The one thing celebrities should expect, in order to survive, is that trends change faster than Beyonce’s costumes at a concert. What propelled them to fame may be what audiences are completely sick of after two years; but ten years later, it may be what audiences are craving, and voila – the key to successful comebacks.
Here are some of the most prominent pop celebrity comebacks of recent years.
Take That – With a number of hit singles including Pray and Everything Changes, the band hit a bend in the road when Robbie Williams quit in 1995, which led to the eventual split in 1996. After a string of largely unsuccessful solo careers, Gary Barlow, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Howard Donald reformed Take That in 2006, and came back with a bang with their sold-out Ultimate Tour around the UK. They even picked up the Best Live Act at the 2008 Brit Awards, proving that it just takes a little Patience, and now they’re Back For Good.
Kylie Minogue – The ex-soap star has had an illustrious music career, dabbling in genres from bubblegum pop to alternative rock. Criticised for having weak vocals, she had been disappearing off the radar in the mid-’90s, but a cheeky hotpants video sent her Spinning Around straight to the top of the celebrity food chain. She also picked up a Best Dance Recording Grammy Award in 2004 for Come Into My World.
Spice Girls – The biggest-selling girl band in the world, in the mid-’90s their “Girl Power!” slogan was all over the radio, TV, magazines, snack wrappers, toys, and just about anything marketable. Their first attempt in recapturing the glory days was a squeak rather than a roar, with their 2000 album Forever losing in a head-to-head sales battle with Westlife’s Coast to Coast. However, their 2007 Return of the Spice Girls world tour silenced naysayers, with tickets for the first London show selling out within a staggering 38 seconds.
Michael Jackson – It’s easy to make fun of him now, but anybody who had witnessed the phenomenon that was Michael Jackson back in the ’80s would understand just how genuinely talented the man is. Sadly, when he tried to re-launch his music career in 2001 with Invincible, allegations of child sexual abuse and drug addiction had already plagued his career. The album showcased his trademark styles of pop-funk and ballads, but overall critics felt it did not live up to the brilliance of his former works Thriller and Bad.
Britney Spears – One might argue that the pop princess never actually went away, as her personal life had been splashed across the tabloids even when her career was on hiatus. Her comeback performance was slated to be the highlight of the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, but she was lambasted by critics for lip-synching and lacklustre dancing. Later in the year, her album Blackout garnered fairly good reviews; but her personal life continues to overshadow her musical career.
New Kids on the Block – Founded in the late ’80s, the boys were the epitome of cheesy pop, with songs like Step by Step and dance routines to match. They’ve enjoyed success outside of the band, most notably Jordan Knight and Joey McIntyre’s solo careers, and Donnie Wahlberg’s acting career. Was anybody really pining for their return? With a comeback single released in May 2008 about making out with a girl on a beach in the Summertime...well, you be the judge.
Staging a comeback after lying low from the spotlight is never easy, but at least they can bank on the nostalgic value for loyal fans. Sit back and enjoy the trip down memory lane.
