Line #63 Music/NewKidsOnTheBlock


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/6018e621e17477f3c94d7e136c05729d.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:Then and Now.]]
3
4	->''You got the right stuff, baby,''\
5	''Love the way you turn me on.''\
6	''You got the right stuff, baby,''\
7	''You're the reason why I sing this song.''
8	-->-- "You Got It (The Right Stuff)"
9
10	New Kids on the Block, or NKOTB, are a [[{{Southies}} Bostonian]] BoyBand. For whatever reason, their [[ExecutiveMeddling manager Maurice Starr]] named the group Nynuk when it first formed (to this day, nobody is quite sure ''what'' he was thinking). Thank Creator/DonnieWahlberg and Creator/ColumbiaRecords for the group's current moniker; Donnie wrote the song "New Kids on the Block" for the first album, and Columbia said they'd give the group a record contract provided they changed their name. The rest is history.
11
12	Originally conceived as a [[RaceLift white version]] of Music/NewEdition (seriously), they were ''hugely'' successful in the late [[TheEighties 80's]] and early [[TheNineties 90's]], but declining sales, internal strife, accusations of lip-syncing and other issues, and sheer burnout led to the group disbanding in 1994. Most of the members went on to solo musical careers, and Donnie Wahlberg became a successful actor. They got back together in 2008, released a new album, and held a very successful [[http://www.thenewkidsforever.com/ reunion tour]] and a tour in 2011 co-headlining with the Music/BackstreetBoys. A new album was released on April 2, 2013, along with a joint tour with Music/NinetyEightDegrees and Music/BoyzIIMen. They toured in 2015 with Music/{{Nelly}} and Music/{{TLC}}, in 2017 with Boyz II Men and Music/PaulaAbdul, and in 2019 with Music/DebbieGibson, Music/{{Tiffany}}, Music/SaltNPepa, and Music/NaughtyByNature. A 2022 tour featuring Salt-N-Pepa, Music/EnVogue, and Music/RickAstley was announced in October 2021.
13
14	They also had a short-lived [[WesternAnimation/NewKidsOnTheBlock animated series]] in the early 90s.
15
16	NKOTB is one of the {{Trope Codifier}}s, if not TropeMakers, for subsequent {{Boy Band}}s.
17
18	!!Members:
19	* Creator/DonnieWahlberg (older brother to Creator/{{Mark\|Wahlberg}} "[[OldShame Marky Mark]]" Wahlberg, who was also one of the founding members)
20	* Danny Wood
21	* Joey [=McIntyre=]
22	* Jordan Knight
23	* Jonathan Knight (Jordan's older brother)
24
25	!!Discography:
26	* 1986 - ''New Kids On The Block''
27	* 1988 - ''Hangin' Tough''
28	* 1989 - ''Merry, Merry Christmas''
29	* 1990 - ''Step By Step''
30	* 1991 - ''No More Games - The Remix Album''
31	* 1994 - ''Face The Music''
32	* 2008 - ''The Block''
33	* 2011 - ''NKOTBSB'' (combined NKOTB and Music/BackstreetBoys hits album along with three new songs with everyone singing together)
34	* 2013 - ''10''
35	* 2017 - ''Thankful'' (5-song EP)
36	* 2019 - ''Hangin' Tough (30th Anniversary)''
37
38	----
39	!!NKOTB provides examples of the following tropes:
40
41	* EightiesHair: As their original run went on, this became more and more prevalent, with Jordan, Jon, and to a lesser extent Joey sporting some massive slicked-up pompadours. They're not part of the trope page's pic for nothing.
42	* BadassBoast:
43	** In "Games" as a TakeThat to their haters.
44	--->No sell out\
45	So get the hell out\
46	We do it our way\
47	Who gives a damn about what critics say\
48	Said we wouldn't last\
49	Said our time will pass\
50	In just a flash\
51	But we're still kicking ass!
52	** In "The Way", how they sing about the girl they love deserves better and that they would be the better lover:
53	--->He don't know you the way I do\
54	He don't touch you the way I would\
55	He don't f*** you the way I could\
56	He don't love you the way you should be loved,\
57	My love\
58	The way you should be loved
59	* CelebrityEndorsement:
60	** During their original run, the band endorsed name-brand products during their most popular years, most notably Coca-Cola. This peaked with a contest run by the soda company that tied into their Magic Summer tour. Sadly, the "Magic Cans" caused a lot more grief than expected, as the gimmick of the Golden Ticket popping up through the opening of the can didn't work so well in practice.
