PrettyMuch
PrettyMuch | |
|---|---|
 PrettyMuch in 2018 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2016–present |
| Labels | |
| Associated acts | |
| Website | prettymuch |
| Members |
|
PrettyMuch (stylized in all caps) are an American-Canadian pop and R&B boy band based in Los Angeles, California. Formed by Simon Cowell in 2016, the band consists of Brandon Arreaga, Edwin Honoret, Austin Porter, Nick Mara, and Zion Kuwonu.
Career
2016–2017: Formation and early career
The members of PrettyMuch were pursuing solo careers until Syco Music founder Simon Cowell and former label president Sonny Takhar merged them into a group.[2][3] Since 2016, the members of PrettyMuch have been based in Los Angeles where they have shared a home since March 18, 2016, in which they have worked on their dancing skills in addition to recording their debut EP.[2][4]
In 2017, PrettyMuch gained attention on social media with their cover songs and dancing videos, including a rendition of Charlie Puth's "Attention" and choreography tributes to Michael Jackson and Bruno Mars.[1][5][6] PrettyMuch's debut single, "Would You Mind", written by Savan Kotecha and Jacob Kasher, was released in July 2017.[6][7] A month later, the group performed the song at the 2017 Teen Choice Awards and sang an a cappella version on the red carpet at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards.[4][1] A music video for the song was then released in September. Directed by Emil Nava, it depicts the members dancing and jumping over each other in empty alleyways, along with scenes from a road trip the group had taken.[8][9] The clip was inspired by boy band videos of the late 1990s and early 2000s, such as Backstreet Boys' "We've Got It Goin' On" and NSYNC's "I Want You Back".[9] The single peaked in the top 40 on Billboard's Mainstream Top 40 charts.[10]
PrettyMuch performed "Would You Mind" on MTV's Total Request Live in October 2017 and released their second single, "Teacher".[11] This single and its music video have been accused of being very similar to those of Dead Obies' "Where They @".[12] On October 27, 2017, they released their single, "Open Arms". In November 2017, they confirmed via Twitter that they would perform during the final of Series 14 of The X Factor in the United Kingdom, performing their single, "No More".[13] PrettyMuch had their own tour called PRETTYMUCH EVERYWHERE Tour across the United States. The group performed on Good Morning America on January 15. PrettyMuch performed their singles "Open Arms" and "No More" on MTV's Total Request Live on January 17.
2018–2019: PRETTYMUCH an EP, Phases, and INTL:EP
They released their debut EP, PRETTYMUCH an EP on April 19, 2018, including their single "10,000 Hours". On June 21, 2018, they released a summer single "Summer On You", written by Ed Sheeran and produced by Steve Mac.[14] They also performed it on the Late Late Show with James Corden. On August 20, 2018, the group performed at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards on the Push Artist Stage.[15] The single peaked in the top 50 on Pop radio.[16] On September 28, 2018, they released their single "Solita" featuring Rich the Kid.[17]
They released their song "Real Friends" on October 17, 2018, to promote their fall tour, the Funktion Tour, and afterward "Jello", on December 14, 2018, accompanied by an official video. In the start of 2019, "Blind" (stylized as "BLiND") was released on January 25. Their second single of 2019, "Phases", was released on April 26, alongside a music video featuring model Justine Mae Biticon. On May 17, PrettyMuch announced their second EP would come out a week later. On May 20, the band released "Gone 2 Long", written and produced completely by Brandon Arreaga. The group's second EP, the Phases - EP, was released on May 24, 2019. The EP consists of six songs: two already released songs ("Phases" and "Gone 2 Long"), and four new songs called "Eyes Off You", "Temporary Heart", "4U" and "One Shot".[18]
On July 11, PrettyMuch kicked off their FOMO Tour with opening act Kenzie Ziegler in Dallas, Texas. A week later, on July 19, the band released "Lying", a collaboration with Lil Tjay.[19]
On November 22, PrettyMuch released INTL:EP, which features "Me Necesita", a collaboration with Latin-American boy band CNCO, and three other songs, with guest vocals from Luísa Sonza, NCT Dream, and Iñigo Pascual.[20] On March 10, 2020, PrettyMuch was announced as an opening act for select US dates of Camila Cabello's The Romance Tour, but the tour was later cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[21]
2020–present: New label and Smackables
Following a year of more participation in their music, PrettyMuch was musically silent for the entirety of 2020, but continued to remain active on social media. Later in the year, it was revealed that Syco Music, the band's record label, had been dissolved.[22] In December 2020, PrettyMuch announced they had signed to Sire Records.[23] They began teasing their comeback to releasing music on their social media, as well as posting a countdown on their website to January 22, 2021.[24]
On January 17, 2021, the band revealed that a new single was set to be released that week, posting the cover art with the title hidden by asterisks (stars).[25][26] Five days later, "Stars" was released to all streaming platforms, along with a music video. On the same day, PrettyMuch announced their label debut EP, Smackables.[27] The EP was released a week later on January 29, along with a music video for the song "Parking Spot" featuring actress and model Alexia Castillo.[28]
In an interview with GQ,[29] it was revealed that "Corpus Christi", a song initially thought to be on the original Smackables EP would be released on a deluxe version of Smackables. This also served as a simultaneous, unofficial announcement of Smackables (Deluxe Version). On February 19, the music video for "Lonely" was premiered on PrettyMuch's YouTube channel.[30] On February 26, 2021, the deluxe version of the Smackables EP was released on Sire Records. The deluxe EP included "Corpus Christi", a song written mainly by Brandon Arreaga featuring a production credit from Lido, and "Smackables", the long-awaited title track teased by the band in various YouTube videos throughout 2020.
