2010
For those of you who don’t know, or who are not versed in the pop music scene, JLS (an initialism of Jack the Lad Swing) are a British boyband, who were runners-up in the fifth series of UK reality talent show The X Factor in 2008, coming second to Alexandra Burke. (And outselling her 4x over…Have you heard of her? I sure haven’t!) The group consists of Aston Merrygold, Marvin Humes, Jonathan “JB” Gill, and Oritsé Williams.
Following their appearances on The X Factor, JLS signed to Epic Records (UK) and enjoyed continued chart success throughout 2009. Their first two singles “Beat Again” and “Everybody in Love” both went to number-one on the UK Singles Chart. The band’s eponymous debut album was released on 9 November 2009, and has since gone triple platinum, with sales of over one million copies in the UK. JLS won the awards for British Breakthrough and British Single (“Beat Again”) at the 2010 BRIT Awards.
In 2010, JLS signed an American record deal with Jive Records, and released “Everybody in Love” as their debut US single. They are currently recording their second studio album in the United States.
These guys are as nice as they are talented and in all honesty, THE REAL DEAL. If you can dismiss the “boy band” stereotype/stigma they are the closest thing I’ve seen since Boys II Men with the NSYNC dance ability/likeable charm. Catch em this summer in your city, especially if you’ve got a Six Flags location!
