I’m not sure when the 90’s revival began, or what prompted
it, but today, nostalgia for our childhood runs rampant. We pity those born
after the millennium change because nothing could be as perfect as the Good Ole
Days. The insistence that today’s children cannot possibly have a fulfilled,
happy, or even successful childhood of their own without a gigantic collection
of Beanie Babies, a mental timeline of Topanga and Cory’s relationship, and Lisa
Frank school supplies makes me wonder: has the role of the 90’s really been
THAT instrumental in shaping our generation?
To examine this further, let’s narrow down our topic to the
music of the 90’s. Artists took the world by storm as they (or their manager more
than likely) began to learn better ways to market themselves for fame and
riches. It became not a matter of talent, but of likeability. Fans of older
bands such as the Beatles and Elvis Presley had nothing on the popularity of
the bands of the 90’s and their rabid followers. Soon, younger and younger
children rose to the top of the industry and the public’s eye (mainly preteen
girls) because they were perceived as likeable. Girls not only joked about
marrying Justin Timberlake: we truly believed that the corny lyrics this beautiful
boy was singing were directed to us and no one else. Success of these bands
contributed to the surge of adorable boys with semi-decent voices flocking to
croon one sweet love song after another. And they kept getting younger and
younger.
One such child star was Aaron Carter, younger brother of
Nick Carter (The Backstreet Boys) who began his music career as the lead singer
of the band Dead End, but made the decision – at age seven – to go solo. By
1997 at the age of eleven, Aaron released his first single, “Crush On You”.
With all the makings of a great 90’s singer, Aaron’s video would launch him to
stardom.
Talented and cute, young fans flocked to his music, and in
2000, Aaron’s second CD “Aaron’s Party (Come and Get It)” was released to
massive herds of fangirls. I confess that I myself replayed his songs on my Hit
Clips, the grandfather of the iPod (If you did not have the pleasure of growing
up in the 90’s, click here).There was a dance to “I Want Candy” involved.
Aaron’s success as a child star, unfortunately, stayed trapped in that magical land of the 90’s and early 2000’s once he lost his babyish appeal and his dedicated fans began growing up, much like most of his fellow child stars. There was a love triangle with Hilary Duff and Lindsey Lohan, a falling out with his manager, Has-Been status, and finally, the culmination of it all, an arrest for speeding and marijuana possession. And where did he go?
It’s easy to blame Aaron and Lindsey (Lohan) and Britney
(Spears) and other child stars for what has become of them, and while it is
their fault, a little can be said for the effects of fame. Fame takes its toll
on a young star. It’s a lot of pressure when you become the family’s
breadwinner. It upsets family dynamics. It causes trouble and reveals the tiniest
faults and exploits them. Within the Carter family, Nick and Aaron were
referred to as the “cash cows” by their three bitter sisters when their mother
showed more interest in the boys (or was it the money?). A rags to riches story
of a family torn apart by separation, lies, cheating, and depression. In January
of this year, Leslie Carter, Aaron’s sister, was found dead after an overdose
of prescription drugs. Desperate to pick up where Nick and Aaron left off but
spurned by showbiz, Leslie suffered from depression and bipolar disorder. Aaron
has expressed that he believes he was pushed to fame at too young of an age.
Since falling out of public favor, Aaron has tried to
reinvent himself through multiple reality shows such as House of Carter and
Dancing with the Stars, but unfortunately Nick and Aaron could not rally their
former coalition of preteen fans back into action. Now, Aaron hopes to revive
himself after Dancing with the Stars and will be releasing a new album, his
first since the 2002 album “Another Earthquake”. He has also acted in the
Broadway musical “The Fantasticks” as the lead role.
And fans flock once again.
Such is the power of the 90’s and Aaron’s spiky blonde hair.
The 90’s has had major role in shaping
today’s young adult generation, and we can see this by the success of such 90’s
comeback artists and even aspiring "90’s bands" (One Direction, Justin Beiber) who won't admit it, but totally want to follow in the footsteps of Aaron, Nick, Justin and even the Hanson Brothers.
No matter what, what’s old will always have a dear place in our hearts as we
grow nostalgic for days past. Aaron Carter is one of us 90’s kids, and we stick
together.
Barnes, Corey. Backstreet Brother: Aaron Carter. New York: Random House, 1999. Print.
Kraemer, Katie. Aaron Carter. Bear, DE: Mitchell Lane, 2003. Print.
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