If you were alive in 1997 - unless of course you lived in some inacessible corner of the world - you're sure to know MMM-Bop. You likely sang to the upbeat tune with the awkward lyrics, danced to it, saw it overplayed ad nauseum on MTV.
You likely knew the uber-cute Tulsa Oklahoma trio called Hanson, brothers names Taylor, Zac and Isaac, then aged 13, 11 and 17 respectively. And no matter what age you were, regardless of your gender or gender preference, you likely fell in love with the charming little drummer kid, Zac Hanson. They were so cute and squeaky, you wished they would never grow up (Well, at least you were sure they were never going to break up).
You likely perked up every time you heard the first few notes of the easily-recognizable intro of their first commercial single, parlty because it sounded too cheerful against the backdrop of post-grunge and nu-metal.
You likely never got an answer to the question, "What the heck is an mmm-bop?"
Their other songs and succeeding albums proved too corny for popular tastes, so they faded out of our playlists while they were going through their awkward teen years. We thought for awhile that maybe they were one-hit wonders, and wondered whether they'd still be "sellable" when they were all grown up. In the meantime, the Hanson kids hustled.
And now I hear they're touring, and they're stopping by Manila.
And MMM-bop sounds almost silly when it comes from the mouth of a grown man.
