jailbait jonas

When I was fourteen, the Backstreet Boys were the epitome of popular music for me. "I Want It That Way"? "As Long As You Love Me"? "The One"? These were my personal anthems through the entirety of my eighth grade year. So you can imagine my delight when I opened this week's issue of Pollstar to find a new generation of preteen heartthrobs snagging the spotlight.

(Cue high-pitched squeal) Helllllllo Jonas Brothers. I'm old enough to know I'm too old to swoon over these baby-faced songbirds.

After reading the article accompanying the dreamy picture, I was surprised to find the boy band comparisons pretty much start and end with the boys' perfectly quaffed hair. Unlike their cookie cutter counterparts, the Jonas Brothers have skyrocketed to fame the old fashioned way: producing a catalog of nauseatingly sweet pop hits and touring nonstop.

They write their own music and play their own instruments. Prior to hitting the big time as an opener for Disney Channel poster girl Hannah Montana, the band toured the country in a van for three years. Now they're headlining the upcoming "Look Me In The Eyes" tour which boasts more than 140 arena stops worldwide. This begs the question: how did the Jonas gents strike gold?

Just a few days after ringing in the new year (with sparkling apple cider no doubt, as none of the band members are old enough to legally drink), the brothers signed a groundbreaking development deal with Live Nation. The deal, a two year mutli-million dollar agreement, will impact the act's touring, merchandising, marketing and record releases.

Already the benefits of the agreement can be seen in the agreesive online marketing campaign aimed at computer-savvy tweens the act launched in anticipation of the new tour. Combine this with a few perfectly placed public appearances and a band member's tabloid-ready (rumored) liason with Hannah Montana herself and you've got yourself a case of Jonas fever.

Somewhere between the Backstreet Boys and the Jonas Brothers, teenybopper music grew up and became the most innovative thing to happen to a failing industry in a long time. I bet even the most indie of musical acts are looking at the Jonas deal and thinking, "I want it that way."