'TRL' era bands are back: All the millennial favorites on tour this summer
It shaped a generation of music fans collectively, in a way likely done for the last time.
The days of rushing to the TV on weekday afternoons, hearts thumping in anticipation of host Carson Daly counting down a lineup of slickly produced music videos from Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Good Charlotte, Eve, Eminem, Blink-182, Destiny's Child and a parcel of boy bands disappeared when the internet and social media seized attention spans.
That original 1998-2008 run is a bygone era for millennials, the latest generation forced to accept the dissolution of a musical rite of passage.
But the nature of pop culture is cyclical, and those whose raging hormones fueled the popularity of these artists in the late-'90s through mid-'00s are now inching toward middle age, with families and careers and the urge to look back.
It's a good thing plenty of artists are complying with major tours and residencies this summer.
Backstreet Boys
When they debuted, the Florida-based quintet was billed as a cross between New Kids on the Block and Boyz II Men – unabashed hunks with harmonies. But what Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson, Brian Littrell, AJ McLean and Howie Dorough created was a boy band tsunami for a new generation. Their polished pop anthems, distinct personalities and coordinated dance moves drafted the blueprint followed by the equally mega-successful *NSYNC, along with 98 Degrees, LFO, BBMak, B2K and many other acts fond of acronyms and numbers. The '90s-era mania that followed BSB returns this summer when their diehard flock squeals its way through their visually arresting residency at the Las Vegas Sphere.
Songs you'll hear: 'As Long As You Love Me,' 'I Want it That Way,' 'Quit Playing Games (With My Heart')
Tour dates: Through Aug. 24
Jonas Brothers
It seems a lifetime ago that the trio of Joe, Nick and Kevin Jonas reveled in Disney Channel love and brought their floppy-haired charm to a cover of British band Busted's 'Year 3000' in 2007. Sibling rivalry and desires to experiment with music less confined than their gleaming, efficient pop led to a decade-long professional break. But since returning in 2019 with 'Happiness Begins,' the JoBros have been 'Burnin' Up' the charts while collaborating with Diplo ('Lonely'), Marshmello ('Leave Before You Love Me') and Karol G ('X'). Next up is their 'Greetings From Your Hometown' album, scheduled for an Aug. 8 release, and an arena and amphitheater tour will carry fans through their sonic evolution.
Songs you'll hear: 'Year 3000,' 'Sucker,' 'Leave Before You Love Me'
Tour dates: Aug. 10-Nov. 14
Lady Gaga
When she roared onto the scene in 2008 with 'Just Dance,' Lady Gaga piqued curiosity. Was she a Madonna for the aughts? Was she a Cyndi Lauper acolyte with those undeniable pipes that were sometimes overshadowed by her flamboyant style? Was she a three-hit wonder after 'Poker Face' and 'Paparazzi' maintained her initial chart appeal? Turns out she was a little bit of everyone yet completely distinctive, her stardom solidified with 2011's 'Born This Way' with a title track that became a hymn of inclusivity. The Mayhem Ball tour, titled to insinuate the flashy festivities on stage, follows 2022's 'The Chromatica Ball' and provides another sharp-edged playground for the 'Artpop' queen.
Songs you'll hear: 'Born This Way,' 'Bad Romance,' 'Abracadabra'
Tour dates: Through Oct. 4
Oasis
It's the most unlikely reunion this side of Led Zeppelin, yet Noel and Liam Gallagher have so far pulled it off. The mercurial siblings, who parted ways professionally in 2009 after years of public outbursts that became predictable and a bit tiresome, returned July 4 with swagger intact. Undeniably the mightiest monarchs of Britpop in its mid-'90s zenith, Oasis can be criticized for allowing chemically-fueled tantrums to define their celebrity, but their assured, Beatles-shaded rock remains supreme.
Songs you'll hear: 'Roll With It,' 'Wonderwall,' 'Champagne Supernova'
Tour dates: (In North America) Aug. 24-Sept. 13
Nelly
In the midst of the boy band surge came the liquid-rhymer from St. Louis, who brought his original crew, the St. Lunatics along for a zip to the top of the charts with his 2000 debut album, 'Country Grammar.' With his omnipresent shades and frequently bare torso, Nelly was a cool character who blanketed MTV and Top 40 radio with his pop-rap singalongs 'E.I.,' 'Ride Wit Me' and the breakthrough title track from his debut album. When his club banger 'Hot in Herre' arrived in 2002, Nelly's brand of mainstream rap was so trendy that it earned him the first-ever best male rap solo performance Grammy Award.
