Ology

It’s hard to write or even interview a member from Hanson without thinking of the still very catchy tune “MMMBop” that was released back on April 17 1997. So—because of the difficulty—it was included in part of the chat I recently had with Taylor Hanson, which just so happened to take place one day before the 16^th anniversary of when the titled album was first released. During our chat, the 30-year-old gave me a behind-the-scenes look on what he always needs while out on tour, his favorite songs the group has created, and what he and his brothers Zac and Isaac like to do when they aren’t in the studio or on the road.

Hanson heads out on a world tour for their latest Anthem album in June.

You are headed on tour soon! How’s it been managing all of your schedules? It’s great! We are just getting off the ground with a new album. The new single just came out and on we go. It’s like a military operation! [Laughs]

You’ve been in the music industry for over 20 years. What’s the No. 1 favorite item you need on your tour bus? I’m kind of a coffee obsessed person. So like getting the right coffee in each city. I will venture out. I’m a big foodie too and try to check out the different foods in each town. So good coffee—anything that’s strong flavor in the food department. I like fine cheese too.

You and your brothers are clearly known for “MMMBop.” Do you ever get tired getting asked about it? It’s the starting point. I think you always want to move forward. You always—you always want to be excited about what you’re doing. If it was ever painted as a negative it would be like, ‘Yeah, that’s not cool.’ But people are talking about it as something they love and it’s a history we’re proud of.

Do you have a favorite song? Oh God, it’s hard to pick. I mean the last record the two last singles—”Give A Little” and “Thinking ‘Bout Somethin'”—those songs I think really resonated with us as a band. Connected it with out roots and the new single “Get the Girl Back.” You know, anything that is brand new you’re excited to share it.

Is there a certain writing process you guys go by? It depends. I mean all of us write music and lyrics so we get to combine. It keeps it interesting, so no, there’s not just one process. I wish there was! It would make it so much easier. [Laughs]

What would be your second career choice? I don’t know! I love to take pictures. I love to paint. I love movies and I love to write, so something creative.

Everyone is so used to you guys playing on stage. Is there a specific hobby you all like to do together? We all—I mean I’m a fan of anything that involves adrenaline. So we just went up for my 30^th birthday and we all just did dune buggies in the desert, which was just crazy and risky. But that’s part of the fun! We aren’t really too good at sports [laughs], but we try to get outside and play sports in between to keep things moving. And also, huge movie fans! We are always gathering around watching movies.

What’s your favorite film? Of all-time? Oh God. Somewhere in between The Godfather and The Goonies.

[Laughs] It’s all in the G’s.

—

Hanson’s world tour begins in New York City on June 17. For tickets go here.

Follow Stephanie Webber on Twitter: @rosewebber

Huffington Post

Hanson released “MMMBop” as a single when I was about eight-year-old. Like most little girls of the mid-90s, I developed a crush on a member of the band. For the record, my favorite Hanson brother was (and still is!) Zac. I think it was because he was the one who was closest to my age. Anyway, I digress. “MMMBop” was Hanson’s breakout song. It was the source of a lot their instant fame, but also their future humiliation. “MMMBop” is a song that one hears at every Bat or Bar Mitzvah, Sweet 16, and barbeque. You name the event, and that song will probably be played at it. Why? Because it is a fun song. It is a pop song. It is happy. For people who are in their 20s and early 30s, it is reminiscent of the simpler days. That said, the song is also kind of a joke.

Its popularity 15 years later stems from the fact that the song is by definition, silly. The name is silly. What does “MMMBop” even mean? Nothing. It means nothing. The chorus consists of this meaningless title being repeated over and over again. And, let’s face it. The chorus is the only part of the song anybody ever remembers or cares about. Actually, that is the problem. The chorus is the only part of this song anybody knows. The shallowest part of the song is its legacy. I was part of the group that only knew the chorus until about five years ago when I took it upon myself to the Google the lyrics one cold winter night. Here is the back-story on that. The song came on my iPod shuffle and I realized that I no idea what they were saying, so I decided to look up the lyrics. Not only did I finally shed light on what the words of the song other than the triple-M threat that makes up the entire chorus were, I also discovered the rest of the song’s lyrics are actually pretty great, and, dare I say it, send an important message to young people. Don’t believe me? Well, keep reading and you might just learn new something about your favorite love-to-hate 90s song. The one thing I can guarantee is you might finally learn some of the lyrics other than chorus. Lets start from the beginning, because as we know from Baronin Maria, that is a very good place to start.

“You have so many relationships in this life, only one or two will last. You go through all the pain and strife, then you turn your back and they’re gone so fast. So hold on the ones who really care, in the end they’ll be the only ones there.”

The song opens with the idea that it is important not to take people for granted, that everyone who comes into your life is not necessarily going to be there forever, and that you find out who really cares about you when you go through hard times. Hanson is also alluding to the famous saying about being lucky if you wind up one or two really good friends in life. After the first chorus, there is flower and gardening imagery.