61	** Since his mother's death from breast cancer, Danny has become an outspoken supporter of the Susan G. Komen Foundation, with proceeds from some of NKOTB's merchandise during the reunion tour and all of the profits from his solo album ''Stronger: Remember Betty'' going to the Foundation.
62	** Jordan did promotions for Old Navy's summer wardrobe in 2012, including [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78GJ_4YQqsw riding in on a bicycle cart]] and [[http://mashable.com/2012/06/20/jordan-knight-old-navy/ a fake "album"]] about their catalog.
63	* ChristmasSongs: ''Merry, Merry Christmas'', combining Christmas standards with original songs that were of...questionable quality.
64	* ClusterFBomb:
65	** Original run: [[AvertedTrope The closest they ever came]] was a "No way/Bullshit!" loop in ''Face the Music'''s opening track, and even that was somewhat censored.
66	** At the end of the reunion tour, Donnie and Jordan sang a duet about how far up shit creek they'd be if it wasn't for the backing musicians.
67	** Solo material: Joey's live album ''One Too Many'', where the language flows freely between songs...and frequently interrupts them. For example:
68	---> '''Joey''': ''singing'' ''Up here we're one big happy family''\
69	''Riding'' - aw, they're gonna sue me and shit! "Joe, you did great but you broke the fuckin' piano! Come back anytime!"
70	* CoverVersion: Jordan covered Music/{{Prince}}'s "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man" on his debut solo album, and did several covers on ''Love Songs'', including [[Music/TheCars "Drive"]] and [[Music/GeorgeMichael "Careless Whisper"]].
71	* CharityMotivationSong: "This One's For The Children", a single from their 1989 [[ChristmasSongs holiday album]]. The proceeds were donated to United Cerebral Palsy.
72	* {{Fanservice}}: We could spend a whole paragraph on this. It's probably enough just to note that there was a lot of it. Now that they're back together, it's even more prevalent. The 2015 tour with Music/{{Nelly}} and Music/{{TLC}} ramped this up even more by featuring a "Change Cam" in one of the changing rooms under the stage, which has carried over in some fashion to all their subsequent tours.
73	* HotterAndSexier: In spades since the reunion. ''The Block'' is very racy, and now that all five are approaching middle age and most have kids, none are shy about showing off for the ladies[[note]]Jon generally being the exception, of course[[/note]].
74	* IntercourseWithYou:
75	** Mostly averted in their original run and on ''10''.
76	** ''The Block'' plays this very straight, depending on the song.
77	** In their solo material, Jordan uses this a ''lot'', with [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin "Give It to You"]] being one of the best examples. Joey and Donnie also use it fairly regularly. Danny used it a lot more in his earlier HipHop[=/=]electronic material than his pop rock albums.
78	* IWasQuiteAFashionVictim: Since the reunion, a favorite tactic of interviewers is to bring up group photos of themselves exemplifying 80s and 90s fashion and causing groans of embarrassment (especially in regards to their hair). They're even more embarrassed about the Cosby-sweaters they wore for their first album cover.
79	* JennysNumber: "80s Baby" starts with an answering machine referencing this number.
80	* MoodDissonance: Jordan's solo song "Give It to You" is '''very''' steamy; the video has him dancing in an amusement park.
81	* MyFriendsAndZoidberg: A remarkable (and presumably unintentional) put-down to their young female fanbase in "Tonight".
82	-->Remember when we travelled 'round the world?\
83	We met a lot of people '''and girls'''
84	* OldShame: [[invoked]] [[https://www.buzzfeed.com/iramadison/new-kids-on-the-block-react-to-their-embarrassing-80s-mercha?utm_term=.jsq5gLbKJ#.scwWPBXq2 The cover]] of their Christmas album is not looked on fondly.
85	-->'''Donnie''': That is the worst album cover in the history of music.