Prior to the release of Smackables (Deluxe Edition), PrettyMuch announced a "Smackables EP Release Party",[31] hosted by Moment House.[32] The release party was held in three installments, each for a different region of the world on March 4 or 5th, 2021, to accommodate their global fans. The party consisted of the band doing short commentaries on three songs ("Free", "Lonely", and "Corpus Christi") and playing them for fans, performing three of the songs off the complete Smackables EP ("Stars", "Parking Spot", and "Smackables"), and a special premiere of the "Corpus Christi" music video. The official "Corpus Christi" video, directed by Boni Mata, was released on March 9, 2021. PrettyMuch also performed their song "Stars" on Good Morning America on March 16.[33]
After sharing a teaser on TikTok, PRETTYMUCH released "Trust" on July 30, 2021. The official video, which was released on the same day, is directed by Ian Eastwood and edited by Brandon Arreaga.[34]
Discography
| PrettyMuch discography | |
|---|---|
| Music videos | 22 |
| EPs | 5 |
| Singles | 24 |
PrettyMuch have released five extended plays, twenty-two singles, and twenty-two music videos.
Extended plays
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| PrettyMuch an EP |
|
| Phases - EP |
|
| INTL:EP |
|
| Smackables |
|
| Smackables (Deluxe Edition) |
|
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Pop[35] | NZ Hot [36] |
UK [37] | |||
| "Would You Mind" | 2017 | 40 | — | 100 | Non-album singles |
| "Teacher" | — | — | — | ||
| "Open Arms" | — | — | — | ||
| "No More" (featuring French Montana) |
— | — | 77 | ||
| "Hello" | 2018 | — | — | — | PrettyMuch an EP |
| "10,000 Hours" | — | — | — | ||
| "Healthy" | — | — | — | ||
| "On My Way" | — | — | — | ||
| "Summer On You" | 49 | — | — | Non-album singles | |
| "Solita" (featuring Rich the Kid) |
— | — | — | ||
| "Real Friends" | — | — | — | ||
| "Jello"[38] | — | 34 | — | ||
| "Blind" | 2019 | — | — | — | |
| "Phases" | — | 26 | — | Phases EP | |
| "Gone 2 Long" | — | — | — | ||
| "Eyes Off You" | — | — | — | ||
| "Lying" (featuring Lil Tjay)[39] |
— | 19 | — | Non-album singles | |
| "Rock Witchu"[40] | — | — | — | ||
| "Me Necesita" (with CNCO)[41] |
— | — | — | INTL:EP | |
| "Up to You" (with NCT Dream) |
— | — | — | ||
| "Stars" | 2021 | — | — | — | Smackables |
| "Lonely" | — | — | — | Smackables (Deluxe Edition) | |
| "Trust" | — | — | — | Non-album singles | |
| "I Don't Wanna Leave" (featuring Jeremih) |
— | — | — | TBA | |
Music videos
- "Would You Mind" (2017)
- "Teacher" (2017)
- "Open Arms" (2017)
- "No More" (2017) with French Montana
- "10,000 Hours" (2018)
- "Hello" (2018)
- "Summer On You" (2018)
- "Jello" (2018)
- "Blind" (2019)
- "Phases" (2019)
- "Gone 2 Long (Choir Version)" (2019)
- "Lying" (2019) with Lil Tjay
- "Me Necesita" (2019) with CNCO
- "The Weekend" (2019) with Luísa Sonza
- "Love" (2019) with Iñigo Pascual
- "Stars" (2021)
- "Parking Spot" (2021)
- "Free" (2021)
- "Lonely" (2021)
- "Smackables" (2021)
- "Corpus Christi" (2021)
- "Trust" (2021)
Members
Brandon Arreaga
Brandon Michael Lee Arreaga (born December 14, 1999) grew up in Corinth, Texas. He began doing acting and modeling jobs at around eleven years old, and used money earned from the jobs to get equipment for a home studio.[42] Arreaga would rent the studio out to other local musicians.[43] He was the last member to join the group, as he did not initially get involved because his parents thought the scouting was fake.[44] As of 2019, Arreaga has been dating Maggie Lindemann, another singer from Texas.[45]
Edwin Honoret
Edwin Joel Honoret (born February 12, 1999) is from The Bronx, New York.[43]
Austin Porter
Austin Dale Porter (born August 14, 1997) grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina. Prior to the audition, Porter had a solo career, having released a pop album titled "One Love" in 2013[46] and made an unreleased rap EP.[43] He is inspired by a variety of different genres including lo-fi hip-hop and jazz. He has listed Elton John, James Taylor, Chicago and The Beatles as some of his musical influences.[47]
Nick Mara
Nicholas Carter Mara (born November 8, 1997) was born in New York, but grew up in Englishtown, New Jersey. He began dancing at around nine years old, and was formerly in the dance crew ICONic Boyz, which was featured in the sixth season of America's Best Dance Crew. Mara describes his musical interest as "Bad Boy-era type music", being inspired by artists such as Notorious B.I.G.[48]
Zion Kuwonu
