Boy/Girl Bands and the Billion Songs The Grey Areas Of course, de nitions struggle against reality. The grey area is often far more interesting than the safe zone, and that s exactly where I had to make some executive decisions. The Jonas Brothers Case: They play instruments. They do it on stage, and they ve always done it. Technically, they are a traditional band. Yet, the public has never perceived them that way. Their image, their target audience, their launch model, and their relationship with fans all scream "boy band" aesthetics. Therefore, they are included in this analysis, with an explicit asterisk regarding their hybrid nature. We nd similar grey areas in contemporary K pop, where groups are often far more involved in songwriting and production than traditional Western boy bands. BTS, for instance, write and produce a massive portion of their catalog. However, their image, industrial ecosystem, and fanbase are unequivocally those of an evolved, highly sophisticated, yet recognizable boy band. The Rule of Thumb: If a group is perceived as a vocal band by the public, the industry, and pop culture it s in. Occasional instrument use or songwriting credits don't strip away the label if it isn't the core pillar of their identity. 8