THEY’RE JUST TOO CUTE FOR WORDS!!
Many boy band fans around the world were occupied this weekend with the BTS Map of the Soul ON:E virtual concert (a HUGE event and the screen shots of performances from it are AMAZING!). Sadly, I couldn’t watch this weekend, so instead I am distracting myself/burying my endless regret with another post on boy band bias!
As I mentioned in the other posts in the bias series, there are multiple personas that make up a boy band. So far, we have tackled the Bad Boy (my 100% favorite) and the Heartthrob (my bias-wrecker). And today we tackle the CUTE ONE – the boy band member that is just too cute for words in a cute cuddly teddy-bear way!
The cute member of the boy band is usually the youngest member and the one responsible for the high notes and falsetto (at least in early years of the band). The cute member is also opposite to the bad boy member in almost every way – he doesn’t have tattoos or piercings, doesn’t get into trouble or break rules and is usually super polite and no other way to put it – just CUTE. The other members of the band typically baby this member, and while the cute one usually grows up to be a potential heartthrob, they can never escape the cute label!
So, lets take a look at my Top 5 FAVORITE Boy Band Cuties:
5. Richie Neville – Five
With many of his band mates vying for the bad boy member (IMO Abz, Jay and Scott all could have taken the bad boy title), Ritchie was natural fit for “the cutie” of the band. Know as the “tame” Fiver, Ritchie was the clean cut, well spoken and reasonable member in a band filled with endless antics. Contrary to usual cute member dynamics – the other Five members didn’t baby Ritchie. In fact, I think Ritchie was usually the one telling other members to chill out when all the tempers started to flare! He even played that role when the band reunited for The Big Reunion in 2013 – and we love it!
4. Niall Horan – One Direction
Niall wasn’t the youngest member of One Direction (that was Harry) but Niall was definitely the “cutie” of the group. After wearing braces for most of the band’s early years, and as the only member with no tattoos and piercings (although there was a close call with James Cordon’s tattoo roulette!) Niall’s naivety , adorable Irish accent, and hilarious gym selfies make him the cutie-pie of the band. Even the rest of the band said Niall was the member they feel most protective and maternal towards – and they would rather see any other member get punched than Niall! Since leaving One Direction, Niall has gone on to super success in the “folk-pop” genre – but he will always be the 1D cutie in my eyes!
3. Nick Carter – Backstreet Boys
There is no doubt Nick Carter is the cute member of the Backstreet Boys – and still filling this role in the band 20 years later. Nick was 13 years old when the group made their debut, and even now in 2020, he is still called the “baby” of the group. I know I said the cute members didn’t get into trouble – and Nick didn’t…at least in public. However, he has since talked about his private struggle with substance abuse, and credits his “older brother” bandmate, Kevin Richardson, with helping him get clean and sober. And now he’s on track and back to being our cutie of the BSB!
2. Joey McIntyre – NKOTB
Joey McIntyre is the original cutie one in my books! He was the youngest member of the New Kids on the Block and was only 12 when the group’s first album came out. Joey was responsible for some of the highest notes from the band – and some of the biggest hits as well! The band has talked about how they were very protective of Joey, but at the same time the four older members teased him the most – especially resident bad boy Donnie! While he will never be able to kick the nickname “Joey” in favor of “Joe”, he has started to develop a more comedic presence in recent years through his acting in shows like The McCarthys and Return of the Mac.
1. JungKook – BTS
There are a lot of times recently when Jungkook (especially in ON:E clips) looks to be evolving from the “cute one” and heading into true heartthrob status. But then he comes off stage and has his cheeks squished by one of his fellow members – and he immediately goes back to “the cutie”! Jungkook is a main vocalist in BTS, a talented signer and dancer, and as the “maknae”, or youngest of the group, he is adored by the other members. He entered high school after the band had debuted in 2013, and the other members were responsible for waking him up, getting him to school and making sure he did his studies. So, since he actually grew up in the band, it’s no surprise that as 24 years old, he is still the cute baby of the band!
The Chatty Enthusiast 