http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHozn0YXAeE With their unique brand of sunshine pop, nonsensical lyrics and memorable hair, Hanson made their breakthrough in 1997 when 'Mmmbop' became an international hit. A picture of innocence, not to mention remarkably young, tension arose between the boys and their record label when the former party decided they wanted more creative control over their output. Their request was refused, due to a belief that the material the boys had written wasn't marketable. One wonders if the lack of 'marketability' came from an inevitable move towards a more mature sound; it does seem as though everyone expected Hanson to retain their youthful appeal forever. Howard Stern even berated drummer Zac on his radio show for getting married too young. He was, at this point, 20 years old. Hmm. The Hanson story hasn't really graced the tabloids, mostly because there are no child star trainwrecks to see here. Nobody had a drug habit, physical confrontations appeared to be off the table and there were no run-ins with the law, or any other crazy behaviour for us to gawp at. In fact, the band managed to stick together despite the obstacles placed before them, and continued to pursue their new material. The band now release music independently, and still enjoy moderate commercial success in the United States.
Stephanie is a writer and free spirit who likes to pretend she's a Londoner, though strictly speaking she's from Watford. She likes books, music, elephants, and hairspray.