Editing Boy band (section)

==Key factors of the concept==
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Seen as important to a "boy band" group's commercial success is the group's [[Reputation|image]], carefully controlled by managing all aspects of the group's attire, promotional materials (which are frequently supplied to [[teen magazine]]s), and music videos. The key factor of a boy band is being trendy. This means that the band conforms to the most recent fashion and musical trends in the popular music scene. Typically, each member of the group will have some distinguishing feature and be portrayed as having a particular personality stereotype, such as "the baby", "the bad boy", or "the shy one".  While managing the portrayal of popular musicians is as old as [[popular music]], the particular pigeonholing of band members is a defining characteristic of boy and girl bands. In K-pop, officially designated positions within the group are common, such as "leader", "maknae" (Korean: 막내, English: "the youngest"), "visual", "center" "vocalist", "rapper" and "dancer". The latter three are based on the members' specialized skills and are further divided into "main-", "lead-" and "sub-" (vocalist/rapper/dancer) positions, with the members occupying the "main" positions often being considered the most skilled and having the most parts in songs or being highlighted during solo dance parts. The "leader" is the spokesperson who represents the group in public, and is in charge of mediating between group members, as well as between the group and the label.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-04-12 |title=What Do Positions Mean in K-Pop? |url=https://www.themarysue.com/positions-in-kpop-explained/ |access-date=2022-11-17 |website=The Mary Sue |language=en}}</ref>

In most cases, their music is written, arranged and produced by a producer who works with the band at all times and controls the group's sound – if necessary, to the point of hiring [[session singers]] to record guide vocals for each member of the group to sing individually if the members cannot harmonize well together. However, for clarity of each voice, recording each voice individually is most commonly the norm with most modern vocal groups. In recent years, [[auto-tune]] has become a popular tool in vocal producing, some boy bands have come under fire for that reason. Some have also come under fire for [[lip syncing]] in their performances as well, for example [[New Kids on the Block]].<ref>{{cite news | title = New Kids' Performance Was Dubbed, Critic Says | url = https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1992/03/04/new-kids-performance-was-dubbed-critic-says/ |newspaper = Orlando Sentinel | access-date =August 15, 2012|date=March 4, 1992}}</ref>

A typical boy band performance features elaborately choreographed dancing, with the members taking turns singing and/or rapping. Boy bands generally do not compose or produce their own material, unless the members lobby hard enough for creative control. However, some bands were created around the talent of a songwriter within the group like [[Gary Barlow]] of [[Take That]] or [[Tony Mortimer]] of [[East 17]]. It is not uncommon to find extra songs on an album written by one or more of the band members; however, their producers rarely use these as singles.

Since the 21st century, however, boy bands have been expected to write or at least contribute in some part lyrically to songs. Apart from the groups mentioned above who all had at least one primary songwriter from their beginning, other groups soon caught up. At the close of the nineties, groups like [[Backstreet Boys]] and [[*NSYNC]] who had previously used writers like [[Max Martin]] during their early albums began writing their own songs.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2001|title=*NCharge *NSYNC|url=https://www.yamaha.com/allaccess/artists/issue3-nsync.asp|access-date=|website=Yamaha All Access Magazine}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Seymour|first=Craig|date=10 May 2000|title=Pulling Strings|url=https://ew.com/article/2000/05/10/why-n-syncs-top-selling-album-differs-backstreet-boys-music/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022042735/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,85189,00.html|archive-date=22 October 2012|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref> Newer groups from late 2000s such as [[JLS]] have all made a point from early interviews that they write their own songs and hold their own image as this is an important part of marketing. Some bands like [[The Wanted]] have even spent time learning the craft of songwriting.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a329584/the-wanted-go-to-songwriting-camp-to-write-new-album.html |title=The Wanted go to songwriting camp to write new album |work=Digital Spy |date=July 13, 2011 | place = [[United Kingdom|UK]] | access-date=June 29, 2012}}</ref> There has also been a rising trend of so-called "songwriter-" or "producer idols" ([[Korean language|Korean]]: ''[[Hangul]]'' 작곡돌, ''[[Romanization of Korean|rev. Rom.]]'' jakgok-dol) in K-pop since the early 2000s. Nowadays, it is not uncommon for groups to have at least one member who is heavily involved in the songwriting and producing of the groups' music.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lee Yeonjeong |date=2013-01-20 |title='Idols only good at dancing and singing?' Songwriter idols on the rise |url=https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20130119001200005 |access-date=2022-11-17 |website=연합뉴스 |language=ko}}</ref> In many cases, these members are the rappers in the group, who have often gained songwriting and producing experience while being active as amateur or underground rappers before joining the group. There is also a higher expectation for rappers to write their own lyrics due to self-expression being a core value of the [[Hip hop music|hip-hop]] genre.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kang Nae-ri |date=2016-07-08 |title='Beyond self-composing to producing' - The era of idol rappers |url=https://m.ytn.co.kr/news_view.php?s_mcd=0117&key=201607081100061513&pos= |access-date=2022-11-17 |website=YTN star |language=ko}}</ref> There are cases of "producer idols" writing or producing for other artists outside of their solo or respective group work as well, such as [[BTS]]' [[RM (musician)|RM]] and [[Suga]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=5 K-Pop Songwriters & Producers Who Defined 2021: SUMIN, Teddy Park, ADORA, RM & SUGA|url=https://www.grammy.com/news/5-k-pop-songwriters-producers-who-defined-2021-sumin-teddy-park-adora-rm-suga-bts-blackpink|access-date=2022-11-17|website=www.grammy.com}}</ref>

Individuals can also go on to achieve greater success as a solo artist coming out of a boy band having used the groups popularity to build on. Usually this signals the end of the group until potential future reunions. Examples of this include [[Justin Timberlake]] from [[NSYNC]], and [[Robbie Williams]] from [[Take That]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/boy-band-members-solo-careers-justin-timberlake-nick-jonas-6633580/ |last=Lipshutz |date=July 15, 2015 |title=10 Modern Boy Band Members That Went Solo |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=July 7, 2024}}</ref> Some boy band members have gone on to successful careers elsewhere in the media. In K-pop, it is expected and common practice for members to embark on solo endeavors as musical artists or in other entertainment sectors, such as acting, or as variety personalities, alongside their group career after a few years. At the latest, this happens around the time the eldest member reaches the age of 28 (in exceptional cases 30) and is drafted for [[Conscription in South Korea|mandatory military service]], forcing the group into a temporary hiatus of at least 18 months. The other members then often go on to pursue solo endeavors and reconvene as a group while no member is serving, or after all members have completed their service.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Woodyatt |first=Yoonjung Seo,Amy |date=2022-10-17 |title=BTS members to embark on mandatory military service |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/17/entertainment/bts-military-service-intl-scli/index.html |access-date=2022-11-17 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref>