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Big Time Rush (group)

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This article is about the band. For their television show, see Big Time Rush. For their debut album, see BTR (album).
Big Time Rush
Background information
OriginLos Angeles, California, United States
GenresPop rock, R&B, dance
Years active2009–present
LabelsColumbia, Nick
MembersKendall Schmidt
James Maslow
Carlos Pena Jr.
Logan Henderson
Dustin Belt
Websitehttp://BTRBand.com/home

Big Time Rush (also known as BTR) are an American boy band who first found fame with their TV series with the same name in 2009. The band consists of Carlos Pena, Jr., James Maslow, Kendall Schmidt and Logan Henderson. The group were signed a record deal with Nick Records simultaneously with the television series, and because of production and musical rights to the show, the group were eventually signed to Columbia/Epic Label Group.

The group's first single as a band was the song "with the same name", which was featured on their pilot of their series. The group eventually started recording their studio album and in October 2010, Big Time Rush's debut album, BTR became a success around the world. The album entered the Billboard 200 at three, selling over 60,000 copies in its first week, as well as entering charts including Mexico, Austria, Germany and the United Kingdom and has sold over 3 million copies worldwide, becoming their best effort. Their debut single outside of the series, "Boyfriend" peaked at number seventy-two on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). With their continuing success of the TV series, the group released their second sophomore album Elevate. The album achieved similar success, selling over 70,000 copies in its first week, making it debut at number twelve, but was certified gold in Mexico, becoming their second-consecutive certified album in that country. The group promoted the album with their tours, Better With U Tour and Big Time Summer Tour, which had supporting acts including One Direction.

The group have been presented as a child-appropriate group, due to their TV series and sign with Nickelodeon. The group have released two studio albums, and is due to release their third studio album. According to interviews with many outlets, the group have said that the fourth season of the TV series would expect to end after its fourth season. During their three year career, the band has gained 4 certified records, these being both their studio albums (in Mexico), and BTR and their single "Boyfriend" (in the United States). The group have been nominated and have won for such awards at the Kids' Choice Awards, MTV Europe Music Awards and the Bravo Otto Awards. Ever since mid-2012, Big Time Rush has sold over 4 million records worldwide to date.[1]

History

2009-2010: Career beginnings, deals and BTR

Main article: BTR (album)

Scott Fellows, formerly the creator, executive producer and showrunner of fellow Nickelodeon TV series Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide created and conceived the series of Big Time Rush.[2] Fellow's was inspired by the musical comedy TV show, The Monkees[3] However, the show was not titled until 2009, though it was in production state since 2007.

Casting was set nationwide, and over 1500 teenagers attended.[4][5] Maslow and Henderson were the first actors cast, as they thought they were the easiest and quickest characters, while Schmidt was described the most difficult to cast.[5] After this, Schmidt was turned down for casting and the role was still open. Originally, Curt Hansen was to be casted as Kendall Knight and to feature in the band, however he appeared a lot older in the show and was too similar to Maslow's character in the pilot episode, so co-star Logan Henderson had requested to bring him back, making Schmidt the lead role to the series.

Nickelodeon signed Big Time Rush a record deal in 2009 simultaneously with the television series, Big Time Rush. Then, Nickelodeon partnered with Columbia/Epic Label Group to produce the show and include the original music to the show. For the series, their debut single, "Big Time Rush", was released on November 29, 2009.[6] Officially announced by Nickeloden, the series was first broadcast in the U.S. in November 2009, until it was eventually released worldwide.

It debuted during a one-hour special preview of the series and it is currently the show's opening theme. The series also saw the releases of other singles including "City is Ours" and "Any Kind of Guy". Big Time Rush also covered a Play song titled "Famous". The song was released on iTunes on June 29, 2010. Another song, "Halfway There", was released to iTunes on April 27, 2010 after its premiere on the series.[7][8] The single has become their first to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 93 due to strong digital sales.[9]

On September 21, 2010, Big Time Rush released a promotional single, "Till I Forget About You", to promote the release of their debut album.[10] The album, titled BTR, was released on October 11, 2010. Soon after the release, the band went to Baltimore on October 12, 2010 to do an autograph signing at Arundel Mills Mall. I went there and got their autographs. The album debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 200, selling 67,000 copies in its first week of release. The album also peaked at number 4 on the Internet Albums chart and number one on the Soundtracks chart. Its track "Big Night" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 79, making it their highest peaking song. The album was later certified Gold for shipments of 500,000 copies in the U.S., over 30,000 copies were sold in Mexico resulting in its second level of Gold and it has sold over 3,000,000 copies worldwide.[11] In November 2010, it was announced that a Christmas special of Big Time Rush would debut later that month, and that a Christmas EP would be released to coincide with the episode. The EP, titled Holiday Bundle was released on November 30, 2010. They covered "All I Want for Christmas is You", originally performed by Mariah Carey, with fellow Nickelodeon star Miranda Cosgrove, but was not released as so. Instead it was released as just them and it came with a new Christmas beat, "Beautiful Christmas".

