“I was always a Wanted girl…”
Trying to compete as a boyband across the early 2010s during One Direction’s reign as the kings of synchronised, tween-friendly pop must have been akin to being a 100m sprinter during Usain Bolt’s heyday. Alas, thus was the unfortunate timing of The Wanted. Founded in 2009 before going on to achieve a considerable level of success, all things considered, they remained no match for Harry Styles and Co., writes Melina Block.
Is a post-One Direction world the perfect setting for founding members Max George and Siva Kaneswaran to stage a comeback under the apt new title, The Wanted 2.0? Fans of days gone by gathered in London’s historic music venue, Scala, to find out at the band’s We’re Glad You Came tour.
Ever the contrarian, I must admit that I was always less of a Directioner and more of a Wanted girl (lack of catchy fan moniker aside). Still, even I was surprised at how many hits I managed to recall. Turns out that the band amassed two UK number ones, ten UK top tens, and sold over 20 million records during their prime. Not too bad for an underdog. All the familiar tunes are present and correct in this setlist: Walks Like Rihanna; Glad You Came; All Time Low (their magnum opus, in my humble opinion).
While it is easy to dismiss a comeback tour as a cheap cash grab from dimming stars in a spot of financial difficulty, George and Kaneswaran genuinely seem grateful to still be performing for their fans (who span a surprisingly diverse cross-section of ages and genders). A bit stiff at the start, they quickly warm up and settle into the songs that propelled them to fame once upon a time. It is rare to see such a display of earnestness in the hyper-ironic pop landscape of today, especially given many celebrities’ propensity for distancing themselves from their more… commercial… early work.
Well, none of that here: The Wanted 2.0 is a good bit of simple, nostalgic fun. And with the world containing a noticeable lack of both simplicity and fun these days, don’t be too quick to dismiss the merits of bubblegum pop.
Booking and full tour details: https://tw20.music/tour