86	* PrecisionFStrike:
87	** Subverted with "Grown Man"; the two places where profanities would fit were replaced with effects or wordplay.
88	** These show up in banter and lyrics when they're performing live, especially from Donnie and Joey.
89	* TheQuietOne: Jon. {{Lampshade\|Hanging}}d frequently by the rest of the group, and sometimes by Jon himself when he ''does'' talk. He's much more vocal and active on Website/{{Twitter}} and Instagram.
90	* SelfTitledAlbum: The group's debut album, and Jordan's first solo album.
91	* SeriousBusiness: ''Still'' after all these years. We need a sociologist to get to the bottom of the dedication of Boston-based fandoms. They're like the Red Sox of music...
92	* ShrinkingViolet: In "The Remix (I Like)", the music video tells the story of "lonely and awkward wallflower" Sunny D (played by Artemis Pebdani), who blossoms after hearing new music by house band NKOTB at a dance party.
93	* SheIsAllGrownUp: "Big Girl Now" revolves around this, is invoked in both the guys’ and Music/LadyGaga’s vocal parts, and is mentioned almost word-for-word in the chorus.
94	%%** Also, "The Remix (I Like)".
95	* ShirtlessScene:
96	** At least one photo from most of Danny's solo albums, if not all the art.
97	** The live video of "Baby I Believe In You" has Jordan wearing an open white shirt that totally showed off his chest and abs; he recycled this for his solo routine during the first part of the reunion tour.
98	** Starting with the NKOTBSB tour, this is pretty much expected from everyone except Jon at least once per show.
99	* ShoutOut:
100	** "The Boys in the Band" references numerous famous boy bands throughout the years, including Music/NewEdition, Music/BoyzIIMen, Bell Biv Devoe (who appear in the music video), Music/BackstreetBoys, Music/NSync, and Music/TheJacksonFive.
101	** "Games" includes shoutouts to Donnie's brother Mark Wahlberg and Mark's band The Funky Bunch, and features a chorus section taken from ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'', namely the West Witch's soldiers' chant: oh ee oh, oh oh.
102	* SillyLoveSongs: Take a shot every time they say "girl". By the ''Hangin' Tough'' album, snarky critics started wondering if they were actually singing to a woman ''named'' Girl.
103	* SpokenWordInMusic: Joey has a few solo songs that prominently feature this:
104	** "California" has a number of small spoken parts scattered throughout, especially in the latter half of the song, most of which are either statistics or snarky comments.
105	** "NYC Girls" has an almost-rapped verse which is basically him asking for directions on which subway route to take to meet his girl.
106	** "If I Run Into You" has a couple of spoken bits before the verse transitions as awkward off-the-cuff chitchat with his ex.
107	* StraightGay: Jon. Lampshaded during the 2017 show in UsefulNotes/{{Nashville}} when, after being joined on stage by Music/CarrieUnderwood to sing "Happy Birthday" to Joey and Danny and accompany Jon in singing NKOTB's "Happy Birthday", Donnie quipped "That's the first time he's sung to a girl in 30 years and meant it!"
108	* TakeThat:
109	** ''Face the Music'''s first track was a jab at the lip-syncing accusations and other criticisms the group had been facing during that time.
110	** Some of Joey's songs have taken playful jabs at the Music/BackstreetBoys, Music/{{NSYNC}}, and Music/BritneySpears.
111	* TallDarkAndHandsome: Jordan, who takes full advantage of it for {{Fanservice}}.
112	* VocalEvolution: The entire group experienced this as they went through puberty on stage. This is particularly noticeable with Joey, who started out before his voice broke.
113	* WallpaperCamouflage: In "Remix (I Like The)", two popular girls are shown at the house party wearing matching dresses that match the exact wallpaper behind them.
114	--> Went from wallpaper to heartbreaker\
115	You should've seen her
116	* WhosLaughingNow: In "Remix (I Like The)" when the bullied wallflower grows up:
117	--> She was that girl in the corner\
118	Thick-rimmed glasses\
119	Everybody laughed\
120	Every time she passed us, ever the outcast\
121	Had no flava, but who got the last laugh?

Context Music / NewKidsOnTheBlock