BOY BAND GRAPHIC

March was an important month for boy bands, past and present.

First (but not foremost), last month marked the 15th anniversary of *NSYNC’s legendary No Strings Attached — an iconic album for a generation of pop fans, perhaps best-remembered as the birthplace of “Bye Bye Bye,” still one of the most banging tracks (and cheesiest music videos) of the century so far.

And, on a more tragic note, last week saw the announcement that Zayn Malik, founding member of British pop band One Direction, would be leaving the group. 

In the flurry of activity following Malik’s announcement — including controversy surrounding a demo he made with producer Naughty Boy, speculation about the future of 1D’s ongoing tour and tearful missives from every teenybopper-stuffed corner of the Internet — we here at the Diversions desk couldn’t help but think about what all this means for boy bands everywhere. 

For many of us, the slickly cheesy R&B sound of late-’90s/early-’00s vocal groups was a defining aspect to our childhoods, the sound of five dudes crooning in harmony synonymous with coming of age in the new millennium. 

With 1D on shaky footing and the genre-defining opuses of *NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys over a decade in the rearview, is the boy band an outdated relic of a pop era that is now over, or a force for future good in the music industry?

Below, our writers sound off on the boy band subjects nearest to their hearts. Read on for a tearful love letter to Zayn, some thoughts on a post-peak Backstreet Boys show, and a definitive ranking of the lamest boy band members:

[ READ MORE: One less Direction: Reflections on Zayn Malik ][ READ MORE: The boy band fifth wheel power rankings ][ READ MORE: On seeing the Backstreet Boys in concert (well after their prime) ]