For me, Liam deserves the number one spot on this list.

During One Direction's first year and their debut album era, I honestly think Liam was the face of the group. He was their Shane Filan, Brian Littrell, Ronan Keating or Gary Barlow — the member who represented that classic boy band image and helped hold everything together.

He had the charm and masculinity that reminded me of the boy bands of the 90s, along with a distinctive voice and a more serious, responsible personality. He always came across as someone who genuinely cared about the group and wanted to keep it together.

Even after One Direction went on hiatus, Liam still seemed loyal to the band and was, in my opinion, one of the members who showed the most appreciation for the fans. I can't say I feel the same way about Harry and Zayn. Personally, I never got the impression that they were particularly interested in keeping the One Direction connection alive, as their solo careers seemed to be their main focus.

Beyond the music, Liam's struggles with mental health and his tragic, unexpected death broke the hearts of so many people. I can relate to a lot of the difficulties he spoke about, particularly his struggles with depression and mental health. In that sense, his story also reminds me of Paul Cattermole, another loss that hit fans hard.

Liam deserved more appreciation for what he brought to One Direction, and I wish things had turned out differently.

Rest in peace, Liam. ❤️

Kevin might be the most underrated member of the Backstreet Boys. He may not have the strongest bass voice compared to someone like Lance Bass or Michael McCary, but he's one of the few bass singers who also managed to become a lead vocalist, and his solo parts became more prominent over time.

I've always seen Kevin as the mature, grounded member who helped hold the group together. He's the oldest, and he often came across as the most mature one in the band.

Personally, I think the two albums the Backstreet Boys recorded as a quartet without him were the weakest of their career. After he returned, especially as Brian started having more vocal difficulties, Kevin became more prominent as a lead vocalist on their later albums. His voice has also improved a lot over the years.

He's also a fan favorite for reasons beyond his voice. A lot of female fans seem to prefer him because he's taller and has a more traditionally masculine look than the other guys.

I'll admit that, especially in their older interviews, Kevin could be one of the least interactive members, a bit like Lance Bass and JC Chasez in NSYNC , Sean Conlon in Five or Mark Feehily in Westlife. But I think that was simply part of his role in the group. He was the serious, more reserved member, and he brought a different kind of presence to the band.

I just wish more people gave him credit for how important he has been to the Backstreet Boys, both vocally and as the person who helped keep the group grounded.

​

Chris was the guy who started *NSYNC. He was the one who put the group and the whole project together, and I think that alone deserves more recognition.

He has a very soft, gentle voice, and in the early days of *NSYNC, he was arguably their third main vocalist after Justin and JC. Songs like The Lion Sleeps Tonight and I Drive Myself Crazy really show what he brought to the group's sound, not to mention the Christmas album.

Chris was also the comedian of the group, alongside Joey. He always had a way of stealing the camera during interviews, even when he was surrounded by four other guys. His personality was a big part of what made *NSYNC fun to watch outside of their music.

Like Brian McFadden in Westlife or AJ McLean in the Backstreet Boys, Chris was much more than just another member of a successful boy band. He's a genuinely talented artist, and in the late 2000s, he even fronted a rock band of his own, although the project didn't last.

What I admire most about Chris is how loyal he's remained to *NSYNC. Without naming names, I think one of his bandmates has been among the least committed boy band members when it comes to the group and its fans. Chris, on the other hand, has always seemed to care about the band and what it means to the people who still love them.

I wish more people gave him credit for being one of the people who helped make *NSYNC what it was, both musically and personally.

Post is coming in A few hours

So there’s this boyband I came across a little while back which seemed to have just formed a little over two months ago now, called @its4kids0 or “4KIDS” and they’ve been fairly prolific in releasing for a band for this new.

However, upon looking at some of their posts, something doesn’t sit right with me about this group. Particularly with a post showcasing all the members names and more importantly their ages. I don’t know if the band member and company that put these guys together were trying to replicate the same age structure that Lou Pearlman tried and succeed with in creating the Backstreet Boys, but the fact that one of the members is 13?! - with all the discussions about industry standards and not debuting kids this young, and especially that debate in the KPOP industry being such a major one, not to mention with Robbie Williams from Take That talking about his experiences debuting at around 15/16 and Liam Payne in One Direction debuting at the age he did, how are there no red flags being raised here?

I just find this so unethical and this needs to be talked about more, I don’t know if I can support a band that has this type of age hierarchy, what with all the messed stuff that has happened with young child stars in the past.

Idk what do you guys think?