Caleb Zion Kuwonu (born June 29, 1999) is from Ottawa, Canada. He was inspired to become a singer after watching Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, and lists Justin Bieber as one of his musical inspirations, among other artists such as PartyNextDoor, One Direction, and Michael Jackson.[44][48] Kuwonu was noticed by Sony Music after he began posting song covers on Vine in order to gain popularity at school. He has noted that he only had around 150 followers at the time.[43]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated | Nominated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | iHeart Radio Music Awards[49] | Best Boyband | PRETTYMUCH | Nominated |
| MTV Video Music Awards[50] | Push Artist of the Year | Nominated | ||
| MTV Europe Music Awards[51] | Best Push | Nominated | ||
| Best Group | Nominated | |||
| 2019 | Teen Choice Awards[52] | Choice Music Group | Nominated | |
| MTV Video Music Awards[53] | Best Group | Nominated |
Tours
Headlining
- PRETTYMUCH EVERYWHERE Tour (2018)
- FUNKTION Tour (2018)
- FOMO Tour (2019)
Opening act
- Jack & Jack Tour (2017)
- Roxy Tour (2018)
References
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Hosken, Patrick (September 15, 2017). "PRETTYMUCH's Sunny 'Would You Mind' Video Looks Like It's From 1997". MTV. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Angermiller, Michele Amabile (July 28, 2017). "PrettyMuch, Simon Cowell's Latest Boy Band Discovery, Poised to Pop". Variety. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
- ^ Horowitz, Steven J. (August 24, 2017). "Meet the Next Wave of Boy Bands: PRETTYMUCH, Why Don't We and CNCO". Billboard. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Monell, Ray (September 17, 2017). "New Simon Cowell boy band is Prettymuch the latest thing". New York Daily News. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
- ^ Corinthios, Aurelie (May 13, 2017). "Meet Simon Cowell's New Boy Band, PRETTYMUCH (Spoiler: They're Adorable and They Can Really Dance)". People. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Diaz, Thatiana (September 19, 2017). "Simon Cowell's boy band PRETTYMUCH drops 'Would You Mind' music video — watch now". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
- ^ Wass, Mike (July 7, 2017). "Meet Your New Favorite Boy Band: PRETTYMUCH Teases "Would You Mind"". Idolator. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
- ^ Armstrong, Megan (September 15, 2017). "PRETTYMUCH Drops 'Would You Mind' Video". Billboard.com. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Hosken, Patrick (September 19, 2017). "PRETTYMUCH Director Breaks Down The Influences Behind 'Would You Mind' Video". MTV. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
- ^ "PRETTYMUCH". Billboard.com.
- ^ Roth, Madeline (October 5, 2017). "PRETTYMUCH's New Single Is All About 'Women Empowerment, 100 Percent'". MTV. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
- ^ Plante, Stéphane. "[VIDÉO] Dead Obies plagié par un boys band américain?". Le Journal de Montréal (in French). Retrieved April 21, 2018.
- ^ "Twitter". Twitter. November 29, 2017. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
- ^ Mele, Sofia (June 21, 2018). "PRETTYMUCH Drops Sunny Ed Sheeran-Penned Single 'Summer on You': Listen". Billboard.com. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
- ^ "PRETTYMUCH confirmed to perform at 2018 MTV VMAs". Pressparty. August 14, 2018.
- ^ Cantor, Brian. "Songs By Marshmello & Bastille, Panic! At The Disco, PRETTYMUCH Join Pop Radio's Top 50". Headline Planet. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
- ^ Spanos, Brittany (September 28, 2018). "Hear PrettyMuch's Feisty New Song 'Solita'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
- ^ "PRETTYMUCH Gets Things Very Right On 'Phases,' Listen Here". Idolator. May 24, 2019.
- ^ Spanos, Brittany (July 19, 2019). "Watch PrettyMuch, Lil Tjay's Graffiti-Covered 'Lying' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
- ^ Spanos, Brittany. "PrettyMuch Discuss Guest-Filled 'Intl:EP,' Ambitious 2020 Plans". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
- ^ "Camila Cabello Announces Romance Tour Opening Acts". Billboard.com. March 10, 2020.
- ^ "Syco analysis: The low-key demise of Simon Cowell's former label". www.musicweek.com. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
- ^ "Sire Records Signs PRETTYMUCH Following Syco Music Closure: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
- ^ "PRETTYMUCH's Instagram profile post: "new label. new music. new everything. PRETTYMUCH 2.0 coming 2021