Face the Music (New Kids on the Block album)


Face the Music is the fifth studio album by New Kids on the Block, released on January 25, 1994. The album debuted at number 37 on the Billboard 200 in the United States, with first-week sales of 27,000 copies. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the album had sold 138,000 copies in the U.S. as of 2008.

Background

In 1993, after about two years out of the limelight, the New Kids went back into the studio and began recording their fourth studio album, before splitting up a year later. By this point, due to a strong backlash and allegations of lip-synching, the group pushed for a more mature image and song selection that would appeal to fans. In addition, they had outgrown the "New Kids" name: Joey McIntyre was 21, Jordan Knight was 23, Donnie Wahlberg and Danny Wood were 24, and Jonathan Knight was 25 years old.
Jordan Knight, Wahlberg, and Wood fought for creative input and control, as most of their material was previously rejected by producer Maurice Starr in favor of his own compositions. Having been dogged with an "uncool" stigma that they faced previously, the boys decided to sever their ties with Starr who had been instrumental in their early success. At the request of Columbia Records, they shortened their name to the more mature-sounding NKOTB. Instead of the bubblegum, teen pop sound that established the New Kids in the pop industry, Face the Music had a more mature R&B and New jack swing sound to it. "Dirty Dawg" did fairly well on the charts, but a Canadian station banned the music video due to its suggested violence and misogynistic themes. Although not a major commercial success, the critical reception was positive, and a cross-country tour was in the works. However, NKOTB only could find bookings at nightclubs and theatres, a far cry from the arenas and stadiums they had been accustomed to playing in while in their peak years. During the tour, Jonathan Knight dropped out of the band due to increased panic attacks and anxiety, and the fact that their fanbase had grown up moved on to grunge and gangsta rap, the rest of the group decided to cancel the rest of the tour.

Singles

;Sample credits
;Notes
Adapted from the album's liner notes.
"Intro: Face the Music"
"You Got the Flavor"
"Dirty Dawg"
"Girls"
"If You Go Away"
"Keep on Smilin'"
"Never Let You Go"
"Keepin' My Fingers Crossed"
"Mrs. Right"
"Since You Walked into My Life"
"Let's Play House"
"I Can't Believe It's Over"
"I'll Still Be Loving You"
"I'll Be Waitin'"