Go “big time” with revived childhood

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By Madison Kitch

Illustration by Ainsley Davis

It’s a well-known fact that the late 2000s and early 2010s were the peak of childhood musical television. Millennials can brag about playing outside or taxes or something, but Gen-Z hit the jackpot when it comes to sing-along entertainment. There’s one specific part of kid’s TV that just butters my toast, and those are the famous bands that emerged from such formative time of pop culture.

So many child TV stars became famous beyond their original network sitcoms. Selena Gomez? She’s sung in everything from “Another Cinderella Story” (2008) to “Thirteen Reasons Why” (2018). Demi Lovato? She’s dropped so many edgy pop albums I can’t keep up. Miley Cyrus? She had a rough year in 2013, but that didn’t stop her from slowly becoming normal again and dropping “Younger Now” (2017). My point is that so many childhood stars emerged during that time period and came to stay. The weird thing is, those that left and were forgotten are coming back with a vengeance.

Take the Jonas Brothers for example. I like to pretend that they never broke up because, otherwise, things get very sad. I haven’t been able to get my Jonas Brothers fix since their show “Jonas” ended in 2010 after only two seasons. What kind of nonsense is that? Nick broke up the band, but he put it back together just over eight weeks ago. They released the single “Sucker” on March 1, and the music video looked like a set from “Alice in Wonderland,” only enhancing the experience of the catchy song. It was everything I could have dreamed of and more. This new song from them has been the peak of 2019 so far, and this year is about to get a whole lot better. The Jonas Brothers recently announced that they’re releasing a new album, “Happiness Begins” on Friday, June 7. That’s just in time for one of the tracks to become the unofficial song of the summer, and I hope they deliver.

After first listening to the new song and realizing how much I missed my childhood, I began to wonder: what would happen if more childhood bands and stars also came back? Gen-Z might collectively stop making memes and actually start paying attention. Even with all of their combined scandals, most of these stars are still pretty successful, but they’ve changed.

Miley killed Hannah (Montana) off for years until four weeks ago when she posted a selfie on Twitter of her new blonde hair, and sent fans spiraling into suspicion about getting the best of both worlds again. Based on other photos from her account, it’s not just a wig. Those dark brown locks are blonde now. I can only hope that with the hair comes her iconic early 2000s outfits. I demand frills, sequins and leopard print all on one shirt for me to waste my money on. I remember back in the good old days when “Hannah Montana” still aired daily. My TV taste has already peaked; it’s only downhill from here. “The Office” (2005-2013) is forgettable at best, but that heart-wrenching scene when Lily finds out Miley is Hannah, will stay with me forever.

Although Disney basically created the concept of singing children, Nickelodeon had some hits, too. Big Time Rush (BTR) is a strong contender in the battle for “Best Childhood Boy Band.” Big Time Rush had their own TV show “Big Time Rush” (2009-2013) and the looks of a standard boyband, so it’s surprising that they only had three albums. Luckily, there may no longer be an “if” when it comes to BTR making a comeback. Overnight, the dreams of BTR fans went from unrealistic to possibly happening with just one tweet. Lead singer Kendall Schmidt, who played Kendall Knight on the TV show “Big Time Rush,” hinted on Twitter that a comeback could be in the makings. His Tweet, with an attached video of a fan adding unrelated numbers together, says, “I double checked this, and the math definitely adds up.” As much as I would love a BTR comeback, Kendall better not be joking. The 314K likes and 110K retweets aren’t messing around either. Give me more hit singles with even more syllables like, “Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend, your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend, your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend.” Fans “worldwide” are ready for another amazing album, so give the people what they want.

I’m 99% positive that all these stars are just hopping on the bandwagon the Jonas Brothers started. David Henrie, who played Alex’s annoying older brother, Justin, on “Wizards of Waverly Place” (2007-2012) hinted at a possible Russo family comeback with yet another Tweet by replying with a sly emoji to an attached video of the WOWP theme song. At this point, it’s not a joke anymore. If all these promises don’t ring true, there’ll be thousands of angry fans with pitchforks and wands.

All of these possible comebacks are confusing me. Is it 2019, 2009 or the “Year 3000?” Maybe I should go grab my Hannah Montana toothbrush and Halloween costume. These comebacks are making me nostalgic for the 2000s which is something I never thought I’d say. I yearn for a simpler time of knowing I could turn on the Disney Channel and see everyone singing.

Whether you want more comebacks, or you won’t admit you want more comebacks, I think we can all agree that “Sucker” should be nominated for several Grammys and win them all. I firmly believe that a Big Time Rush or Hannah Montana comeback could easily solve half of the world’s problems. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go listen to “Sucker.”

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Madison Kitch is a senior and this year’s Editor-In-Chief for The Roar. This is her fourth year on staff, and she’s excited to end her high school experience on a good note. She enjoys hanging out with her friends but values her time alone more than anything. Her favorite movie is Good Will Hunting, and she enjoys rewatching Bojack Horseman and Gilmore Girls in her minimal spare time. Some of her favorite artists include PJ Harvey, Liz Phair, Pixies, and Green Day. Madison doesn’t know where she plans to go to college yet, but she knows she’ll love it, no matter what.