Songs you'll hear: 'Hot in Herre,' 'Country Grammar,' 'Ride Wit Me'
Tour dates: July 23-Sept. 19
Katy Perry
Her 2008 major label debut, 'One of the Boys,' definitely altered Katy Perry's career from her contemporary Christian roots to 'I Kissed a Girl,' her sly slice of glossy pop that delivered her first No. 1 hit. That debut also boasted 'Waking Up in Vegas' and 'Hot n Cold,' confectionary delights that allowed her to sonically experiment on her follow-up two years later with 'Teenage Dream.' The sumptuous collection of smashes – 'California Gurls' with Snoop Dogg, 'Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)' and 'Firework' among them – landed Perry her biggest-selling album and solidified her standing as a pop queen who could brandish an innocuous headband with cat ears while slipping teasing innuendo into her songs while no one was watching.
Songs you'll hear: 'California Gurls,' 'Teenage Dream,' 'I Kissed a Girl'
Tour dates: (In North America) Through Aug. 23
The All-American Rejects
With their debut single "Swing, Swing" and platinum, self-titled 2002 debut album, the Tyson Ritter-fronted group gained popularity for its cheeky pop-rock with an undercurrent of sneer. They danced through the charts for a solid six years with albums "Move Along" and "When the World Comes Down." This year, knowing a comeback would require innovation in the complicated, fragmented music landscape, the band started playing free "House Party" concerts in in barns, bowling alleys, backyards and anywhere fans on social media summoned them. They'll return to bigger stages this summer opening for the Jonas Brothers.
Songs you'll hear: 'Dirty Little Secret,' 'Swing, Swing,' 'Gives You Hell'
Tour dates: Aug. 10-Nov. 14
Creed
The '90s juggernaut of faceless alt-rock-post-grunge bands – Puddle of Mudd, Nickelback, Staind, Candlebox – produced the kind of scorn previously reserved for disco and hair metal. Creed, fronted by the earnest Scott Stapp, he of booming voice and sculpted pecs, seemed to (unfairly or not) bear the heaviest antipathy. But the band was vindicated in 2024 with a summer tour that defied industry expectations with 60 sold-out amphitheater and arena shows that sold more than 800,000 tickets. Their well-earned victory lap this summer confirms that nostalgia hits hard.
Songs you'll hear: 'My Own Prison,' 'With Arms Wide Open,' 'Higher'
Tour dates: Through Aug. 30
Linkin Park
By the time 'In the End,' the fourth single from the band's 2000 debut 'Hybrid Theory,' became a Top 10 smash worldwide, the band from Agoura Hills, California, had already been together for nearly half a decade. Their mishmash of electronic rock, metal and rap was both angry and thoughtful, but it was the unleashed vocals of frontman Chester Bennington that conveyed the angst of the generation. Linkin Park went on hiatus after Bennington died by suicide in 2017, but returned in 2024 with singer Emily Armstrong joining co-founders Mike Shinoda and Brad Delson. The band's 'From Zero' album and hit single 'The Emptiness Machine' signified their return with a rumble.
