Breaking Beats: #8MonthsWithoutZayn, and other bands that moved on
As #8MonthsWithoutZayn trends, One Direction fans continue to miss their ethnically ambiguous bad boy Zayn Malik. He was arguably the Justin of the band, though some would consider him more of a JC... haters. A lot has changed in the band since he left. One Direction released their 5th album MADE in the A.M. It was their first album not to hit #1 in the U.S., though it did make it to #2. Without Zayn, One Direction is definitely not the same, the internet will tell you, but that’s not stopping them.
But plenty of bands have prevailed despite the exit of a beloved member. To prove it, I’m putting together this banging playlist of groups that have either filtered through members, seen a member die or had someone just leave the group. While you read the comments under your #8MonthsWithoutZayn tweet, listen to this playlist. I swear it’s really not so bad without him. Kinda pumped for his solo stuff though…
Spice Girls — Say You’ll Be There
Before One Direction there was the Spice Girls. And just like One Direction, there was a ton of drama. Apparently Mel B and Geri were beefing so bad that it ended in Ginger Spice’s exit right before their 1998 North American tour. #17YearsWithoutGeri?
TLC — Waterfalls
TLC’s infamous rapper powerhouse, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes left the group abruptly when she died in car crash while filming a documentary in Honduras. The band tried to continue without her, but their hits only came from TLC’s time as a 3-member group. This is one of my favorite cuts off their excellent sophomore album CrazySexyCool.
O-Town — Liquid Dreams
Remember Ashley Parker?! O-Town was such a big deal when they won Making the Band. He even got his own reality show on MTV, but so did three other groups on this list.
Dream — This Is Me (Remix) ft Kain
Similar to O-Town, Dream failed to make much of a lasting impact. At least they had pretty cool sets in their music videos.
One Direction — Night Changes
The last One Direction single with Zayn. Doesn’t it just bring tears to your eyes? #ZaynIMISSYOU
Backstreet Boys — The Call
Kevin Richardson peaced out of Backstreet Boys, but they kept on without him. Sadly, by the time he left in 2006, Backstreet Boys were already pretty irrelevant. Luckily their music still lives on, especially this classic early 2000s production. The way A.J. says DEST-TEN-AYE-HAY is so classic. Fun fact: A.J. told Oprah that the first time he tried cocaine was while filming the music video to this song.
3LW — No More (Baby I’ma Do Right)
Naturi Naughton (middle), left the group after just one album because of “differences,” but apparently she says she was “forced” to leave after the group got into a heated argument in a KFC. It’s all good though, Naughton ended up playing Lil’ Kim in Notorious, that Biggie biopic, and her lines were straight fire.
Destiny’s Child — Say My Name
Before Michelle there were some other women… But we all know Destiny’s Child was all about Beyonce so it never really mattered who was in the group as long as B sang the chorus. SNL did a great skit about the Destiny’s Child drama.
Boys ll Men — Motownphilly
Boys II Men is one of the most OG boy bands, and Motownphilly is still banging. They went through two members over the period of their discography but kept it strong throughout.
Danity Kane — Damaged
I was obsessed with the final season of Making the Band — it was pretty scary watching Diddy bootcamp these women, but it was also super entertaining. Anyone who’s watched the season knows, it makes sense that these women ended up making the band, but it also makes sense that they broke up.