On February 15, 2011, "Boyfriend" was released as the band's first official single to mainstream US radio.[12] "Boyfriend" peaked at number seventy-two on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming their most successful song to date. It peaked at number 30 on the Billboard Pop Songs chart in March 2011. A remix of "Boyfriend" which featured New Boyz was leaked onto the internet. Big Time Rush was Nominated For MTV's Breakthrough Band award Honor in 2011 As Well.[13]

2011-2012: Elevate and touring

Main articles: Elevate (album), Better With U Tour, and Big Time Summer Tour

The group announced they would be recording their second studio album, just after Nickeloden re-newed the series for a third season.[14] On July 22, 2011, the band released a promotional single, "If I Ruled the World" featuring Iyaz, in anticipation of their second album, Elevate. Elevate was released on November 21, 2011 and debuted at number 12 on the Billboard 200, selling over 70,000 copies in its first week. Though for a lower peaking than their previous, the album sold more copies than the previous album.[15] The first single, "Music Sounds Better with U", written by the band and Ryan Tedder from OneRepublic, was released on November 1, 2011. The song peaked at number twenty-six on the US Pop Songs.

To promote the release of their second album, the group had their first headlining tour, the Better With U Tour, which took place over sixteen dates in February and March 2012. JoJo opened for Big Time Rush for the first five dates, while One Direction opened for ten of the sixteen dates.[16] In late February, Big Time Rush announced a national summer tour starting July 5 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH.[17][18] Cody Simpson, Rachel Crow and Leon Thomas III will be the opening acts in the American venues, whereas Victoria Duffield and Tyler Medeiros will be opening in the Canadian cities.

2012-present: Film debut and third studio album

The band announced they would be starring in their full-length 2012 film, Big Time Movie. The movie features them travelling to London, England. In Big Time Movie, the four members of the band Big Time Rush head to London for their first big world tour but instead get mixed up in a mission to save the world. The film was released on 10 March 2012 in the US, while a Germany release was on 22 September 2012.[19] Due to the promotion, the group recorded cover of The Beatles songs and released an EP, Big Time Movie Soundtrack EP.[20] However, the film received mixed to positive reviews from most contemporary film critics, many comparing them to The Monkees but praising their fun, carefree image.[21][22] However, the film was a commercial success, having over 13 million views in a week.[23]

The group is currently writing and recording new songs for their third album. Their single, "Windows Down", was released on June 25, 2012. With its success, the song peaked at 37 on the US Pop Songs and 15 on the US Heatseekers Songs.[24] The song then debuted at 97 on the Hot 100.[25] It was included on a re-release of the group's second album, Elevate. It has also sold over 120,000 digital units as of August 4, 2012. it has been certified silver in the United States by the RIAA for denoting over 100,000 sold downloads.

On August 6, 2012 Nickelodeon renewed the Big Time Rush series for a 13-episode fourth season, with production starting at the start of 2013.

Artistry

Musical style and themes

Because the group are associated with the TV series and children network Nickelodeon, they have been presented as a "child-friendly" group, but have musical differences. While reviewing their first studio album, BTR, Jessica Dawson from Common Sense, she stated "Big Time Rush is a standout, not only because of their boyish charm and good looks, but because their music is a cool blend of synth-pop, hip-hop, and boy-band harmonies."[26] The music found on BTR is mainly pop and R&B. The music found on the album is child-appropriate, as it serves as not only their debut album, but the soundtrack to their self-titled series.

Their second studio album, Elevate, presented a more dance-oriented song, along with general pop music and R&B.