Songs you'll hear: 'What I've Done,' 'In the End,' 'The Emptiness Machine'
Tour dates: (In North America) July 29-Sept. 24
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
35 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Here's another way to remember your loved ones, by preserving their tattoos after death
'He got that one long before we met,' mused Angelica, speaking via telephone the other day from her hometown of Wheeling, 'I'm guessing he got it in the late '80s, maybe early '90s. It was on his right triceps, part of an arm sleeve, his only sports tattoo … and he loved it.' Advertisement Just as Radevski's memory lives on with Angelica, 35, and Preston, their 10-year-old son, so does his Steelers tattoo. Soon after TJ's death, Angelica had it preserved and framed by Kyle Sherwood, an Ohio-based mortician and third-generation funeral home director who nearly 10 years ago founded Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'Right now, I've got TJ in the dining room,' said Angelica, referring to her late husband's framed tattoo, which is approximately 25 square inches. 'He's sitting in my grandmother's chair. But we'll move him around, dining room, living room, mantel. It's feels good to hold him.' For the labor-and-delivery nurse turned college professor, TJ's framed artwork resonates far more, and deeper, than the small, nondescript box of ashes she received after his cremation. That has been just one of the myriad surprises she has experienced in her grief-and-recovery journey. Advertisement 'I thought the ashes were going to fill something that had been missing,' she said. 'You know, he'd be home, and it'll feel complete. Then I had [his ashes] on the mantel, next to one of our pictures, and for me it was like, 'How did my 250-pound, muscular, loud, tattooed husband accumulate to a box?' ' Characterizing that revelation as 'the worst feeling in the world and everything that I didn't even think of,' she said her mind-set changed immediately once Sherwood delivered TJ's preserved Steelers tattoo. 'The tattoo was, 'Wow! This is my husband,' ' Angelica recalled. 'I know the crinkles [in the preserved skin] are from his muscles — the tattoo is him. There were so many components to it that, he's there . I feel him there, spiritually and energetically, I really do. But this was the physical, selfish component that we all want — for them always to be with us.' According to Sherwood, Save My Ink Forever has preserved 'thousands' of tattoos, ranging in size from an inked wedding band to a full-body display, with prices ranging from slightly less than $2,000 to, in the case of the full-body tattoo of a Saskatchewan man, a little more than $100,000. Yet for the growing prevalence of tattooed athletes — especially among NBA, NFL, and MLB players — Sherwood said Radevski's tattoo was the first sports-specific ink he has been asked to preserve. 'Honestly, that's surprised me,' said Sherwood, whose funeral home and tattoo preservation business is in Sagamore Hills, roughly halfway between Cleveland and Akron. 'Because, if you watch sports nowadays, you see tattooed players all the time, right? They're everywhere.' Advertisement In part because of Radevski, hand in hand with TikTok exposure, Sherwood is certain the sports sector of his business is about to change, dramatically. Just days ago, Angelica Radevski posted two TikTok videos about her experience, the first sharing specifics of the Save My Ink Forever process, the second to talk more broadly about grief and recovery. As the weekend approached, Radevski's postings had accumulated 40 million views. She subsequently has staged a handful of TikTok live episodes, one of which lasted six hours. 'Interest has exploded,' said Sherwood, noting an 'exponential' uptick in inquiries to preserve sports and non-sports tattoos. Save My Ink Forever, which has preserved tattoos from Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil, Sweden, and the Netherlands, works with funeral homes around the world to harvest the tattoos from the deceased. Once removed, the artwork is placed in a kit, containing a preservative powder placed by Sherwood, and then shipped to Sagamore Hills. Turnaround time, according to Sherwood, is approximately 90 days, with finished pieces typically framed and placed under museum-grade UV-protective glass. The company also offers 3D mounting for customers interested in, say, preserving a sleeve tattoo just as it appeared on an arm. Sherwood said he is well aware that the concept of tattoo preservation, and the thought of loved ones holding on to the art of the deceased as cherished keepsakes, often causes a negative 'kneejerk reaction' among those hearing about it for the first time. 'Most of the time,' he said, his words punctuated with a light laugh, 'people that I've talked to, I've kind of maybe swayed them a little bit to seeing our side of the fence.' Advertisement Never expecting the day would come so soon, said Angelica, she and TJ discussed the preservation process just weeks before he died. She knew of Save My Ink Forever, recalling that she first learned about preserving skin some 25 years ago when watching a 'Ripley's Believe It Or Not' episode on TV. 'We talked at length about it,' she recalled. 'And TJ was fine with it. He said, 'Look, Babe, whatever you want … just don't stuff me and stand me up in the living room corner.' It was son Preston, a diehard Eagles fan, who insisted that his dad's Steelers tattoo be saved. 'That was another neat part of this,' said Angelica. 