backstreet Boys)
\
Both are the
oldest of the groups and the funniest in their own, sarcastic ways.
As you can see, there is quite a bit of overlap when it comes to the Backstreet Boys and One Direction. Not only has some of their music sounded a like or music videos were similar, but both boybands got their start in England. When the Backstreet Boys got their start, no one in America cared about another boyband, but in England, people did. One Direction, being British and competing on a British television show, got their start in England as well. Both bands infected America with their music and then that turned into the entire world.
The Backstreet Boys and One Direction are by far the
BIGGEST boybands in the WORLD.
All images and information from: http://www.buzzfeed.com/karahleigh/10-ways-one-direction-has-copied-backstreet-boys-k1qb#.hgRKOJKN9