Success and public image

Carlos Pena Jr. was interviewed September 2012, and talked about if Big Time Rush could exist outside of their series, where he replied;

"I think the music could stand alone, but I don’t know if it would be as powerful. The show has definitely been our main audience. We have four million kids watching. So when you put a song out, four million kids hear it. When you put a song on the radio, you’re not going to have four million people listening. It’s a blessing and a curse being on Nickelodeon — it’s gotten us where we are now, though some people are standoffish to us because of that. But we have to be grateful that Nickelodeon gave us this opportunity. Abandoning the show would not be the best idea."[27]

He was then asked about the ending of the series, where he replied "This probably is going to be our last season. We have done almost 100 episodes, which is great. But yeah, the goal is for the music to carry on — and for us to do other ventures."[27] They were also asked about this with JustJaredDJ and they said "[BTR] We’re going to be a band as long as our record label allows us to [...] We’re dedicated to BTR until the very end and we don’t even know when that is." Amanda Ash from Edmondson Journal said "While teens weave and wobble through adolescence, plastering posters of boys with side-swept hair on our walls, it seems as though boy bands like Big Time Rush too must take life as it comes. Sure, it might mean functioning as a hinge on a musical machine, cranking out singles in exchange for dollar signs, but artists learn and grow, too. Big Time Rush is just another mandatory rung the quartet must climb."[28]

With their success, the group have been compared to recent boy bands such as One Direction and The Wanted. However, in most reviewers, Big Time Rush have been divided with positivety and negativity from onlookers. However, recent boy bands including One Direction and The Wanted have also not received rave outcomes.[29] Michael O'Connell from The Hollywood Reporter said "One Direction is but one group in this resilient and timeless fad. They follow the recent success of fellow Brits [The Wanted] and Nickelodeon's cross-market creation [Big Time Rush]. One [One Direction] is fluke. Two [The Wanted] is a coincidence. And three [Big Time Rush] is a trend that you want to father your unborn children.'[30] In August 2012, the group were voted the Best Boy Band in the World, with over 800,000 votes casted on them.[31][32] Melinda Newman from Washington Post stated "In the grand tradition of boy bands, these acts share certain traits with their similarly manufactured pop ancestors: Members of the Wanted and Big Time Rush auditioned for their parts at a casting call. The members of One Direction were put together by Simon Cowell after trying out individually for the British edition of “The X Factor.”"[29] However, she positively compared them to The Monkees by saying "Big Time Rush is similar to the Monkees with its own TV series as a launchpad, and the group appeals to kids and tweens."[29]

To date, Big Time Rush have sold over 4 million records worldwide. they are also one of the most popular boy band's in the 21st century.[1]

Discography

Main article: Big Time Rush discography

Studio albums

Extended plays

Awards and Nominations

Year Award Category Recipient(s) Result
2010 Australian Kids Choice Awards Favorite International Band Big Time Rush Won
2010 Australian Kids Choice Awards Favorite TV Star Big Time Rush Won
2011 Kids Choice Awards Favorite Music Group Big Time Rush Won
2011 Kids' Choice Awards Argentina Favorite International Artist Big Time Rush Won
2011 Kids' Choice Awards Argentina Favorite Song - "Boyfriend" Big Time Rush Won
2011 MTV Europe Music Awards Best Push Act Big Time Rush Won
2011 Youth Rock Awards Best Group Big Time Rush Won
2011 Youth Rock Awards Best Band of 2011 Big Time Rush Won
2011 Kids' Choice Awards México Favorite International Artist Big Time Rush Won
2011 Bravo Otto Super Pop Band Big Time Rush Won
2012 Teen TV Awards Favorite Musical Group Big Time Rush Won
2012 Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Music Group Big Time Rush Won
2012 Kids' Choice Awards México Favorite International Artist Big Time Rush Won
2012 Kids' Choice Awards Argentina Favorite International Artist Big Time Rush Won
2012 PopCrush Music Awards Video of the Year - "Windows Down" Big Time Rush Won
2012 Hitzoneonline Hitlists Best Songs of 2012 Big Time Rush Template:Will win
Hitzoneonline Hitlists Hottest Guys of 2012 Carlos Pena, James Maslow, Kendall Schmidt, Logan Henderson Template:Will win
Hitzoneonline Hitlists Fan Favorites of 2012 Dustin Belt Won
Hitzoneonline Hitlists Best Tours of 2012 "Better With U Tour" Won
Hitzoneonline Hitlists Best Tours of 2012 "Big Time Summer Tour" Won
Hitzoneonline Hitlists Cutest Couples of 2012 Carlos Pena & Samantha Droke Won
Hitzoneonline Hitlists Cutest Couples of 2012 James Maslow & Halston Sage Won
Hitzoneonline Hitlists Best TV Shows of 2012 Big Time Rush Won
Hitzoneonline Hitlists Best Movies of 2012 Big Time Movie Won

