PRETTYMUCH Is Not Your Typical Boy Band

Valentine's Day can be a lonely holiday for some, but luckily there is the sweet sound of music to remedy those blues. Thankfully, wunderkinds Austin, Nick, Edwin, Brandon, and Zion (better known as PRETTYMUCH) have just the cure for the V Day blues in the form of their latest single "10,000 Hours," a flirty ballad that's both heartfelt and cheeky.

Throughout the song, each member promises unlimited devotion, affection, and—you guessed it—10,000 hours of TLC.  Our kind of double entendre, to be honest. It's Bruno Mars's "That's What I Like" meets N&SYNC's "I Promise You." Through a flurry of symphonic synthesizers and divine harmonies, PRETTYMUCH has once again captured our hearts (and our attention). 

Listen to "10,000 Hours" below and read our interview from L'Officiel USA Issue 1 with PRETTYMUCH, ahead. Text by Ian David Monroe.

Since 2010, Simon Cowell and his record label Syco have conquered the world with their global pop phenomenon One Direction. Now, with the international pop group on hiatus and each member pursuing solo careers, Simon Cowell has set his sights on replicating that success with a new boy band: PRETTYMUCH, comprised of Austin Porter, Nick Mara, Edwin Honoret, Brandon Arreaga, and Zion Kuwonu. Where 1D straddled the line between rock and pop, PRETTYMUCH is decidedly R&B (with a mainstream flair, of course) and refreshingly diverse—and has a hell of a lot better moves.

In their music video for “No More,” featuring French Montana, the boys throw a packed house party, so packed that they have to dance on the roof. The video, like many of the group’s others, harkens back to the turn of the millennium and its plethora of boy bands like Backstreet Boys and NSYNC, whose dance moves defined an era—“Bye Bye Bye” anyone? Despite a rather modest moniker, they’re certainly set up for success, though superstardom isn’t really their mission: “We all agree that we just want to have fun and not take things too seriously. As long as our fans are happy, that’s all that matters,” says Kuwonu. 

The members were assembled after a casting call held at Pier59 Studios in New York City (also, coincidentally, where this shoot was held). Though strangers before 2016, they all now live together in Los Angeles and spend practically every day together. “Obviously with five guys living together, there are always going to be little things that come up in the house,” says Mara. “But we’ve lived together for almost two years, so we are like brothers now.” Porter adds, “Yeah, of course, there are going to be times that we may not totally agree, but we just talk it out together and we always figure it out.”

Living up to their carefree attitude, the boys say they aren’t focused on making an album. “We just want to keep creating more music and sharing it with our fans. Down the line, we may put a collection of music together, but for now, we just want to make music we like and hopefully our fans like too,” says Brandon.

Having just finished a nine-city tour, whipping up an impressive following in the process, chances are fans are hungry for something new. Nick promises, “I think our fans should expect music that is very PRETTYMUCH: fun, gets you on your feet, and never the same.”