No longer hangin’ tough

The ‘90s recall better days when Bill Clinton sat in the White House and there had only been one war with Iraq. This was also the era of bubblegum pop when boy bands ruled the Top 40 radio. One of the first to establish their reign were the New Kids on the Block. Their enthusiastic sound gained them popularity and fame, while they sold millions upon millions of albums before their breakup in 1994.  

After a 14-year long absence the five members have reunited and recorded their new album The Block. This latest album is a calculated attempt to break back into mainstream with a concentration on club anthems, but as can be expected The Block is just an example of five ex-stars who should have never made a comeback.

What may be one of the more defining moments of this album are the clever song titles. The track “Single” is to no surprise, their first single released (wonder where they got the idea to call that album that).

Featuring Ne-Yo, the song serenades the ladies with the very creative lyrics such as “You’ll be my girlfriend until this song ends.”  

“Grown Man”, an R&B-influenced jam featuring The Pussycat Dolls and Teddy Riley constantly reminds listeners that the kids on the block are no longer new and certainly aren’t young by offering “you some grown man.”
 
As come back attempts go, The Block is hardly a stand-out. Although the many songs featuring various Top 40 artists including Lady Gaga, and Akon are better then those New Kids recorded on their own, nothing on The Block seems like as chart-topper. Instead, the majority of the songs here unsurprisingly lack any direction or substance.
 
Hopefully, The Block fails to return the New Kids on the Block to mainstream success, because they’ll never return to their former glory.