'He loved his dad, even though they feuded over Steelers and Eagles all the time. So when Preston heard, it was, 'Yay, we're saving T's Steelers tattoo!' ' A tattoo from Steelers fans TJ Radevski, which was preserved by Save My Ink Forever, an Ohio-based company. Keith Delarosa The TikTok live episodes often have been emotional and sometimes exhausting for Angelica. People have been eager to talk about the tattoo preservation process, sports, and topics related to losing one's life partner. She tells them to grieve in their own way, at their own pace, and go with what makes them feel best. She and Preston wore Steelers jerseys to TJ's services. She knows some felt that was odd, perhaps disrespectful, but she was convinced it was right … for her, for Preston, and for TJ. Angelica was delighted, during one TikTok live, when one husband and wife said they would preserve a large portrait of three Steelers players that he has tattooed on his back. 'They showed it to me, it's in black and gray,' said Angelica, 'and it's beautiful.' Advertisement Someone not into sports might not fully understand what saving such a piece might mean. 'That's the thing about sports,' she said. 'It's not about a win or a touchdown. It brings people together and you support each other through win and loss, right? Friends become family, those bonds, that's what it is.' Perhaps the comment that struck her most, said Angelica, came from a Kansas City fan who, of course, first noted no love of the Steelers. 'But I am sorry for your loss,' added the fan, 'and this [tattoo] is bad ass.' 'I mean, for a Kansas City fan to say that,' Angelica added, 'that's huge.' Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at
New York Times
36 minutes ago
- New York Times
Tony Hale Cheers Himself Up With ‘Veep' Blooper Reels
'Man, I'm so thankful to have had the jobs that I've had,' Tony Hale said of the hit television shows he has been a part of, including 'Arrested Development' and 'Veep,' for which he won two Emmys. 'But there's something about being from the genesis of a project throughout the whole creative process,' he said of his latest film, nearly eight years in the making. 'And I have never felt such euphoria as that last day we wrapped.' In 'Sketch,' arriving in theaters on Wednesday, Hale plays a father of two whose wife has recently died, prompting his 10-year-old daughter to draw horrific pictures expressing her inner fury. Any parent would freak out, Hale surmised in a video interview from his car while driving between Georgia, where his parents live, and Tallahassee, Fla., where he grew up. But especially when those monsters, sprung from a child's vividly violent imagination, come to life in a film he described as 'Jurassic Park' meets 'Inside Out' because of its focus on coping with grief. Both the director, Seth Worley, who has a background in special effects, and Hale wanted a movie that they could share with their families but that wouldn't drive them crazy as they watched it on repeat. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Fans Heartbroken as Beloved Disney Attraction Demolished — See the Photos
NEED TO KNOW Jim Henson's Muppet*Vision 3D officially closed its doors after 34 years on Saturday, June 7 The attraction was the last project that Henson worked on before his death A Monsters, Inc. coaster and associated land will take its placeDisney World is ushering in a new era as the demolition of one of its beloved Disney's Hollywood Studios attractions nears completion. Nearly two months after Jim Henson's Muppet*Vision 3D closed its doors after a 34-year run on Saturday, June 7, only remnants of Grand Avenue, formerly known as Muppets Courtyard, remain. The attraction, which combined a 3D movie, real special effects, and character animatronics, was the last project the late Jim Henson worked on before his death. The Muppets creator died in 1990 at the age of 53. The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! According to photos shared by Blog Mickey with PEOPLE, much of the plaza in front of the former MuppetVision*3D attraction has been destroyed, with only pieces of the pavement that surround its floors and walls still in place. One image shows green and yellow excavators preparing to do more of the demolition that's needed for the Monsters, Inc. coaster and associated land that will take its place. Another photo shared with PEOPLE shows that only one wall of the Stage 1 Company Store is still intact, and that the pavement around the former Miss Piggy fountain has been demolished. The plans for the new attraction, based on the 2001 film, were announced at the D23: The Ultimate Fan Event in August 2024. Billy Crystal, who voiced Mike Wazowski in the Pixar animated movie, announced the news on stage, including that it will allow humans to "stroll the streets alongside some of your favorite monsters" and include a new suspended coaster (Disney's first) that travels through the magical door factory featured in the film. After it was rumored for several months that the new project would be positioned in the Muppet*Vision 3D area, fans were proven correct when Disney confirmed the news in November 2024. However, it was announced in June 2025 that the Muppets would be taking over the Rock' n' Roller Coaster. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "Hi Ho everyone! @TheMuppets are packing up and moving to Sunset Blvd for their first ever coaster! Grab your guitar (or banjo), because Rock 'N' Roller Coaster Starring @TheMuppets speeds into Disney's Hollywood Studios in 2026," a post on X from the Walt Disney World account announced. Read the original article on People
