’80s babies, rejoice. Not only are New Kids on the Block returning to the tour circuit this year, the boy-band icons are also releasing new material for the first time in more than a decade.
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The Dorchester, Massachusetts-based— quintet announced that their eighth studio album, Still Kids, is set to drop May 17. It’s the band’s first new album since 2013’s 10.
The news broke Tuesday morning (March 5) around the same time Facebook and Instagram reported widespread outages. Coincidence? You tell us.
New Kids on the Block Announce New Album, Single
The band also dropped the album’s lead single, the youthful banger “Kids.” The upbeat pop track reminds fans that despite all now being in their 50s, the NKOTB boys are still young at heart.
“And we’re still just kids from a nobody town / Still just kids that are messing around / Making the most of the things that we found, whoa,” the vocalists sing on the chorus.
“Kids” is just one of the album’s 14 tracks. According to a press release, the album will be a mixture of “pop anthems, dance tracks, love songs and grooves.”
Diehard Blockheads can look forward to some extra doses of nostalgia. Still Kids will feature two collaborations: “Get Down” with DJ Jazzy Jeff and “Old School Love” with singer-songwriter Taylor Dayne.
[RELATED: Top 10 Songs by New Kids on the Block]
Founding member Donnie Wahlberg, who co-wrote seven songs on the album, called Still Kids “the most mature album we’ve ever made.”
Don’t let that worry you, though: “Yet it’s the most fun and most comfortable album we’ve ever made,” Wahlberg added.
New Kids on the Block To Kick off Tour Soon
It seems 2024 is a good year to be a Blockhead. The “Hangin’ Tough” crew will kick off their Magic Summer 2024 Tour in June.
The two-time American Music Award winners are hoping to replicate the spirit of their legendary 1990 Magic Summer Tour. That tour earned $74 million, making the boys the top-grossing touring act in the country at the time.
NKOTB enjoyed massive success until 1994, when panic attacks and anxiety forced Jonathan Knight to leave the band. The remaining four then made the decision to split before reuniting 14 years later.
Featured image by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for MRC
