Did you watch ABC’s “Boy Band”? If so, you most likely recognized heartthrobs Chance Perez, Brady Tutton, Drew Ramos, Sergio Calderon and Michael Conor from the show.
These young men met on the show and together became America’s next official boy band as In Real Life (IRL). With the consistently increasing audience that platforms like YouTube and Instagram attract, many other boy bands such as Why Don’t We and Pretty Much are all competing for the same demographic.
However, IRL sets themselves apart, as they formed after getting to know each other for several weeks on a television show and because of their ages and diversity in terms of origin.
The members come from all across the United States: Perez (20) from California, Tutton (16) from Wisconsin, Ramos (20) from New York, Calderon (17) from California and Conor (18) from Ohio. The diversity of the group attracts an even wider audience.
Following “Boy Band,” the group released their first single, “Eyes Closed,” which has amassed over 1.7 million views on YouTube to date.
Approximately two months ago, the band released “Tattoo (How ‘Bout You),” which has garnered over 1.2 million views on YouTube since its debut.
On April 19, the band released the audio for their newest song, “How Badly,” on YouTube.
This song is a hybrid between Spanish and English and is truly unique.
The band has performed on notable television shows, such as “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” “Good Morning America” and MTV’s “Total Request Live.”
IRL also incorporates some routine choreography into their performances. The dancing aspect adds character to their performances and gets fans in the audience on their feet having a great time. The group has recently traveled across the country performing for fans at different radio stations while trying to appeal to new fans as well.
One unique part of the group is that they have a specific member, Conor, who often raps a verse in each song. I recently had the opportunity to attend the 17th Annual T.J. Martell Family Day event in New York City, where IRL was one of the headlining acts.
I was surprised when the group announced that they were going to sing a cover; even more so when Conor accompanied the cover on violin.
The audience was blown away by this, as it is rare to find a boy band that incorporates live instruments into their performance.
In an interview with the group at the event they told me that they are planning on doing some shows and potentially some touring over the summer.
If these guys ever come to your area, be sure to grab tickets before they sell out.