References

  1. ^ a b Hawke's Bay Today. Pg 2, The News in 10. 2012.
  2. ^ Lloyd, Robert. "Reviews: 'Big Time Rush' and 'I'm in the Band'." Los Angeles Times. January 18, 2010.
  3. ^ Martin, Denise. "Child's Play." Los Angeles Times. November 22, 2009.
  4. ^ Martin, Denise. "'Big Time Rush' Is A Little Bit 'Entourage,' A Little Bit 'Monkees'." Boston Globe. November 26, 2009.
  5. ^ a b Moore, Frazier. "An Inside Look at a Boy Band on Nick's New Comedy." Associated Press. January 15, 2010.
  6. ^ "Nickelodeon show debuts big time on iTunes when it charted at no.3 | The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online". Mb.com.ph. 2010-07-06. Retrieved 2011-01-04.
  7. ^ "Connecting to the iTunes Store". Itunes.apple.com. Retrieved 2011-09-10.
  8. ^ "Big Time Rush "Halfway There" On iTunes | Nickelodeon News". Nickutopia.com. 2010-04-16. Retrieved 2011-09-10.
  9. ^ "BIG TIME RUSH- HALFWAY THERE ON Billboard's Hot 100 Chart ! – Big Time Rush link". Fanpop. Retrieved 2011-09-10.
  10. ^ "iTunes – Music – Til I Forget About You – Single by Big Time Rush". Itunes.apple.com. 2010-09-21. Retrieved 2011-09-10.
  11. ^ "Bridgit Mendler signs with Hollywood Records, Big Time Rush certified Gold, Will Joe Jonas open for Britney Spears, Pics from Savannah Outen and Josh Golden's music video, Destinee and Paris sing The Big Bang, Disney to make song for Japan, Kids' Choice Awards flashback, Tron: Legacy Reconfigured, Zendaya appearance at World of Wheels". Tommy2.net. 2011-04-01. Retrieved 2011-09-10.
  12. ^ http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=16691, FMQB.com. Retrieved on 2011-02-04.
  13. ^ "Featured News Post | The Official Big Time Rush Site". Btrband.com. Retrieved 2011-09-10.
  14. ^ Big Time Rush was first broadcast in the U.S. in November 2009.
  15. ^ "Michael Buble Bests Nickelback, Rihanna on Billboard 200". Billboard.com. Billboard. November 30, 2011. Retrieved December 1, 2011.
  16. ^ "One Direction Announce US Tour Dates". One Direction Music. 2011-11-18. Retrieved 2012-01-26.
  17. ^ http://www.nickutopia.com/2012/02/28/big-time-rush-big-time-summer-2012-tour-dates/
  18. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4ojOxaa8gI
  19. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2165641/releaseinfo
  20. ^ "Big Time Movie Soundtrack - EP" in the iTunes Store.
  21. ^ Big Time Movie (TV 2012) - IMDB.
  22. ^ Big Time Movie - Movie Review. commonsensemedia.org.
  23. ^ "Ratings - Nickelodeon's "Big Time Movie" Scores Top Spot for the Week With Kids and Tweens and Reaches 13 Million Total Viewers". The Futon Critic. 2012-03-13. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
  24. ^ Big Time Rush Album & Song Chart History. Billboard.
  25. ^ http://bigtimerushonline.net/news/windows-down-debuts-on-billboards-hot-100
  26. ^ This review was written by Jessica Dawson (2010-10-12). "BTR – Music Review". Commonsensemedia.org. Retrieved 2011-12-16.
  27. ^ a b FIRST POSTED: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 03, 2012 02:00 AM EDT Big Time Rush ready to slow down.
  28. ^ http://www.edmontonjournal.com/entertainment/story.html?id=7239932
  29. ^ a b c http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/big-time-rush-one-direction-the-wanted-the-boy-band-is-making-a-comeback/2012/03/20/gIQAxsvCSS_story.html
  30. ^ http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/earshot/one-direction-wanted-big-time-rush-boy-bands-303326
  31. ^ http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2012/08/02/big_time_rush_beat_one_direction_in_bo
  32. ^ http://www.teen.com/2012/08/03/news/entertainment-news/big-time-rush-best-boy-band-parade-magazine/
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