“Plant a seed, plant a flower, plant a rose. You can plant any one of those. Keep planting to find out which one grows. It’s a secret no one knows.”

In my opinion, this stanza is metaphoric for the future. Suggesting you can plant a seed, flower, or a rose is the equivalent of suggesting that you can do anything you want. In fact, you can try out multiple careers until you find out what you are good at and what you love to do. The future is truly life’s best-kept secret, but it does not mean you cannot be anything you want to be as long as you work hard. The rest of the song is a repetition of various parts of these two stanzas and of course, the beloved chorus… MMMBOP!

Ultimately, this song is all about doing your best and treating your friends and family with respect. At the same time, it paints a bleak, but realistic portrait of the future. What the future holds is uncertain, and when things become rough it will turn out that many of the people you thought loved you did not. So while the beat is very poppy, some the ideas are slightly darker. This is another reason why the song is not as one-dimensional as its reputation suggests. I could easily be reading into this too much. The Hanson brothers could have just wanted to write an upbeat song with a catchy title. They succeeded. One thing I will say is, regardless of whether or not I am overthinking “MMMBop”, I think it is important to give props where props are deserved. At end of the day, the Hanson brothers wrote this song all by themselves at a young age. Something not many young artists, save Taylor Swift, do today. Even if you still think “MMMBop” is a complete joke after reading this, just remember that three teenage boys wrote it, and that, in it of itself, is pretty impressive.

Cambio

The Hanson boys are back…and they’re all grown up.
Taylor, 30, Zac, 27, and Isaac, 32, who rose to stardom with the success of their 1997 hit “MMMBop,” are gearing up for a busy summer with a new album and tour.
And it looks like nostalgic Hanson fans can expect the three-brother band to stick to the sound they’ve come to love.
“I think if people really listened to what we were doing musically when we first started, [our music now] is not a whole lot different,” Taylor told us at the MTV Movie Awards. “We’ve always listened to soul music, classic rock and roll…and that’s in the DNA of our band. But, I think now it’s captured more fully.”
Plus, Taylor added, “Our voices are about an octave lower now.”
Hanson’s new album, Anthem, is scheduled to drop on June 18.

The Diamondback

Photo courtesy of theykid.com

The Hanson bros

Walking into a party, you prepare yourself for the forced small talk and witty banter that awaits. With a stranger to your right, you shuffle through the social cues of “Do you like this Selena Gomez song?” and “What’s your major?” over a warm Natty Light.

Not too far behind that first awkward pause, the stranger will ask you, “What’s your favorite band?” You could easily answer this very personal question with Mumford and Sons, Maroon 5, or even an artist like Taylor Swift. All of those answers would suffice.

My answer? Hanson.

Yes, that 90s brother band that forced the non-word “MMMBop” into American culture. I swear I’m not stuck in the 90s and that I really do have decent taste in music. But Hanson is just too great to forget.

Here are the five reasons why I love Hanson. You won’t hear it at a party because you already walked away.

5. They have exceptional hair quality.

Yes, this is a reason. They made it cool to be known for perfectly unkempt hair way before One Direction made the second — and slightly less talented — British invasion. Isaac rocks the coif, Taylor sings through his bangs and Zac is sporting a bit of a George of the Jungle style right now — but we can look past that. The Hanson bros may or may not have a restraining order against me after I slipped my fingers through their perfect locks the day we met. Trust me, it’s great hair.

4. I’m not embarrassed to listen to them with my mother.

In an age where Snoop Dogg is now a Lion and Taylor Swift incessantly whines about love lost, it’s hard to find quality music. Enter Hanson. The talented trio plays soulful, emotion-packed music and harmonizes lyrics about the true meaning of life and saving children in Africa (stay tuned for point number two). Not to mention recent jams like “Give a Little” and their latest single, “Get the Girl Back,” are fun for dancing. And we all love dancing.

3. You won’t find them in the tabloids.

This doesn’t really fuel my tendency to stalk celebrities but, hey, good for them. Unlike Justin Beiber and Miley Cyrus, the Hanson brothers keep to themselves and you won’t hear about what questionable substance they may or may not be smoking. They only go out in public with their wives (stay tuned for point number one) and their kids. They have a village of children between the three of them and what’s sexier than a rock star family man? Nothing. Thanks to theHansons’ normal lives, these children will grow up to become healthy, contributing members of society.

2. They’re charitable.

They started the Take the Walk Campaign to raise money for poverty relief in Africa. Cue sighs and swoons. They raised the bucks by hosting one-mile barefoot walks in each city of their concert tour. So basically, they put shoeless children above themselves and braved the streets of Baltimore without any kicks. If that doesn’t say loveable and tough, I don’t know what does. Even I, the real city-slicker that I am, know better than to do that. Kudos.

1. Their wives are each fans they met at a show.

Were you sitting down for that one? You heard me right: Each Hanson brother straight up picked a girl out of the crowd from their concert and wifed her up. Enough said. So you know, I’ve still got hope for two out of the three Jonas Brothers. Are they still a thing?