PrettyMuch
PrettyMuch, stylized as PRETTYMUCH, is an American-Canadian pop boy band based in Los Angeles, California. The group consists of Brandon Arreaga, Edwin Honoret, Austin Porter, Nick Mara, and Zion Kuwonu. The boy band was formed by Simon Cowell in 2016.
PrettyMuch | |
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Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Genres | |
Years active | 2016–present |
Labels | |
Associated acts | French Montana, Rich the Kid, Lil Tjay, CNCO, NCT Dream, Luísa Sonza, Iñigo Pascual |
Website | prettymuch |
Members |
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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 video clip 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–present: 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. The single peaked in the top 50 on Pop radio.[15] On September 28, 2018, they released their single "Solita" featuring Rich the Kid.[16]
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" was released on January 25. Their second single of 2019, "Phases", was released on April 26. 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".
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.[17]
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.[18] On March 10, 2020, PrettyMuch was announced as an opening act for select US dates of Camila Cabello's The Romance Tour.[19]
Discography
PrettyMuch discography | |
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Music videos | 15 |
EPs | 3 |
Singles | 18 |
PrettyMuch have released three extended plays, eighteen singles, and fifteen music videos.
Extended plays
Title | Album details |
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PrettyMuch an EP |
|
Phases - EP |
|
INTL:EP |
|
Singles
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
US Pop [20] | NZ Hot [21] |
UK [22] | |||
"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"[23] | — | 34 | — | ||
"Blind" | 2019 | — | — | — | |
"Phases" | — | 26 | — | Phases EP | |
"Gone 2 Long" | — | — | — | ||
"Eyes Off You" | — | — | — | ||
"Lying" (featuring Lil Tjay)[24] |
— | 19 | — | Non-album singles | |
"Rock Witchu"[25] | — | — | — | ||
"Me Necesita" (with CNCO)[26] |
— | — | — | INTL:EP | |
"Up to You" (with NCT Dream) |
— | — | — | ||
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
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.[27] Arreaga would rent the studio out to other local musicians.[28] He was the last member to join the group, as he did not initially get involved because his parents thought the scouting was fake.[29] As of 2019, Arreaga has been dating Maggie Lindemann, another singer from Texas.[30]
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.[31]
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[32] and made an unreleased rap EP.[28] 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.[33]
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.[29][31] 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.[28]
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Nominated | Nominated |
---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | iHeart Radio Music Awards[34] | Best Boyband | PRETTYMUCH | Nominated |
MTV Video Music Awards[35] | Push Artist of the Year | Nominated | ||
MTV Europe Music Awards[36] | Best Push | Nominated | ||
Best Group | Nominated | |||
2019 | Teen Choice Awards[37] | Choice Music Group | Nominated | |
MTV Video Music Awards[38] | 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
- Hosken, Patrick (September 15, 2017). "PRETTYMUCH's Sunny 'Would You Mind' Video Looks Like It's From 1997". MTV. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 2018-04-21.
- "'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.
- Cantor, Brian. "Songs By Marshmello & Bastille, Panic! At The Disco, PRETTYMUCH Join Pop Radio's Top 50". Headline Planet. Retrieved 2019-11-22.
- Spanos, Brittany (September 28, 2018). "Hear PrettyMuch's Feisty New Song 'Solita'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
- Spanos, Brittany; Spanos, Brittany (2019-07-19). "Watch PrettyMuch, Lil Tjay's Graffiti-Covered 'Lying' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
- Spanos, Brittany. "PrettyMuch Discuss Guest-Filled 'Intl:EP,' Ambitious 2020 Plans". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2019-11-22.
- "Camila Cabello Announces Romance Tour Opening Acts". Billboard.com. March 10, 2020.
- "Billboard Pop Songs". Billboard (chart). October 7, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. December 24, 2018. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
- "Lying": "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. July 29, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
- "PrettyMuch | full Official Chart history". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
- "Jello – Single by PRETTYMUCH on iTunes". iTunes Store. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
- @PRETTYMUCH (July 10, 2019). "NEW SINGLE. LYING. FT @liltjay 😈 07/19" (Tweet). Retrieved July 11, 2019 – via Twitter.
- "Rock Witchu – Single by PrettyMuch". Apple Music. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
- "Watch Prettymuch & CNCO Team Up For an Epic Boy Band Battle in 'Me Necesita' Video". Billboard.com. October 23, 2019.
- "interview | prettymuch", Schön!. Retrieved 2019-11-04.
- PRETTYMUCH talks Would You Mind, One Direction and French Montana, Zach Sang Show.
- "PRETTYMUCH On Boy Band Life & Debut Single “Would You Mind”: Interview", Idolator. Retrieved 2019-11-04.
- ☆ BRANDON ARREAGA ☆ on Instagram: "u are actually the most beautiful thing I think I’ve ever seen in my life no cap...". Instagram. Retrieved 2019-11-04.
- Prettymuch Gets Real About Musical Influences and Being in a Boy Band, Teen Vogue. Retrieved 2019-11-04.
- ""One Love" by Austin Porter on Deezer".
- PRETTYMUCH talks new single 'Summer on You,' Ed Sheeran, Beyonce, Digital Journal.
- "2018 iHeartRadio Music Awards: See The Full List Of Nominees & Winners". iHeartRadio. 2018-03-10. Retrieved 2018-07-16.
- "2018 VMAs Winners: See the Complete List". The Hollywood Reporter. July 16, 2018.
- "Camila Cabello, Ariana Grande, Post Malone Lead 2018 MTV EMA Nominees". Billboard.com. October 4, 2018.
- "Teen Choice Awards: Full List of Winners", The Hollywood Reporter, accessed August 16, 2019
- 2019 VMAs Reveal Three New Fan-Voted Categories, Pre-Show Performers, August 19, 2019